Smythesdale, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Smythesdale is a town in Victoria
, Australia
. The town is located on the Glenelg Highway
in the Golden Plains Shire
Local Government Area, 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of Ballarat and 135 kilometres (84 mi) west of the state capital, Melbourne
. At the 2006 census
, Smythesdale had a population of 280.
The town was established during the Victorian Gold Rush
, and the Post Office opened on 14 July 1854. The town was known as Smythe's Creek until 1864.
Facilities in the town include the Court House Hotel
, a bluestone
police lock up, constructed in 1869 and the old Court House, now home to the local historical society.
Smythesdale is the birthplace of Arthur Alfred Lynch
, a polymath
who was trained in engineering and medicine, wrote poetry, was a Member of the British Parliament
and fought against the British in the Second Boer War
. It was also home to women's rights activist, Lillias Margaret Skene
.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The town is located on the Glenelg Highway
Glenelg Highway
The Glenelg Highway is a 301 kilometre highway in south-eastern Australia, linking Mount Gambier with Ballarat. Most of the highway is located within the Western part of the state of Victoria; except for a short, 15 km stretch from the South Australia/Victoria state border near Ardno to...
in the Golden Plains Shire
Golden Plains Shire
Golden Plains Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the south-western part of the state. It includes the towns of Bannockburn, Gheringhap, Linton, Berringa and Meredith. It has an area of 2,721 square kilometres. In 2009 it had a population of 18,173...
Local Government Area, 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of Ballarat and 135 kilometres (84 mi) west of the state capital, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Smythesdale had a population of 280.
The town was established during the Victorian Gold Rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
, and the Post Office opened on 14 July 1854. The town was known as Smythe's Creek until 1864.
Facilities in the town include the Court House Hotel
Australian pubs
A public house in Australia is an establishment performing many functions, often serving alcoholic beverages, meals, and providing basic accommodation.-Origin:...
, a bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
police lock up, constructed in 1869 and the old Court House, now home to the local historical society.
Smythesdale is the birthplace of Arthur Alfred Lynch
Arthur Alfred Lynch
Arthur Alfred Lynch was an Irish Australian civil engineer, physician, journalist, author, soldier, anti-imperialist and polymath. He served as MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and represented Galway Borough...
, a polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
who was trained in engineering and medicine, wrote poetry, was a Member of the British Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and fought against the British in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. It was also home to women's rights activist, Lillias Margaret Skene
Lillias Margaret Skene
Lillias Margaret Skene was an Australian women's rights activist.Lillias was born in Smythesdale, Victoria and educated at Alexandra College in Hamilton, Victoria. In 1877 she married David Alexander Skene, brother of politician Thomas Skene; they had four children.-References:*Smart, J...
.
External links
- Walkabout travel site - accessed 2007-12-27.