BATHURST HISTORY:
Before white man, the plains around Bathurst where the home of the Wiradjuri, one of the largest aboriginal tribes in Australia who where considered quite timid to the early settlers, although trouble was to brew after around a decade of white settlement. Controlled by a Kinship system the Aboriginals had great respect for the land and the country remained pristine with abundant wildlife for thousands of years. Of course that would change when white man landed.
With the Sydney Colony restricted to a strip of land along coast by the Great Dividing Range (Blue Mountains), Governor LACHLAN MACQUARIE (1762-1824) was very eager to explore inland when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson finally found a way across the mountains in 1813. Governor MACQUARIE born in Scotland and considered a major influence on the development of Australia, and quickly ordered George William Evans (Assistant Surveyor of Lands) to make use of this inland route and he became the first white man to walk on the Bathurst Plains.
News of the fertile country beyond the Blue Mountains further excited Governor MACQUARIE who wasted no time in organising William Cox and a team of convicts to build a road from where Penrith is now towards Bathurst. To the amazement of everyone both now and then, Cox and his gang completed this road to the banks of the Macquarie River in 6 months (January 1815). Making way for “the father of Australia” Governor MACQUARIE and his wife to travel across the legendary blue mountains and proclaim the city of Bathurst as Australia's first inland city.
Just as it is now when the traveller crests the final ridges on the Great Western Highway at Yetholme to see the mighty Bathurst Plains and get there first view of traditional inland Australia Governor MACQUARIE was speechless when he first laid eyes on the site of Bathurst. It is certainly worth re counting Governor MACQUARIE words when he stood and looked at Bathurst after his arduous trip only a couple of years after Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson found that path through the mountains
It is impossible to behold this grand scene without a feeling of admiration and surprise, whilst the silence and solitude, which reign 'm a space of such extent and beauty as seems designed by nature for the occupancy and comfort of man, create a degree of melancholy in the mind which may be more easily imagined than described.
Governor LACHLAN MACQUARIE - AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY BY LAND -III. GOVERNOR MACQUARIE'S REPORT ON THE COUNTRY BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
Before white man, the plains around Bathurst where the home of the Wiradjuri, one of the largest aboriginal tribes in Australia who where considered quite timid to the early settlers, although trouble was to brew after around a decade of white settlement. Controlled by a Kinship system the Aboriginals had great respect for the land and the country remained pristine with abundant wildlife for thousands of years. Of course that would change when white man landed.
With the Sydney Colony restricted to a strip of land along coast by the Great Dividing Range (Blue Mountains), Governor LACHLAN MACQUARIE (1762-1824) was very eager to explore inland when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson finally found a way across the mountains in 1813. Governor MACQUARIE born in Scotland and considered a major influence on the development of Australia, and quickly ordered George William Evans (Assistant Surveyor of Lands) to make use of this inland route and he became the first white man to walk on the Bathurst Plains.
News of the fertile country beyond the Blue Mountains further excited Governor MACQUARIE who wasted no time in organising William Cox and a team of convicts to build a road from where Penrith is now towards Bathurst. To the amazement of everyone both now and then, Cox and his gang completed this road to the banks of the Macquarie River in 6 months (January 1815). Making way for “the father of Australia” Governor MACQUARIE and his wife to travel across the legendary blue mountains and proclaim the city of Bathurst as Australia's first inland city.
Just as it is now when the traveller crests the final ridges on the Great Western Highway at Yetholme to see the mighty Bathurst Plains and get there first view of traditional inland Australia Governor MACQUARIE was speechless when he first laid eyes on the site of Bathurst. It is certainly worth re counting Governor MACQUARIE words when he stood and looked at Bathurst after his arduous trip only a couple of years after Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson found that path through the mountains
It is impossible to behold this grand scene without a feeling of admiration and surprise, whilst the silence and solitude, which reign 'm a space of such extent and beauty as seems designed by nature for the occupancy and comfort of man, create a degree of melancholy in the mind which may be more easily imagined than described.
Governor LACHLAN MACQUARIE - AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY BY LAND -III. GOVERNOR MACQUARIE'S REPORT ON THE COUNTRY BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
The Bathurst Plains
With much thought and care Governor MACQUARIE and Mrs MACQUARIE camped at Bathurst for over a week before he settled on the site of the city which he celebrated with volley of shots. He then ordered that there would be no settling on the western side on the Macquarie River till the city was formally designed and surveyed by James Richards to ensure the city would be fitting of it grand location and significance to Australia (indeed Bathurst looked likely to be the Capital of Australia in the lead up to federation). The distinguished town centre and wide streets of Bathurst would see James Richards later contracted to design the layout of Melbourne.
Today the city’s centre known as Kings Parade illustrates the grandeur Governor MACQUARIE planned for the Bathurst at the earliest days of white settlement. The court house dominating the square which also includes the Carillon and the Boer War Memorial, along with the monument celebrating George Evans trek to the spectacular Bathurst Plains gateway to the golden west.
Today the city’s centre known as Kings Parade illustrates the grandeur Governor MACQUARIE planned for the Bathurst at the earliest days of white settlement. The court house dominating the square which also includes the Carillon and the Boer War Memorial, along with the monument celebrating George Evans trek to the spectacular Bathurst Plains gateway to the golden west.
Bathurst’s Characteristics:
What is Bathurst so well known in Australia :-
Although the history of white settlement is limited to only a few hundred years Bathurst features heavily in the events that shaped the country; with politics, education, farming Industry, sport and the gold rush all featuring in the city’s history.
The Gold Rush
It was Farming and especially Gold that accelerated the process of Australian developing into the diverse wealthy and civilised nation it is today. The Gold Rush expanded the colonies to breaking point, forcing the development of government, industry and general infrastructure to cope with the stampede of fortune hunters from round the world. The Bathurst District boasts some of the more renowned locations in Australia's gold history. Today villages such as Hill End (home of Holtermann's Nugget the worlds largest nugget of reef gold) are still like a journey back in time to feel the excitement yet hardship of the gold hunting pioneers of Australia.
Political events
Stretched to the limit by the Gold Rush Australia had to stand up and not rely on British colonial rule, arguments and controversy as evident at the eureka stockade rebellion in 1854 at Ballarat in Victoria seen Australia push for independence. Bathurst’s history again containing plenty of significant political events, including the 1896 People's Convention where the constitution in respect to Federation was considered by not Colonial Government but general Australians with a women's committee recognised for the first time. Today a monument recognises the conference in the centre of town in front of the famous Somerville Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum.
Sneaky Deals
In those times it was widely considered that Bathurst would become the Capital of Australia and home of the Australian politics. In fact it was only a “behind the scenes back room political discussion” that probably prevented Bathurst from being today’s National Capital rather than Canberra. In forming the Criteria for selecting the Capital city it was decided that the site should be outside a 100mile radius from Sydney. This distance and the other selection criteria identified Bathurst as an ideal site however in a strange decision the 100mile radius was measured from Sydney Western Boundary rather than the normal procedure of the Macquarie Place Obelisk, hence dragging Bathurst into the 100mile radius and dropping the site from the final selection.
Favourite Son
Of course when discussing politics, the city of Bathurst is very proud of a young train driver named Ben Chifley who became the Prime minister of Australia in the turbulent years at the end of World War 2. Buried in Bathurst Ben Chifley small home near the Railway lines is maintained by Bathurst in honour of a politician famous for getting Australia going again after the horrors of WWII. Prime Minister Chifley is credited by initiating the huge Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme and launching the first Holden family car off the assembly line. It would seem very appropriate that a Bathurst resident would be involved with the foundation of the Aussie Holden car given the cities obsession with motor sport.
Sport
Sport and particularly the Great Race is what puts Bathurst on the map these days the cities Mt Panorama race track considered one of the worlds best motor racing circuits, and home of Australia’s much loved Bathurst 1000 Supercar classic, along with a motor racing museum and memorial to Aussie Legend Peter Brock . The annual battle between the Holden and Ford teams on Mt Panorama is an Australian tradition and the race has become a pilgrimage for motor sport fans across Australia & New Zealand.
Like most “bush” cities in Australia much of Bathurst’s social/family culture is built on sport, with a large percentage of Australian participating in a variety of ball sports, Bathurst boasting venues for all 4 codes of football (league, Union, Soccer, Aussie rules) plus Tennis, Squash, Bowls, 10 Pin Bowling, Hockey, Basketball, Cricket and so on. Yet with the city in the shadow of the Mt Panorama where many of the skill based sports such as Shooting, archery etc are based; Bathurst can certainly brags of its rich tradition of racing, and its many champions in a variety of Racing Sports.
Famous Racers
Of course motor racing and motor cycling / motorcross is based at the Mount and has an amazing array of Champions and legendary performances, those lucky enough to see Sir Jack Braham in his prime on the mountain will never forget it, while the old motor racing fanatics still talk of the Pete Geoghegan, Allan Moffat battle for the touring car championship in 1972, and what about when the Bikeys took over the city in the 60s & 70s for the easter motor bike races. Car Racing on Mt Panorama brings together a nation to celebrate the great race and for that matter the human race, but at the same time splits it down the middle with Australian divided into either Holden or Ford supporters. It depends which side of the fence you stood, whether you cheered or cried when Moffart had his legendary one two form finish in 1977; or Brocky’s 6 lap win where he broke the lap record in the Torana on the last lap of the event in 1979. Long Live the King of the Mountain!
Yet away from motor sport Bathurst racers have trilled Australia with their determination and of course we are not just talking of humans, as in 1974 a horse was given the keys of the city. Hondo Grattan wasn’t just any horse, also known as little Hondo and the Bathurst Bulldog he won two Inter dominion pacing championships and a Miracle Mile and captured the hearts of race fans with his doggedness and tenacity in a race finish. In 1974 the city packed Kings Parade to welcome home the little champion, with trainer A.D Turnball driving the horse float to the front of Court House where they dropped the tailgate on the truck and let the little standardbred look out over his fans at a full civic reception.
Home of Cycling
Another great racing tradition in Bathurst is cycling, with champion pedallers stretching from Herbert Cortis (in the 1880s) to current Olympian Mark Renshaw. Herbert Cortis whom is buried in local Bathurst cemetery is recognised as one of the earliest Champions of the World, while today Mark Renshaw is renowned as the worlds best lead-out man after he combined with British superstar Mark Cavendish for a record 6 win in the 2009 Tour de France.
Cycling in Bathurst stretches back to the pioneer days of the sport thanks to the brilliant tradesmen found in city due to Cobb & Co’s headquarters located in Bathurst in the mid 1800’s. The city laying claims to the home of cycling in NSW after resident W.R. George was identified as the first cyclist in NSW by Sydney Morning Herald when he contracted a visiting Blacksmith to build what is thought to be the first bicycle in the State. In modern times the prominence of Bathurst in the sport of cycling is backed by the Institute of Sport identifying the district as High Performance Area, (post Sydney 2000 Olympics), acknowledging at the time the performances of National representatives Mark Renshaw, Mat Farmer, Dean Windsor and Toireasa Ryan.
Racing Racing Racing
However the cities race theme extents further than the performances of individual athletes with Bathurst hosting a number of events across a number of activities which have become almost festival like. Lead by the Bathurst 1000 Great Race and the 12 hour there are number of other events such as Soldiers Saddle race meeting, B2B cycling weekend, Easter Motor Festival, Long Track Speedway, Edgells Jog, Gold Crown Carnival which are all huge race meeting for a non metro area and further proof of the great race tradition in Bathurst community.
What is Bathurst so well known in Australia :-
Although the history of white settlement is limited to only a few hundred years Bathurst features heavily in the events that shaped the country; with politics, education, farming Industry, sport and the gold rush all featuring in the city’s history.
The Gold Rush
It was Farming and especially Gold that accelerated the process of Australian developing into the diverse wealthy and civilised nation it is today. The Gold Rush expanded the colonies to breaking point, forcing the development of government, industry and general infrastructure to cope with the stampede of fortune hunters from round the world. The Bathurst District boasts some of the more renowned locations in Australia's gold history. Today villages such as Hill End (home of Holtermann's Nugget the worlds largest nugget of reef gold) are still like a journey back in time to feel the excitement yet hardship of the gold hunting pioneers of Australia.
Political events
Stretched to the limit by the Gold Rush Australia had to stand up and not rely on British colonial rule, arguments and controversy as evident at the eureka stockade rebellion in 1854 at Ballarat in Victoria seen Australia push for independence. Bathurst’s history again containing plenty of significant political events, including the 1896 People's Convention where the constitution in respect to Federation was considered by not Colonial Government but general Australians with a women's committee recognised for the first time. Today a monument recognises the conference in the centre of town in front of the famous Somerville Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum.
Sneaky Deals
In those times it was widely considered that Bathurst would become the Capital of Australia and home of the Australian politics. In fact it was only a “behind the scenes back room political discussion” that probably prevented Bathurst from being today’s National Capital rather than Canberra. In forming the Criteria for selecting the Capital city it was decided that the site should be outside a 100mile radius from Sydney. This distance and the other selection criteria identified Bathurst as an ideal site however in a strange decision the 100mile radius was measured from Sydney Western Boundary rather than the normal procedure of the Macquarie Place Obelisk, hence dragging Bathurst into the 100mile radius and dropping the site from the final selection.
Favourite Son
Of course when discussing politics, the city of Bathurst is very proud of a young train driver named Ben Chifley who became the Prime minister of Australia in the turbulent years at the end of World War 2. Buried in Bathurst Ben Chifley small home near the Railway lines is maintained by Bathurst in honour of a politician famous for getting Australia going again after the horrors of WWII. Prime Minister Chifley is credited by initiating the huge Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme and launching the first Holden family car off the assembly line. It would seem very appropriate that a Bathurst resident would be involved with the foundation of the Aussie Holden car given the cities obsession with motor sport.
Sport
Sport and particularly the Great Race is what puts Bathurst on the map these days the cities Mt Panorama race track considered one of the worlds best motor racing circuits, and home of Australia’s much loved Bathurst 1000 Supercar classic, along with a motor racing museum and memorial to Aussie Legend Peter Brock . The annual battle between the Holden and Ford teams on Mt Panorama is an Australian tradition and the race has become a pilgrimage for motor sport fans across Australia & New Zealand.
Like most “bush” cities in Australia much of Bathurst’s social/family culture is built on sport, with a large percentage of Australian participating in a variety of ball sports, Bathurst boasting venues for all 4 codes of football (league, Union, Soccer, Aussie rules) plus Tennis, Squash, Bowls, 10 Pin Bowling, Hockey, Basketball, Cricket and so on. Yet with the city in the shadow of the Mt Panorama where many of the skill based sports such as Shooting, archery etc are based; Bathurst can certainly brags of its rich tradition of racing, and its many champions in a variety of Racing Sports.
Famous Racers
Of course motor racing and motor cycling / motorcross is based at the Mount and has an amazing array of Champions and legendary performances, those lucky enough to see Sir Jack Braham in his prime on the mountain will never forget it, while the old motor racing fanatics still talk of the Pete Geoghegan, Allan Moffat battle for the touring car championship in 1972, and what about when the Bikeys took over the city in the 60s & 70s for the easter motor bike races. Car Racing on Mt Panorama brings together a nation to celebrate the great race and for that matter the human race, but at the same time splits it down the middle with Australian divided into either Holden or Ford supporters. It depends which side of the fence you stood, whether you cheered or cried when Moffart had his legendary one two form finish in 1977; or Brocky’s 6 lap win where he broke the lap record in the Torana on the last lap of the event in 1979. Long Live the King of the Mountain!
Yet away from motor sport Bathurst racers have trilled Australia with their determination and of course we are not just talking of humans, as in 1974 a horse was given the keys of the city. Hondo Grattan wasn’t just any horse, also known as little Hondo and the Bathurst Bulldog he won two Inter dominion pacing championships and a Miracle Mile and captured the hearts of race fans with his doggedness and tenacity in a race finish. In 1974 the city packed Kings Parade to welcome home the little champion, with trainer A.D Turnball driving the horse float to the front of Court House where they dropped the tailgate on the truck and let the little standardbred look out over his fans at a full civic reception.
Home of Cycling
Another great racing tradition in Bathurst is cycling, with champion pedallers stretching from Herbert Cortis (in the 1880s) to current Olympian Mark Renshaw. Herbert Cortis whom is buried in local Bathurst cemetery is recognised as one of the earliest Champions of the World, while today Mark Renshaw is renowned as the worlds best lead-out man after he combined with British superstar Mark Cavendish for a record 6 win in the 2009 Tour de France.
Cycling in Bathurst stretches back to the pioneer days of the sport thanks to the brilliant tradesmen found in city due to Cobb & Co’s headquarters located in Bathurst in the mid 1800’s. The city laying claims to the home of cycling in NSW after resident W.R. George was identified as the first cyclist in NSW by Sydney Morning Herald when he contracted a visiting Blacksmith to build what is thought to be the first bicycle in the State. In modern times the prominence of Bathurst in the sport of cycling is backed by the Institute of Sport identifying the district as High Performance Area, (post Sydney 2000 Olympics), acknowledging at the time the performances of National representatives Mark Renshaw, Mat Farmer, Dean Windsor and Toireasa Ryan.
Racing Racing Racing
However the cities race theme extents further than the performances of individual athletes with Bathurst hosting a number of events across a number of activities which have become almost festival like. Lead by the Bathurst 1000 Great Race and the 12 hour there are number of other events such as Soldiers Saddle race meeting, B2B cycling weekend, Easter Motor Festival, Long Track Speedway, Edgells Jog, Gold Crown Carnival which are all huge race meeting for a non metro area and further proof of the great race tradition in Bathurst community.
The Court House is the centre piece of Bathurst’s Kings Parade
George Evans Monument is also prominent in the cities centre
Check out my Hometown -
After a number of interviews which have focused on Dean Windsor hometown of Bathurst, lets look at what all the hype is about - Welcome to Bathurst.
For details – click here.
Put Simply – to get to Bathurst by road from the Sydney International Airport (which is next to the Domestic Airport) just follow the Princes Hwy towards Sydney CBD then turn onto the Great Western Hwy and follow it to Bathurst.
However there are much quicker ways, if you are organised to pay the toll use the M5 and M7 to the meet the Great Western Hwy at Eastern Creek, this will dramatically reduce the trip duration and stress. See http://www.roam.com.au/
To get onto the M5 - turn off Cooks River Ave onto the bridge virtually soon as you exit the Sydney International Airport carport. This will put you on Marsh Street where you only go 800metres along side the golf course and turn right into the M5 tunnel. Its then clear sailing to Bathurst, (M5 to M7 to M4 and Great Western Hwy).
Kings Parade
Museum in the left wing
Bathurst Court House
War Memorials and statue of Evans
Note the Great Western Highway might sound big but it pretty much follows the road Cox built with the convicts. Well I might be exaggerating, but after driving past the explorers tree monument where Blaxland Lawson Wentworth carved their names, which is just on the edge of the road, you will understand the significance of this transport link and why this trip into the blue Mountain is a very popular tourism route. The 3 sisters at Katoomba are very popular and the whole Blue Mountains area is listed as a World Heritage Listed National Park
Note: The 3 sisters is becoming very commercial and it’s worth considering only a brief stay so you can take the option of dropping in on Govetts Leap at Blaxland. If you have a couple of hours spare do the walk to Pulpits Rock.
Also worth a trip to the Edge Theatre at Katoomba before the walk where you can learn of the great Wolomine Pine and the forests of the World Heritage site.
Also worth a trip to the Edge Theatre at Katoomba before the walk where you can learn of the great Wolomine Pine and the forests of the World Heritage site.
No Car try the Trains -
By Rail – take the Airport train to Central Railway Station then get a ticket for the Blue mountain line which mostly just goes to Lithgow and you will be on the bus to Bathurst. Generally there is one Lithgow train each hour with no trains for 3 hours or so in the early hours of the morning.
For more info
By Rail – take the Airport train to Central Railway Station then get a ticket for the Blue mountain line which mostly just goes to Lithgow and you will be on the bus to Bathurst. Generally there is one Lithgow train each hour with no trains for 3 hours or so in the early hours of the morning.
For more info
Bathurst, NSW. Australia