109-843: Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo , in North Central Victoria . South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway links to Melbourne , subsuming former alignments of Calder Highway; the Victorian Government completed the conversion to freeway standard from Melbourne to Bendigo on 20 April 2009. Calder Alternate Highway connects to Calder Highway at either end – just north of Ravenswood , and at Marong – and provides
218-400: A saw-tooth roof above suspended ceilings. A "jazz" style frieze decorates the parapet, front wall and tympanum over the central front door, itself recessed behind ornate wrought-iron grille gates above which is a bas-relief in artificial stone by Orlando H. Dutton . Extensions were made at the rear in 1960, 1973, 1987 and 2000. The Castlemaine Market building at 44 Mostyn Street, facing
327-449: A tuscan portico, round headed entrance and roundels. The pediment , simply decorated with a rising sun motif, bears a statue of Ceres , the goddess of agriculture, between two towers with cupola crowns. A clerestory lights the interior from above deep side wings which are 'arcaded' and capped by a cornice. A landmark in the historic townscape, exemplifying the period when the temporary town became permanently established, it now serves as
436-607: A bypass west of Bendigo. Calder Highway commences at the intersection with Silver City Highway in Curlwaa (officially a branch of Silver City Highway, yet sign-posted as Calder Highway) and crosses the Murray River into Victoria over the Abbotsford Bridge , then continues in a southeasterly direction as a two-lane, single carriageway rural highway through Merbein and intersects with Sturt Highway just outside
545-580: A central clock tower, five arched bays and strongly contrasting colouration. This structure replaced a wooden post office which was built on this same spot in 1859 when the service was transferred from the gold commissioner's camp. Over the road is the Cumberland Hotel (1884). At 25 Lyttleton Street is the Castlemaine Town Hall, a design submitted by Wilkinson and Permewan successfully for a 1898 competition, and repeated by them in
654-603: A clash in 1996 with the October Melbourne Festival instituted by then state premier Jeff Kennett . He compensated in part for its consequent losses with a grant of $ 41,800. Subsequently, it is now usually held in late March. It offers visual and performing arts and attracts internationally and nationally renowned performers, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra . See Castlemaine Art Museum The Theatre Royal claims to be
763-499: A derelict sheep station known as Mildura as the site for his first irrigation settlement, signing an agreement with the Victorian government to spend at least £300,000 on permanent improvements at Mildura in the next twenty years. After much political wrangling, the settlement of Mildura was established in 1887. The Post Office opened on 23 January 1888. The nearby towns of Wentworth , Gol Gol , Curlwaa and Yelta sprang up in
872-753: A gallery space at Rio Vista House in the 1950s and became fully established in 1956 with the building of a new regional art gallery and performing arts theatre. In 2012, after two years of construction, the new Mildura Arts Centre opened. Mildura is host to many annual festivals such as the Mildura Country Music Festival , the International Balloon Fiesta , the Jazz Food & Wine Festival, Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival, Murray River International Music Festival, Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura Palimpsest, and
981-656: A large percentage (30%) are domestic tourists visiting friends or relatives. The city's situation on the Murray River makes it a hub for watersports, paddlesteamers and boat cruises. The still conditions make Mildura ideal for hot air ballooning and the Mildura International Balloon Fiesta attracts many visitors. The Australian Inland Botanic Gardens , located nearby in Mourquong is another popular attraction which draws visitors to
1090-515: A massive solar updraft tower proposal in 2004 and 2010. In 2013, Mildura Solar Concentrator Power Station , a 1.5 MW demonstration plant, was commissioned by Silex Systems and it was expected to be expanded to 100 MW by 2017. However, in August 2014, the project was abandoned by Silex, due to lack of commitment to renewable energy by the Abbott government . The government's plans to scrap
1199-585: A number of days per year, however are at times succeeded by cold fronts off the Bight . Mildura got record daily rainfall on 5 February 2011 with 155 millimetres (6.1 in). Mildura is also known as the centre of Victoria's Food Bowl and is a major producer of citrus fruits (especially oranges), and wine. It is also notable for its grape production, supplying 80% of Victoria's grapes. Many wineries also source grapes from Mildura. The local area produces more than 70% of Australia's dried vine fruits. Mildura
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#17327732293781308-412: A number of other secondary industries sprang up. These included breweries, iron foundries and a woollen mill. Thompson's Foundry (now trading as Flowserve ) was one of Castlemaine's largest employers. From the 1970s the industries that had dominated employment in the town for a century began to decline, with many factories closing and others such as Thompson's Foundry significantly downsizing. This led to
1417-647: A rich culture and reverence for the land. The environmental devastation caused by gold mining from the 1850s was widespread and permanent in the entire district. It extinguished many native plant and animal species in the area, and decimated and displaced the Dja Dja Wurrung, for whom quartz was of value but not the soft gold it contained, and who regarded the resulting destruction as having turned their land into 'upside-down country.' Their vital water sources included non-perennial creeks and associated underground springs. Mining spread contaminants and destroyed
1526-425: A south-easterly direction past Elphinstone , Kyneton , Woodend and Gisborne , to reach the western suburban fringe of Melbourne. It continues in a south-easterly, and then easterly, direction past Calder Park Raceway and Keilor , before eventually terminating at an interchange with Tullamarine Freeway at Airport West . Within the urban section of Calder Freeway (between Kings Road and Tullamarine Freeway ),
1635-468: A south-west direction from Seventh Street before terminating in peri-urban farmland. Fifteenth Street is the main strip of big box stores , car dealerships and other commercial enterprises. The tallest buildings are exemplified by the two-storey 1934 Old Mildura Base Hospital, two-storey Marina Dockside apartments completed in 2010 and the three-storey tower/spire of the 1920s T&G building. Other notable tall structures that serve as literal landmarks in
1744-584: A storage facility in Northern California in June. The bust was part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to use a light plane to export drugs from the US to Australia. The 72-year-old pilot, a 52-year-old man from Zetland , and a 58-year-old Melbourne man were charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and money laundering offences. The crystal methamphetamine
1853-467: A tram line – was eventually bypassed by a freeway-standard road in 1972 to terminate at a junction with Lancefield Road (later upgraded to Tullamarine Freeway ), rejoining Calder Highway at the western end of Niddrie; the freeway-standard was extended further west to East Keilor (the future location of the Western Ring Road interchange) in 1975, and to Keilor by the early 1980s. However, it
1962-508: A year and are spread evenly across the months and seasons with winter and spring having the most rainy days. Average maximum temperatures range from a hot 32 °C (90 °F) in summer to a cool 15 °C (59 °F) in winter. Minimum temperatures range from around 17 °C (63 °F) in summer to 4 °C (39 °F) in winter, when frost is common and often destructive to irrigated crops. Mildura experiences some very hot days in summer with temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) on
2071-434: Is 2.5 times higher than in metropolitan areas. Prior to 2010 rates of use of illicit drugs in rural areas were significantly lower than those in the cities. In 2014, a Mildura-based Comancheros Motorcycle Club member and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) sniper, Joshua Faulkhead, was arrested after being caught transporting large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy between Sydney and Mildura. Faulkhead
2180-604: Is a town in west central Victoria , Australia, in the Goldfields region about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest by road from Melbourne and about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major provincial centre of Bendigo . It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander . The population at the 2021 Census was 7,506. Castlemaine was named by the chief goldfield commissioner, Captain W. Wright, in honour of his Irish uncle, Viscount Castlemaine . Built on
2289-528: Is also their work), is rare in a building of the early 1860s. The iron crested mansard attic storey, elaborate detailing of both the corner chimneys, and pedimented dormer windows of the street and side elevations make the Imperial Hotel historically significant as one of the more distinctive hotel buildings in Victoria and a critical component in an important historic townscape. On 17 November 1983
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#17327732293782398-689: Is centred around Harcourt. The Coliban Ward covers the villages of Chewton, Elphinstone and Taradale. In state politics , Castlemaine is located in the Legislative Assembly districts of Bendigo West currently held by the Australian Labor Party . In federal politics , Castlemaine is located in a single House of Representatives division – the Division of Bendigo . The Division of Bendigo has been an Australian Labor Party seat since 1998. Castlemaine's largest industry
2507-484: Is generally thought to mean "earth", "sand" or "rock" in the local Ladji Ladji language . However, usage of the word mill varies by dialect and may mean "red" or "water", and thus, interpretations of the name can vary from "red earth" to "water rock". Many Aboriginal people lived around the site of Mildura because of the abundant food. Local tribes included the Latjilatji and Jarijari . The first Europeans in
2616-660: Is home to many boutique eateries and beverage dispensaries. The combined (CBD) area, known as City Heart, complements the Mildura Central Shopping Centre, located at the opposite end of the urban area on the corner of Fifteenth Street and Deakin Avenue. The latter, so named after Alfred Deakin, 'the Victorian Cabinet Minister who introduced the concept of an irrigated settlement in Australia', itself runs around twelve kilometres in
2725-626: Is in manufacturing, particularly food manufacturing. The biggest employer is KR Castlemaine (formerly the Castlemaine Bacon Company, established 1905), producing smallgoods with over 900 employees. Cultural and heritage tourism is another large industry in Castlemaine, with the historic art gallery being a major drawcard. Castlemaine has joined the likes of nearby Daylesford with gaining tourism from Melbourne, offering an array of local cafes and bars which have increased
2834-635: Is known as Australia's first 'irrigation colony'. The city's central business district is located just a short distance from the banks of the Murray. Langtree Avenue is the main shopping and dining precinct in Mildura, with the middle section of the street a pedestrian mall. The other major retail precinct is along Fifteenth Street in the Mildura South area, where a mid-sized undercover shopping mall and several big box stores are located. The city's name
2943-564: Is located at 149 Pyrenees Highway, Castlemaine, and has over 70 stalls selling a range of merchandise, local products and farmers' products. The old wooden mill beside Barkers Creek opposite the Botanical Gardens was at one stage a carpet factory As a gold rush town, Castlemaine attracted migrants from all over the world. So in addition to 'established' churches such as the Anglicans, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, arrivals in
3052-451: Is now simply the largest town in the Shire. The Theatre Royal opened in 1856 to provide entertainment for the gold diggers , with a notable performance being provided by the world-renowned Lola Montes and her celebrated Spider Dance. It remains mainland Australia's oldest continuously operating theatre. In 1859, the historic Castlemaine Football Club was established. Evidence makes it
3161-568: Is part of the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone, in which fruits or vegetables may not be taken into the area (they can, however, be taken out). This is to stop the Queensland fruit fly from invading crops and plantations which could have a devastating effect on the economy. Disposal bins into which fruit can be disposed of are located along highways entering the zone. Tourism is a A$ 210 million industry in Mildura. However,
3270-427: Is pavilion-planned. Dutch-Flemish architecture inspires the gabling of the projecting wings, the verticality of the windows and the superimposed post-and-lintel system with Tuscan and composite capitals, while the panelling and representation of fans to the side of the lower windows is unusual. Two storeys of pedimented porticos stacked in top of each other form the central element with a 'broken' upper pediment, while
3379-696: Is the first of its kind in Australia. It embraces gold rush relics and bushland. Home to rare and threatened species of both flora and fauna it offers opportunities for bush walking, bird watching, wildlife monitoring and study while providing a bush setting for the township. Housed in an historic building, the Mechanics Institute at 212 Barker Street in which it was established in 1857, the Castlemaine Library held 4,781 volumes in 1877, and since 1996 has expanded its services and offerings and access to 222,931 items (in 2021–22) as part of
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3488-682: The Castlemaine Art Museum at 14 Lyttleton Street was classified by the National Trust which notes its significance as "an exceptional building in its intent and execution and ... historically important as one of the earliest examples of the 'modern movement' in provincial Victoria". Despite the onset of the Depression , £3,250 was raised in only six weeks from private individuals and local companies, augmented by state government grants totallng £1,500, which together covered
3597-530: The Dja Dja Wurrung people, also known as the Jaara people. They were regarded by other tribes as being a superior people, not only because of their rich hunting grounds but because from their area came tachylite , a hard glassy volcanic stone valued for weapons and tools Early Europeans described the Dja Dja Wurrung as a strong, physically well-developed people and not belligerent. The Jaara people have
3706-520: The Government of Victoria take an interest in the city as a possible centre for population and industry decentralisation programs. There have been numerous proposals involving the state government for large scale developments and investments, many ambitious and speculative that have been shelved indefinitely. Given the large amount of sunlight Mildura receives, it is the site for several proposals for large scale solar power in Australia including
3815-568: The National Trust of Australia (Vic). Adjacent to the solicitors' offices is the library, built in 1857 as a mechanics' institute with additions in 1861, 1872 and 1893. Next to it is the Faulder Watson Hall which opened in 1895 and adjacent is the old telegraph office (1857). On the Lyttleton Street corner of Barker Street is the decorative Neoclassical post office (1873–75). It is in the form of an Italian palazzo with
3924-542: The Sunraysia region, where around 90% of Australia's table grape exports are grown. Likewise, it is a major horticultural centre notable for its overall (table, sultana and wine) grape production, supplying about 80% of Victoria's grapes. Many wineries also source grapes from Mildura. It is very close to the New South Wales border, the Murray River, from which it draws an abundant supply of irrigation water. It
4033-460: The fruit picking industry. In 2004 there was a controversial proposal by the Victorian Government to build a state-level Long Term Containment Facility (LTCF) for Industrial Waste in Nowingi , approximately 50 km south of Mildura. The site is a small enclave of state forest surrounded by national park , and contains habitat important to a number of threatened species. The abandoning of
4142-524: The "ancient Calabrian Secret Criminal Society known as the L'Onorata Societa " and the "' Ndrangheta " were operating "throughout the State, with large segments in the fruit growing and farming areas of Mildura and Shepparton" adding that "There are reports the Society has existed in Victoria since 1930". They have reportedly been involved in revenge killings, cannabis production and weapons purchases. During
4251-423: The 16th World Hot Air Ballooning Championships was held in Mildura, Mildura is situated on flat land without hills or mountains on the southern bank of the Murray River and surrounded to the west, north and east by lakes and billabongs including Lake Hawthorn, Lake Ranfurly and Lake Gol Gol. Several towns surround Mildura on the flat plains including Merbein to the west as well as Irymple and Red Cliffs to
4360-415: The 1920s, a number of 'suburban' train services were established to Merbein and Red Cliffs. These were operated by railcars . In 1934 Mildura was officially proclaimed a city. Post war Mildura experienced a large influx of migrants particularly from European and Mediterranean countries including Italy and Greece. Many of these migrants were attracted by the opportunities for unskilled labour offered by
4469-592: The 1980s the Mildura Mafia emerged as a major crime group that dominated marijuana production in Australia and ran an Australia-wide money-laundering network. Several notable mafia murders have been linked to the region including the suspected mafia hit on 43-year-old Marco Medici in 1983, police believe the murder may be connected to the assassination of anti-drug crusader Donald MacKay at Griffith in 1977. The 1984 murders of Melbourne gangsters Rocco Medici and Giuseppe Furina are also connected to Mildura through
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4578-674: The Castlemaine Post Office on 1 January 1854.) The first official Post Office was established after "The Argus" (Melbourne) correspondent at Forest Creek had an article published in November 1851 that put the case forward for a Post Office to be established somewhere between the Forest Creek goldfield and Kyneton. At the same time (November 1851) he described the Forest Creek diggings as having many businesses such as stores and licensed hawkers and "at least 8000 persons on
4687-560: The Church of England, and the Congregational Church, and despite the town's topographical limitation to the valley of the two creeks, broad streets and grand buildings convey an atmosphere of spaciousness. Named after William Barker, the pioneer pastoralist whose run included part of the land which is now Castlemaine. The whole eastern side of Barker Street, between Templeton Street and Lyttleton Street, has been classified by
4796-476: The Eaglehawk Town Hall in 1901. Constructed by H D McBean, builder of many substantial buildings in Castlemaine, including part of the hospital and Thompson's foundry, it cost £2,000. Essentially a Queen Anne building with elements of Dutch Renaissance, its complex eclecticism is typical of the period. Constructed of face red brick and coloured cement dressings (now painted white) and a tiled roof, it
4905-679: The Government's proposal for the LTCF at Nowingi. On 10 January 2007 the Victorian Government did not rule out some form of reimbursement for the council's legal and other costs in opposing the LTCF. "The general rule is that people bear their own costs, that is most likely to apply in this case ... but I've indicated and I am prepared to talk to the council and mayor about the whole issue of how Mildura moves forward and I'll do that," John Thwaites said. In late June to early July 2004,
5014-558: The LTCF proposal was received with jubilation by opponents of the LTCF, not only in the Mildura area and elsewhere in Victoria, but also across the border in South Australia where there were fears that the toxic waste might affect the water supply via the Murray River and thereby the fruit-growing industries of the Riverland and Murraylands . The Mildura Rural City Council and residents spent almost $ 2 million fighting
5123-555: The Mallee Highway at Tutye, west of Ouyen . Local farmers uncovered plastic fruit juice bottles containing the drugs after noticing the men behaving strangely the previous day. In 2017, a joint Australian Federal Police (AFP) and United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation lead to the seizure of $ 2.4 million in cash at the Mildura Airport, after 255 kilograms crystal methamphetamine were found at
5232-669: The Medici family. In 1982, 42-year-old Mildura greengrocer Dominic Marafiote and his parents were murdered after Marafiote gave South Australian police the names of Calabrian mafia bosses in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. In 2016 Mildura residents Nicola Ciconte, Vincenzo Medici and Michael Calleja were convicted and sentenced in Italy for their role in a plot to smuggle up to 500 kilograms of cocaine into Australia. Mildura has recorded significantly higher than average rates of methamphetamine use. Rural methamphetamine use overall
5341-745: The Melton Highway and the Western Ring Road is shown in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as part of the F4 Freeway corridor, which extends past the Tullamarine Freeway and Bell Street to Templestowe . In 2008, VicRoads completed the widening of the Calder Freeway from the Western Ring Road to Melton Highway . The road was widened from 2 lanes each direction to 3 lanes in each direction. The speed limit
5450-1015: The Mildura Show. There is also the annual Mildura masters coarse fishing competition held in November which attracts a number of international and local coarse anglers and the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show As of the 2021 census , there were 34,565 people residing in 15,694 households. Indigenous Australians make up 5.5% of Mildura's population. 75.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Malaysia 2.6%, India 1.5%, England 1.3%, Italy 1.0%, and Vietnam 0.9%. 76.7% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 2.3%, Italian 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.1%, Turkish 1.1% and Punjabi 0.9%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion, so described 41.4%, Catholic 19.1% and Anglican 8.3%. In 2018 Mildura recorded
5559-695: The North Central Goldfields Regional Library Corporation which services also the City of Greater Bendigo, Loddon Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire; an area of 12,979 square kilometres. The shire contributes a budget of around $ 500,000. The Castlemaine branch is the most subscribed of all the NCGRL branches with 53% (10,687) of the Mount Alexander Shire population holding a library card and having used
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#17327732293785668-460: The Ravenswood interchange and continues in southerly direction as a four-lane, dual-carriageway rural freeway which bypasses the towns along the highway's former alignment. Calder Freeway passes Harcourt - where the shared concurrency with Midland Highway ends, as it travels in a south-westerly direction to the major regional centres of Castlemaine , Ballarat , and Geelong - and continues in
5777-424: The Shire of Mount Alexander and the former main road leading to it from Melbourne – Mount Alexander Road. Major Mitchell passed through the region in 1836. Following his discovery, the first squatters arrived in 1837 to establish vast sheep runs. In 1854, Chief goldfields commissioner, Captain W. Wright, renamed the settlement 'Castlemaine' in honour of his Irish uncle, Viscount Castlemaine . On 20 July 1851 gold
5886-676: The States and Territories usually on a 50:50 basis. As a major road link between Melbourne, Bendigo, and the state's northwest, supporting the region's primary manufacturing and tourism industries, Calder Highway was declared a Road of National Importance between Melbourne and Bendigo in December 1996. The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads : in 2004, VicRoads re-declared
5995-400: The Victorian side of the Murray River , Mildura had a population of 34,565 at the 2021 census . When nearby Wentworth , Irymple , Nichols Point , Merbein and Red Cliffs are included, the combined urban area had a population of 58,914 in 2021, having grown marginally at an average annual rate of 1.3% year-on-year over the preceding five years. Mildura is the largest settlement in
6104-487: The area arrived in 1857 and brought sheep to graze the rich pastures. A major drought in Victoria from 1877 to 1884 prompted Alfred Deakin , then a minister in the State Government and chairman of a Royal Commission on water supply, to visit the irrigation areas of California. There he met George and William Chaffey . In 1886, Canadian-American irrigator George Chaffey came to Australia and selected
6213-414: The city include the 'new' water tower, built in the 1950s, and the 'old' water tower, now partially subsumed by a hotel. Mildura has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ) with hot summers and cool winters. It is only about 50 metres above sea level despite being several hundred kilometres from the coast. It enjoys 132.0 clear days annually. Rainfall totals are about 280 mm
6322-533: The city. Mildura Central's (formerly Centro Mildura) extensive redevelopment in 2005 has positioned the centre as the major shopping destination within the Sunraysia region. Mildura Central is also the only fully enclosed, air-conditioned shopping centre in this area and offers a retail mix including representation from a number of national fashion stores. Serving a primary trade area population of 60,000 residents, Mildura Central also receives consumers from beyond
6431-525: The displacement of large numbers of people, with many families leaving in search of jobs elsewhere. The area's precious goldrush history and heritage was, however, increasingly recognised, along with its notable population of arts practitioners. Substantial planning and activity helped create new industries in heritage tourism, arts tourism, nature tourism and so on. As a result, Castlemaine began to be visited – and settled – by more 'outsiders', primarily from Melbourne. Some of these more recent arrivals added to
6540-447: The district included Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists from mining areas in provincial Britain where nonconformist churches were more popular, as well as Lutherans from continental Europe. Initially the churches in Victoria were unable to cope with huge numbers of migrants settling in areas which had been sparsely populated. However a few proactive clergymen set out for the diggings where they were assisted by lay preachers amongst
6649-526: The employ of Barker as shepherds and a bullock driver, immediately teamed with Peters in working the deposits by panning in Specimen Gully where the gold had been found, which they did in relative privacy during the next month. When Barker sacked them and ran them off his land for trespass, Worley, on behalf of the party "to prevent them getting in trouble", mailed a letter to The Argus (Melbourne) dated 1 September 1851 announcing this new goldfield with
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#17327732293786758-596: The first small village was established. By the end of the year there were about 25,000 on the field. The first small village developed at Chewton, today in effect a suburb of Mount Alexander Shire, which included the Commissioner's tent, stores, an office for The Argus newspaper, and an office for the Mount Alexander goldfields' own newspaper the Daily Mail . On 28 January 1852, William Henry Wright
6867-446: The following notice: "- The Lieutenant Governor has appointed John Fletcher, Esq., J.P., to be Police Magistrate at Castlemaine; but where Castlemaine is situate[d] we cannot tell." A court house was established on what is today known as Goldsmith Crescent, Castlemaine near the new government camp. Stores were also established nearby. The first official Post Office at Castlemaine, named "Forrest Creek", opened on 1 March 1852. (Renamed
6976-552: The gaol had been built, and Castlemaine was moving from 'tent' town to bricks and mortar. Notable prominent businesswoman Fanny Finch was running a restaurant and lodging house at Forest Creek at this time. A local government was formed on 23 April 1855 and was later to become the Town of Castlemaine and in 1965 became the City of Castlemaine . However, with municipal amalgamations in the early 1990s, Castlemaine lost its 'City' status and
7085-429: The gentrification of the Victorian era town, helping to preserve its already charming country aspect and enhancing it by establishing a number of cafes and restaurants. As with much gentrification, however, consequent rising house prices placed increased economic pressure on many earlier inhabitants who sometimes struggle to continue living in the area. The town has, overall, taken on a fresh lease of life, combining some of
7194-492: The highest rural crime rate in Victoria and the fourth highest crime rate in the state overall. Mildura has long been associated with the Calabrian Mafia , with claims made by police in 1966 that annual organised crime meetings were held in Mildura to co-ordinate nationwide criminal activities. In a 1960s National Anti-Mafia Directorate report by John T. Cusack (United States' Bureau of Narcotics) and Ugo Macera (assistant commissioner of police in Calabria) claims were made that
7303-461: The infrastructure the indigenous people created over generations to maximise seasonal drainage patterns; channels and weirs they built out of timber stakes, to slow receding summer flows, were wrecked; water holes where the people gathered in smaller groups during periods of scarce rainfall and from which they transported water in skin bags when moving, were muddied, polluted and drained; the soaks they had dug between banks into sandy sediment to tap into
7412-415: The lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung, Castlemaine began as a gold rush boomtown in 1851 and developed into a major regional centre, being officially proclaimed a City on 4 December 1965, although since declining in population. It is home to many cultural institutions including the Theatre Royal, the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia. Castlemaine colonised the traditional lands of
7521-446: The library over any two-year period. The building, administered and maintained by the shire, also houses the 231-seat Phee Broadway Theatre and a foyer exhibition space. Since 1976, Castlemaine has biennially been the home of the Castlemaine State Festival. Running for ten days, the festival is one of Victoria's most notable regional arts events. It was originally held over the Melbourne Cup period in November before it lost $ 130,000 in
7630-451: The main shopping strip, is a rare example of such buildings and, according to the Victorian National Trust, is one of the most important in the country. An 1861 design of town surveyor William Beynon Downes, it is one of the most distinctive classical revival buildings in Australia. It was classified on 11 December 1958, then acquired by the National Trust in 1967 which restored it from a dilapidated condition. Its symmetrical elevation features
7739-451: The major regional town of Mildura , where widens to a four-lane, dual-carriageway road through southern Mildura and Irymple , in the state's north-west. It narrows back to a two-lane single carriageway road and continues in a southerly direction, meeting Mallee Highway at Ouyen , then in a south-easterly direction through Sea Lake , Wycheproof , Charlton and meeting the northern end of Calder Alternative Highway at Marong eventually to
7848-817: The management, construction and care of the state's major roads from local municipalities. (Melbourne-) Bendigo Road was declared a Main Road over a period of months, from 30 December 1913 ( Castlemaine via Harcourt to Ravenswood ), to 30 November 1914 (from Keilor through Diggers Rest to Gisborne , and from Woodend through Kyneton and Elphinstone to Castlemaine ), to 20 September 1915 (from Ravenswood to Bendigo); (Ouyen-) Sea Lake Road from Ouyen to Mittyack , (Ouyen-) Mildura Road from Ouyen to Hattah , and Wycheproof-Sea Lake Road from Wycheproof to Sea Lake were declared Main Roads on 14 December 1914; and (Charlton-)Wycheproof Road between Charlton and Wycheproof
7957-405: The mid-to-late 19th century. In the 1890s came the scourge of the rabbit . This devastated the sheep farmers, especially south of the Murray. There was also a financial recession at this time. Combined, these factors restricted growth of the new settlement. After this period, the new settlement grew and grew. It was soon the main town of the district. Suburbs and new satellite towns sprang up. From
8066-415: The more desirable aspects of urban Melbourne with the charm and openness of old Castlemaine. Castlemaine is nestled in a valley. The urban area extends to several suburban areas, north toward Barkers Creek , west to McKenzie Hill , east to Moonlight Flat and Chewton and south to Campbells Creek . In local government , the Castlemaine region is covered by the Shire of Mount Alexander . The council
8175-554: The oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia. It hosts films (including several world and Australian premieres), concerts and functions. See Buda Historic Home and Garden Castlemaine also hosts a local farmers market where the finest producers of the Mount Alexander Shire region, all in one place. The market is currently held on the Western Reserve, Forest Street, Castlemaine The Wesley Hill Community Market operates every Saturday from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. It
8284-492: The original inhabitants of present-day Mildura. There are several theories as to the origin of the name Mildura. While it was the name of the sheep station, without precedent in the English language, most historians believe it to have originated from Aboriginal Australian words. However, the etymology of Mildura is not certain, as in several local dialects, the words mill and dura have different meanings. The word dura
8393-466: The praised Renewable Energy Target (RET) in Australia were cited as one of the main reasons for abandoning the project. International scientists criticised this decision extensively, claiming Australia risks being "left behind the rest of the world" if it cuts its plans for renewable energy. The decision to not build the plant may also cause electricity prices to rise significantly in the country. Another large development which has been controversial
8502-493: The precise location of their workings. This letter was published on 8 September 1851. "With this obscure notice, rendered still more so by the journalist as 'Western Port', were ushered to the world the inexhaustible treasures of Mount Alexander" also to become known as the Forest Creek diggings. Within a month there were about 8,000 diggers working the alluvial beds of the creeks near the present day town of Castlemaine, and particularly Forest Creek which runs through Chewton where
8611-497: The region's appeal. Castlemaine is also home to the Castlemaine Rod Shop (CRS), a company known Australia-wide for its aftermarket components for Holden , Ford and many others, especially Australian-made vehicles. The Castlemaine goldfields' legendary prosperity raised expectations of Castlemaine becoming Victoria's second city. That is reflected in imposing buildings erected in the town's first few years. Though
8720-424: The residential growth occurring in the south, south western and more recently the eastern parts of the urban area. The central business district (CBD) is located at the northern end of the urban area, fronting onto the Murray River. The main shopping street of Mildura is Langtree Avenue, which features a pedestrian mall and shopping centre. The area between Seventh and Eight Streets is known as Feast Street, and
8829-416: The rich alluvial diggings were largely exhausted within 15–20 years causing the town's population to shrink after the 1870s, a rich legacy remains in the form of its buildings and intact nineteenth century streetscapes comprising public buildings as well as simple miners' cottages. The historic area tells the history of Castlemaine in relics of significance, including the former steam flourmill (now 'The Mill'),
8938-466: The road as Calder Alternative Highway (Arterial #6200) between Ravenswood and Marong , and in 2011 as Calder Highway (Arterial #6530) between the border with New South Wales at Yelta and the interchange with Calder Alternate Highway and Ravenswood Street in Ravenswood , and as Calder Freeway (Freeway #1530) between Ravenswood and Tullamarine Freeway , Airport West . The Calder Highway between
9047-524: The second oldest football club in Australia and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. In 1877-80 the residences numbered over 2000, and there was a population in the township of 7,500, forming an electorate in itself, within the district, the County of Talbot, of 19,000 people. Four trains ran daily to and from Melbourne with fares at 13 shillings (A$ 80 value in 2021) for First Class, and 8s. 6d. (A$ 52.70) for Second. As gold mining gradually ceased
9156-574: The south which could be considered suburban areas or satellite towns separated by small stretches of open farmland. While the land along the river and irrigation channels is fertile, much of the land around Mildura is also dry, saline and semi-arid. Mildura is a largely low-rise and low density urban area that is overwhelmingly dependent upon private automobiles for transportation. Residential dwellings consist almost solely of single-family detached homes on relatively large allotments. The population has been growing rapidly for several decades with most of
9265-751: The standard travel time, in each direction, is 10 minutes; 5 minutes between Kings Road and the Western Ring Road and 5 minutes between the Ring Road and Tullamarine Freeway . Between Red Cliffs and Wycheproof the highway has a speed limit of 110 km/h. The passing of the Country Roads Act of 1912 through the Parliament of Victoria provided for the establishment of the Country Roads Board (later VicRoads ) and their ability to declare Main Roads, taking responsibility for
9374-445: The stretch of freeway. A further upgrade completed in 2012 resulted in a new interchange at Kings Road (the freeways's urban / metropolitan limits) and closure of three at grade intersections in the area. Despite these upgrades the 80 km/h speed limit remained in place. Mildura, Victoria Mildura ( / m ɪ l ˈ dj ʊər ə / mill- DEW -rə ) is a regional city in north-west Victoria , Australia . Located on
9483-411: The three main commercial networks, Seven News produces short local news and weather updates throughout the day, broadcast from its Canberra studios. WIN Mildura produced half-hour WIN News bulletins for the Sunraysia region until May 2015. Castlemaine, Victoria Castlemaine ( / ˈ k æ s əl m eɪ n / KASS -əl-mayn , non-locally also / ˈ k ɑː s -/ KAHSS- )
9592-422: The total cost of £4,132. Architect Percy Meldrum 's design in an American Art-deco style was constructed by local builder Frank Pollard in local brick, slate and granite, by April 1931 for the official opening, free of debt. It consisted of a main gallery behind two smaller galleries and with the museum in the basement with storerooms. The gallery walls are naturally and indirectly lit from concealed windows of
9701-490: The tourist centre. Castlemaine has its own botanical gardens , established in 1860, which are on the Victorian Heritage Register . The gardens feature Lake Joanna (an artificial lake), many exotic tree species and structures dating to the Victorian era. The Castlemaine public swimming pool is 50m in length and is located next to the botanical gardens. The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park
9810-468: The trade area including the Riverland , Swan Hill , Robinvale and Broken Hill . It includes a large Target , a Big W to the side of Mildura Central, a 19 aisle Woolworths and a Coles supermarket across the road. Other retailers in Mildura Central include JB Hi-Fi , Kaisercraft, Jay Jays and EB Games . Mildura's location in Victoria and consistently strong local lobbying have seen
9919-418: The two creeks (Forest and Barker)". The need pointed out in "The Argus" in November 1851 had resulted in an unofficial Post Office being established on the diggings at Chewton (Forest Creek) in December 1851, a Post Office then described as being "on the most central part of the diggings". On 15 February 1853 town lots were offered for sale. By that time the first Castlemaine District Hospital had been opened,
10028-709: The vertical line is continues above a balconied parapet, completed by a square tower with glazed circular openings on all four sides, surmounted by an onion dome. Opposite the town hall is the Imperial Hotel, a thirty-room, two-storey hotel with attic erected in 1861 for Faulder Watson at a cost of £4,000 and classified in 1982 by Heritage Victoria which describes it as "one of the most innovative classical revival buildings in Victoria". The sophisticated design in French Renaissance style by leading Melbourne architects Purchas and Swyer (the Glenara homestead at Bulla
10137-459: The water table were likewise obliterated. Some of their waterholes in rock platforms of the Creek that they found or enlarged, then covered with slabs to protect them from animals, may still remain, unidentified. The first European settlers named it Forest Creek and as the population grew it became known as Mount Alexander . The old name is still present in some place names in Victoria including
10246-514: The western suburbs of Bendigo , where it widens to a four-lane, dual-carriageway road as it weaves through the rural city, intersecting with Loddon Valley Highway and meeting with Midland Highway , where it narrows back to a single carriageway road and shares a concurrency through south-western Bendigo, widening again to a dual carriageway through Kangaroo Flat to eventually meet the southern end of Calder Alternative Highway at an interchange in Ravenswood . Calder Highway becomes Calder Freeway at
10355-535: Was created in 1995 as an amalgamation of a number of other municipalities in the region with the Council and Civic Centre in the former School of Mines, in central Castlemaine, next to the original town hall. Castlemaine Town is represented by the Castlemaine Ward. The Loddon River Ward is centred around the township of Newstead. The Tarrengower Ward is centred around the township of Maldon. The Calder Ward
10464-571: Was declared a Main Road on 28 May 1915; and Charlton-(Bridgewater-)Bendigo Road was declared a Main Road, between Bridgewater and Wedderburn to Charlton on 28 May 1915, and between Bendigo and Bridgewater on 20 September 1915. The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 provided for the declaration of State Highways, roads two-thirds financed by the State government through the Country Roads Board. North Western Highway
10573-435: Was declared a State Highway on 1 July 1925, cobbled from a collection of roads from Melbourne through Kyneton , Castlemaine , Bendigo , Sea Lake and Ouyen to Mildura (for a total of 324 miles), subsuming the original declarations of Melbourne-Bendigo Road, Charlton-Bridgewater-Bendigo Road, Charlton-Wycheproof Road, Wycheproof-Sea Lake Road, Ouyen-Sea Lake Road and Ouyen-Mildura Road as Main Roads. North-Western Highway
10682-592: Was discovered near present-day Castlemaine (Mt Alexander Goldfields) at Specimen Gully on Barkers Creek . The gold was discovered by Christopher Thomas Peters, a shepherd and hut-keeper on the Barker's Creek, in the service of Dr William Barker on his Mount Alexander run. When the gold was shown in the men's quarters, Peters was ridiculed for finding fool's gold, and the gold was thrown away. Barker did not want his workmen to abandon his sheep, but in August they did just that. John Worley, George Robinson and Robert Keen, also in
10791-412: Was later signed National Route 79 in 1955; when Midland Highway was allocated State Route 149 in 1986, it shared it as a concurrency along Calder Highway between Harcourt and Bendigo. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s this was altered to route A79 for the highway portion, and route M79 for the freeway portion into Melbourne (and the concurrency with Midland Highway
10900-505: Was not until the 1990s that work began to duplicate the rest of the highway to Bendigo. The Howard government broadened the criteria under which roads qualify for Commonwealth road funding by introducing Roads of National Importance program in the 1996–97 financial year where such declarations were based on the recognition that roads outside the National Highway system also provide social benefits, and were funded jointly with
11009-503: Was one of nearly 200 men who were assigned or affirmed as Territorial Magistrates for Victoria. Not long after, he took control of the Mount Alexander diggings and set up a government camp on Forest Street near the junction of Barker and Forest Creeks (today's Camp Reserve). This was to be the new township of Castlemaine. The first reference in a newspaper to the township is found in the Geelong Advertiser of 13 March 1852 with
11118-409: Was opened in 1972, over time stretching west to ultimately become a project to convert the road to freeway standard all the way to Bendigo; the freeway upgrade has made sections of the original Calder Highway redundant, either incorporated into the new freeway or acting as local access roads. Calder Alternative Highway was declared in 9 May 1983, along the former Ravenswood–Marong Road. Calder Highway
11227-554: Was reduced permanently from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. The 80 km/h limit applies northbound from Keilor Park Drive to Melton Highway, and southbound it applies from the Green Gully Road bridge to just prior to the Western Ring Road interchange. In October 2010, it was announced that as part of a year long trial, the speed limit on this section of freeway will be increased back to 100 km/h in off-peak times (8pm-5am), with 30 variable speed limits to be installed along
11336-667: Was renamed Calder Highway in 1928, after William Calder , chairman of the Country Roads Board from 1913–28. In the 1959/60 financial year, another section from Elphinstone to Harcourt was added as a deviation bypassing Castlemaine , along the former Elphinstone–Harcourt Road (already having been declared a Main Road by the Country Roads Board in 1937/38 financial year); the previous alignments of Calder Highway from Elphinstone to Castlemaine, and Castlemaine to Harcourt, were subsumed into Pyrenees Highway and Midland Highway respectively. The first section of Calder Freeway in Melbourne
11445-693: Was replaced with route A300); the New South Wales section was left unallocated when they switched to the alphanumeric system in 2013. Calder Alternative Highway was signed Alternative National Route 79 between Ravenswood and Marong, and was later replaced by route A790. Originally, Calder Highway ran through northwestern Melbourne as an undivided highway, ultimately through Niddrie as Keilor Road and terminating in Essendon ; traffic continued south along Mount Alexander Road to reach central Melbourne. Keilor Road – already heavily congested and supporting
11554-1130: Was reported to be worth $ 255 million. Those arrests were connected to $ 2.4 million which was found in Mildura, in a prime mover that was driven from Adelaide in April. Notable people from Mildura include: Local newspapers include the Sunraysia Daily , Mildura Midweek and Mildura Weekly. Online news sources include the Mildura Independent Star, Rural Rebel Media (Independent) and River 1467 AM News. Local radio stations include ABC Mildura Swan Hill (National), River 1467 AM (3ML) (Commercial), 97.9 Sun FM Sunraysia (Commercial), 99.5 Star FM (Commercial), and Hot FM (Community). Local TV stations include ABC TV , SBS TV , Seven , WIN Television (9), Mildura Digital Television (10), 7two , 7mate , 7flix , 7Bravo , 9Go! , 9Gem , 9Life , ABC TV Plus , ABC Kids , ABC Me , ABC News , SBS HD , SBS Viceland , SBS World Movies , SBS Food , NITV , SBS WorldWatch , 10 Bold and 10 Peach . Of
11663-520: Was sentenced to nine years and five months in jail. In 2015, 20 people were involved in a large drug trafficking operation in Mildura in north-west Victoria. Methamphetamine, marijuana and ecstasy were seized in raids. The drugs seized were reported to be worth more than $ 15,000. $ 20,000 in cash were seized and a number of weapons were also seized. Later that same year, Stephen Gillard and Geoffrey Hitchen from South Penrith , were arrested for possession of $ 300,000 worth of methamphetamines in scrubland off
11772-509: Was taken from the Mildura homestead, an early sheep station which covered most of the area. The urban area of Mildura is surrounded by irrigated horticulture, where the original grape and citrus blocks were located with water irrigated from the Murray River. Mildura has a long history of orange and grape farming, and an even longer history of Aboriginal occupation. This includes the Latje Latje and Ngintait peoples, amongst others, being
11881-582: Was the proposal for Mildura to be the site for Victoria's second casino. Since early settlement Mildura has been home to artists, writers and creative people. Organisations such as the Red Cliffs Musical Society, Eisteddfod, Mildura Ballet Guild and Mildura Country Music Festival have helped grow a reputation for home grown talent and creative community. The hub of this community is the Mildura Arts Centre, which began as
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