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91-655: The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian -built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster was primarily designed by the then government-owned Australian Defence Industries (ADI), and is currently produced by Thales Australia following their acquisition of ADI. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Netherlands Army , British Army , Japan Ground Self Defense Force , Indonesian Army , Fiji Infantry Regiment , Jamaica Defence Force , New Zealand Army and

182-551: A humid subtropical / cold semi-arid transitional climate zone ( Cfa/BSk ), due to its location being on the boundary of the hot, sultry inland areas to the north and the cool, damp Southern Ocean to the south. Bendigo gets 109.9 clear days annually. The mean minimum temperature in January is 14.4 °C (57.9 °F) and the maximum 30.3 °C (86.5 °F), although temperatures above 35 °C (95.0 °F) are commonly reached. The highest temperature officially recorded

273-415: A v-hull shaped underbelly with additional crew protection features such as four- point seat belts and seats suspended from the roof or sides of the vehicle. IMVs are resistant to small arms and explosives but aren't designed to defeat heavy machine gun and cannon fire, or shaped charge attack. Infantry Mobility Vehicles carry weapons typical of armoured personnel carriers . Many feature a machine gun on

364-594: A 6-metre (20 ft) mast is currently under development to meet an Australian requirement under the Defence Capability Plan. In August 2022, the Army unveiled a fully electric prototype the electric Bushmaster Protected Military Vehicle (ePMV) developed with 3ME Technology in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Group . The ePMV will undergo road trials after a larger battery

455-782: A Dutch Bushmaster was struck by an IED near Kidal . No one was hurt by this incident and the Bushmaster was returned to the Dutch camp at Gao . In June 2015, a further 12 were ordered. In July 2020 the Dutch Army took delivery of its first Multirole Electronic Warfare Bushmaster. The British Army acquired 24 Bushmasters in April 2008 specifically for use in Iraq to support Task Force Black and United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) operations around Basra . The heavily modified vehicles, known as

546-452: A firefight between a Dutch patrol and Taliban insurgents, a Bushmaster was hit by an improvised bomb. Although none of the passengers were hurt, the bomb damaged the front of the Bushmaster. The Bushmaster was sent to Multi National Base Tarin Kot (Kamp Holland) (the Dutch base) for repairs. The Netherlands ordered additional Bushmasters on several occasions in 2007 and 2008. On 20 November 2007

637-409: A high degree of protection against land mines , using its v-hull monocoque to deflect the blast away from the vehicle and its occupants. The vehicle's armour provides protection against small arms of up to 7.62 mm ball ammunition, 81 mm mortar fragments, Claymore mines, and with additional applique armour, protection for armour-piercing ammunition of up to 7.62 mm. The fuel and hydraulic tanks of

728-515: A more protected alternative to jeeps and medium trucks in patrol and transportation roles. They are designed to counter mines and ambushes; these include sporadic small arms fire, threats such as IEDs and anti-tank mines, and man portable anti tank weapons such as the RPG-7 . Infantry Mobility Vehicles share similar design to the trucks they are designed to replace. The front and side windshields will be made of ballistic glass . They generally feature

819-412: A new hull that features front crew doors, a wider rear door and the compartment has increased height and has been extended. The driveline has a new Caterpillar C7 engine, a new heavy-duty suspension, an anti-lock braking system , a choice of two transmissions and transfer case options, a new alternator and a auxiliary power unit option. The MR6 has a new storage system, digital dash, central tyre inflation,

910-634: A plan of the Mount Alexander gold workings, and his order that he mark out a reserve at the junction of Golden Gully with Bendigo Creek, and the camp on the west side of the creek below the junction. In late August La Trobe wanted him to report urgently on the best reserves for agriculture in the district. By 26 November he had mapped Bendigo Creek and Myers Creek, and his survey of the Bendigo Valley and environs marked township reserves at Bullock Creek, Ravenswood and Happy Jack where settlement

1001-561: A style that was soon adopted across the state of Victoria. Vahland also designed more than 80 buildings, including the Alexandra Fountain , arguably the most prominent monument in Bendigo, with its granite dolphins, unicorns, nymphs and allegorical figures. A tram network was established by 1890, some of which is still in operation as a tourism service currently. After a temporary drop in population, renewed growth occurred from

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1092-437: A tent city, the boomtown grew rapidly into a major urban centre with many grand public buildings. The municipality became a borough in 1863, officially known as Sandhurst until 1891, but always unofficially as Bendigo. The railway had reached Bendigo by 1862, stimulating rapid growth, with flour mills, woollen mills, tanneries, quarries, foundries, eucalyptus oil production, food production industries, and timber cutting. When

1183-485: A third weapon mount. All Troop variants are now fitted with 10 seats. Thales developed a Single Cab Utility variant of the Bushmaster that was unsuccessfully proposed for the Land 121 Phase 3 Project. Thales has developed a Dual Cab Utility variant and a ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) Kit. In January 2015, Australian Defence Magazine reported that an Electronic Warfare variant with

1274-675: A total ADF delivery of 696 vehicles of all configurations. This was increased in October 2008 to 737 vehicles for the Australian Defence Force. In May 2011 the Australian government announced the purchase of an additional 101 Bushmasters, in order to replace vehicles damaged on operations and to provide additional vehicles for training and operational use. A further order for 214 vehicles was announced in July 2012. This order

1365-479: A wide range of vehicles developed by a number of nations: Bendigo Bendigo ( / ˈ b ɛ n d ɪ ɡ oʊ / BEN -dig-oh ) is a city in north-central Victoria , Australia , located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Melbourne , the state capital. As of 2022, Bendigo has a population of 103,818 making it Australia's 19th-largest city by population . Bendigo

1456-587: A year it was noticed the plant was becoming scarce. Squatters in the area included: Donald Campbell at Bullock Creek in Ravenswood ; J & R Bakewell to the north of Bendigo; Heap & Gryce to the north-west; Archibald McDougall to the west; Joseph Raleigh and James Robinson along the Campaspe River to the south; and Thomas, Jones, and William Barnett to the east. The Ravenswood "Mount Alexander North run", occupied from c.1840 by Donald Campbell,

1547-659: Is air transportable by the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, as well as the Mil Mi-26 cargo helicopter. It is the first armoured vehicle to be completely manufactured in Australia since the Sentinel tank during World War II . In keeping with the vehicle's role and capabilities, the Australian Army designates Bushmaster-equipped infantry units as being motorised , and not mechanised . Following

1638-690: Is built on top of a wide bridge that spans the viaduct . The park elevates toward Camp Hill, which features a historic school and a lookout – a former mine poppet head . Further from the city is Lake Weeroona , a large, ornamental lake adjacent to the Bendigo Creek. The Bendigo Botanic Gardens , which opened in 1869, are further downstream. Major redevelopment of the gardens has taken place in recent years. The gardens are home to many native species of animals, including brushtailed and ring-tailed possums, ducks, coots, purple swamp hens, microbats (small insect-eating bats), several species of lizards, owls,

1729-606: Is currently banned. Bendigo was affected by the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. A fire to the west of the city burned out 500 hectares (1,200 acres). The fire broke out at about 4.30 pm on the afternoon of 7 February, and burned through Long Gully and Eaglehawk, coming within 2 km (1.2 mi) of central Bendigo, before it was brought under control late on 8 February. It destroyed about 58 houses in Bendigo's western suburbs, and damaged an electricity transmission line, resulting in blackouts to substantial parts of

1820-484: Is fitted. The same month a Bushmaster fitted with solar panels by SME Praxis Labs was also unveiled. In September 2007, the Army reported that the fleet would be upgraded with a protected weapon system (PWS) that is stabilised with thermal imaging, camera and laser rangefinder. Other upgrades include spall curtains, fire suppression system, cool water drinking system and an additional seat following criticisms from Australian soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan including that

1911-565: Is located next to the art gallery in View Street and hosts performing arts and live music. It also hosts the annual Bendigo Writers Festival which was founded in 2012. The Ulumbarra Theatre was opened on 16 April 2015. It was originally the Sandhurst/Old Bendigo Gaol. The new theatre which seats nearly 1,000 people sits within the walls and structure of the gaol and retains some original architectural features of

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2002-416: Is now a performing-arts centre. Bendigo's Joss House , a historic temple, was built in the 1860s by Chinese miners and is the only surviving building of its kind in regional Victoria, which continues to be used as a place of worship. The historic Bendigo Tram Sheds and Power Station (1903) now house Bendigo's tramway museum . The Queen Elizabeth Oval still retains its ornate 1901 grandstand. The central city

2093-400: Is skirted by Rosalind Park , a Victorian-style garden featuring statuary and a large blue stone viaduct . The main entrance corner of the park is on the intersection known as Charing Cross , formerly the intersection of two main tram lines (now only one). It features a large statue of Queen Victoria . The Charing Cross junction features the large and ornate Alexandra Fountain (1881) and

2184-661: Is the Midland Highway, the section running through the CBD is also known as Pall Mall , while the main shopping area is centred around Hargreaves Mall. The contiguous urban area of Bendigo covers roughly 82 km of the local government area's 3048 km . Generally the suburbs occupy the catchment of the Bendigo Creek and its tributaries. Bendigo has several suburbs, some of which (such as Eaglehawk) were once independent satellite townships and many that extend into

2275-536: Is the fourth-largest inland city in Australia and the fourth-most populous city in Victoria . Bendigo is administered by the City of Greater Bendigo , formerly the City of Bendigo . The council area encompasses roughly 3,000 square kilometres, the city is surrounded by smaller towns such as Castlemaine , Heathcote , Kyneton , Maryborough , Elmore , Rochester , Goornong and Axedale . The traditional owners of

2366-723: The 1st Mentoring Task Force who were occupying a Bushmaster were wounded, three of them seriously, when it was hit by a roadside bomb in the Chora Valley north of the main Australian base near Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan Province during a routine vehicle patrol. As of May 2011, 31 Bushmasters have been damaged beyond repair while serving with the Australian Army. The largest number operating in Afghanistan at one time

2457-513: The Armed Forces of Ukraine . Transportation of infantry , incorporating full protection from small arms fire, was the primary role for which the Bushmaster was designed; infantry would dismount from the vehicle, before going into action. As it was lightly armoured, the term infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) was initially used, rather than armoured personnel carrier , to distinguish the Bushmaster from heavier wheeled and tracked APCs used by

2548-596: The Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region Important Bird Area , identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for swift parrots and other woodland birds. A dozen species of insect-eating bats and the pollinating grey-headed flying fox inhabit the area. Bendigo has a relatively dry temperate climate with warm, variable summers and cool winters. Under the Köppen-Geiger classification , it lies on

2639-634: The C4I system from the Hawkei and an improved remote weapon station that can be fitted with a 30 mm cannon. The MR6 has an extra two tonne payload. In 2021, Thales adapted previous Bushmaster vehicle designs to produce the Bushmaster NZ5.5 for the New Zealand Army . To date, Australia's Bushmasters have been deployed on five operations: On 17 March 2010, all five Australian soldiers from

2730-646: The Casspir . The Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle was designed for the Australian military in the 1990s and hundreds of vehicles entered service. In response to the increased threat of IEDs in the Global War on Terror , a large number of IMVs were acquired by belligerents. In 2002, the United States Marine Corps began deploying Cougars built by Force Protection for use in Afghanistan. Thousands of units have been ordered as part of

2821-478: The Coliban River . The architect William Charles Vahland (1828–1915) left an important mark on Bendigo during this period. He is credited with the popular cottage design known as a Vahland House. The cottage design that has vastly been customised shares a common theme of a central door, a sash window either side, a central hallway that runs the entire length of the house and verandahs ordained in iron lace,

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2912-584: The Escapade , were used to provide armoured transport for strike teams. Features included an increased armour package, bullbar, ECM and anti-IED suites, and a CROWS RWS fitted with an M2 .50 calibre machine gun. The UKSF had been using an armoured hull protected vehicle in Afghanistan the Supacat HMT 400 since 2003. The Bushmaster provided all-round protection, compared to the HMT 400 with an exposed crew, that

3003-506: The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace , the world's largest gem-quality jade Buddha statue. As of 2016 , Buddhism was followed by 1.4% of Bendigo people, and Islam by about 0.5%. In 2019, despite protests by several far-right and anti-Islam organisations, construction began on Bendigo's first mosque and Islamic community centre. The central area (CBD) of Bendigo consists of around 20 blocks of mixed-use area. The main street

3094-618: The Ravenswood run, earlier known as the Mount Alexander North run, in October 1851. The creek had been named "Bendigo Creek" after a local shepherd and employee of the Mount Alexander North run nicknamed for the English bare-knuckle prizefighter William Abednego "Bendigo" Thompson . The area was transformed in less than a year as tens of thousands of people arrived during the great gold rush in 1852. Widespread gold mining caused environmental devastation and permanent damage in

3185-649: The "FireKing" is operated by the South Australian Forestry Corporation (ForestySA) with 15 in service. A Bushmaster was used in a Victoria Police operation in 2014, painted grey with police decals. In 2007, Thales developed a 6x6 Bushmaster and partnered with Oshkosh Truck in a failed bid for the United States Army Medium Mine Protected Vehicle (MMPV) program. In 2009, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) interrogation variant

3276-616: The 1930s, as the city consolidated as a manufacturing and regional service centre, though gold mining continues. Recent growth has been most heavily concentrated in areas such as Epsom, Kangaroo Flat, Strathdale, and Strathfieldsaye. On 28 March 2013, the Dja Dja Wurrung people were formally recognised as the traditional owners for part of Central Victoria, including the land on which the City of Greater Bendigo sits. In 1994, under municipal reforms of Victoria's Kennett government ,

3367-783: The American Mine Resistant Ambush Protected and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle programs, respectively. IMVs were deployed extensively by ISAF forces in Afghanistan. They have were deployed by the US, UK, and Australia during the Iraq War . In 2018, Peshmerga forces in Syria were seen in American built IMVs. Infantry Mobility Vehicles are designed to supplant lighter, less protected vehicles among rear echelon troops and in low intensity conflict. They are

3458-574: The Army Logistic Training Centre. As of 2017, the Bushmaster is planned to remain in service until 2030. In May 2023, the Australian government placed a A$ 160 million order for 78 Bushmasters to replace the Bushmasters gifted by Australia to Ukraine, and to keep the Bushmaster production line open. In July 2024. the Australian government placed a A$ 45 million order for 15 Bushmasters to be delivered in 2026 to be used for

3549-456: The Army purchased 11 Self Protection Adaptive Roller Kits (SPARK) mine roller Mark 2 (SMR2) for the Bushmaster. In 2015, 45 Bushmasters had their remote weapons systems (RWS) upgraded similar to systems on tank turrets. In 2023, the ADF stated that a number of Bushmasters would be equipped with a Battle Management System for mounted command, developed by Systematic . A fire fighting variant named

3640-510: The Australian Army's need for an Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV). The 1994 White Paper stated that new land force vehicles would be acquired. Project Bushranger (Land 116) was created to procure both protected and unprotected vehicles. The Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IIMV), a fleet of unarmoured vehicles similar to the Land Rover Perentie were built and purchased from British Aerospace Australia, from November 1993, to prove

3731-522: The Australian Army, such as the ASLAV and M113 . It was later discovered that the high-hardness steel specified for the Bushmaster meant that it generally offered better protection against ballistic weapons and IEDs than the aluminium alloys used in ASLAVs and M113s. To reflect this capability, it was later redesignated a "Protected Mobility Vehicle" (PMV). The 1991 Defence Force Structure Review identified

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3822-519: The Bushmaster vehicles manufactured by Thales for the Netherlands army. The order entailed 17 M101 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations (CROWS). It was expected that the first of these systems would be operational in theatre by August 2007. On 20 September 2007, during an engagement with the Taliban a 20-year-old Dutch soldier was killed in action. His body was evacuated in a Bushmaster which

3913-752: The City of Bendigo was abolished and merged with the Borough of Eaglehawk, the Huntly and Strathfieldsaye shires, and the Rural City of Marong to form the larger City of Greater Bendigo. The population of the city increased from around 78,000 in 1991 to about 100,617 in 2012. Bendigo is currently one of the fastest-growing regional centres in Victoria. The city is surrounded by components of the Greater Bendigo National Park , as well as

4004-715: The Dutch Defence Ministry announced that it would acquire an additional 10 vehicles to replace the two damaged and two destroyed vehicles and a Patria armoured vehicle which was also destroyed in Uruzgan. One vehicle would be sent to the Netherlands for training purposes, and the rest go directly to Afghanistan. The Dutch ordered a further 13 Bushmasters in June 2008, taking their total order to 49 vehicles. At this time six Dutch Bushmasters had been destroyed in Afghanistan. In January 2009, another batch of nine vehicles

4095-477: The FMTV including engine, transmission, steering, instrumentation, electrical and pneumatic systems. The prototype was built in less than seven months. In September 1996, the Australian government-owned company Australian Defence Industries (ADI) purchased the intellectual property rights from Boral 's Perry Engineering with agreement from Timoney Technologies and Stewart & Stevenson. By January 1997, following

4186-654: The Indonesian language. The Sanca is made in collaboration with PT Len, meant to demonstrate the C5i concept (Combat Information) aside from the traditional C4 concept . In January 2018, Thales Australia launched the MR6 variant for the British Army Multi Role Vehicle-Protected program. MR6 is an abbreviation for Multi Role 6 with the six signifying the sixth production run. The MR6 has

4277-810: The Institute of Technology, and the Memorial Military Museum (1921), all in the Second Empire style. The architect William Vahland encouraged European artisans to emigrate to the Sandhurst goldfields and so create a "Vienna of the South". Bendigo's Sacred Heart Cathedral , a large sandstone church, is the third-largest cathedral in Australia and one of the largest cathedrals in the Southern Hemisphere . The main building

4368-408: The Netherlands to be used for training purposes. Twelve of the Bushmasters were fitted with a Thales SWARM remote weapon station before delivery. In July 2007, Canberra based Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited (EOS) was awarded a contract of A$ 5.8 million for the supply of remote weapon systems for use by the Netherlands army. The contract was awarded to EOS by Thales Australia for fitting to

4459-826: The acquisition of unprotected and protected vehicles. This eventually led to the development of the Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle, later referred to as the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle . Infantry Mobility Vehicles were first found during the Rhodesian Bush War . In response to the growing threat of mines, a number of "Mine Ambush Protected" vehicles were produced in an improvised manner for Rhodesian government forces in unit workshops and national steel working firms from about 1972. Similar units were developed by South Africa, such as

4550-476: The alluvial gold ran out, extraction of quartz-based gold continued in deep shafts using industrial systems. Selection in the future county of Bendigo (created in 1869) commenced under the Land Act of 1865, with most settlement occurring around Sandhurst and Eaglehawk . Bendigo was declared a city in 1871. Rapid population growth brought a water shortage, partially solved with a new viaduct that harnessed

4641-575: The annual Groovin' the Moo music festival. It is held at the Bendigo Showgrounds and is usually held in late April or early May. The festival regularly sells out and brings many Australian and international acts to the city. It also attracts thousands of people from around Victoria to the city for the weekend. The Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival has been taking place each November since 2011. With over 80 artists from all over Australia,

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4732-422: The area are the Dja Dja Wurrung (Djaara) people. The discovery of gold on Bendigo Creek in 1851 transformed the area from a sheep station into one of colonial Australia's largest boomtowns . News of the finds intensified the Victorian gold rush , bringing an influx of migrants from around the world, particularly Europe and China. Bendigo became Eastern Australia's largest 19th-century gold-mining economy, and

4823-493: The area of Bendigo, and although rare, the 2003 Bendigo tornado passed through Eaglehawk and other parts of the city, causing major damage to homes and businesses. Bendigo was in severe drought from 2006 to 2010, and during this time, the city had some of the harshest water restrictions in Australia, with no watering outside the household. Heavy rains from the middle to later months of 2010 filled most reservoirs to capacity and only wasteful water use (e.g. hosing down footpaths)

4914-423: The arrival by white settlers , who established the first of many vast sheep runs in 1837. The Djadjawurrung peoples experienced two waves of settlement and dispossession: from the south from 1837 and from the north from 1845. The marked decrease in Dja Dja Wurrung population was also due to the arrival of non-indigenous animals; they use their noses to ‘root up’ the nutritious moon-nar tuber (yam daisy); after just

5005-541: The benefit of the church which, in 1897, enabled the construction of Sacred Heart Cathedral . Completed in 1977, it is the largest church building in provincial Australia. As of 2016, Catholicism is still practised by 22% of the population. In the 2016 census, 36.2% reported having "no religion". The Sandhurst Methodist Circuit (1854) serviced five Wesleyan churches which had been built in previous years. There were several church schools, but they were attended by one-fifteenth of Bendigo's school children. The Chinese, who in

5096-513: The city's annual rainfall of 510.0 millimetres (20.08 in) falls between June and September as cold fronts. Snowfalls are rare; however, sleet occurs and rain commonly falls at temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F) on account of the city's exposed location. Frosts are a common occurrence during the winter and spring, though hampered by the frequent cloud cover. A series of great floods occurred in Bendigo in 1859. Substantial flooding also occurred in 1903. Tornadoes have been seen around

5187-405: The city. One fatality from the fire occurred. Flash floods occurred across Bendigo during 2010, the first in March and the most severe at the beginning of September. The region also has had flooding events in October of 2022 and January of 2024. According to the 2016 census of population, 92,379 people were in Bendigo Urban Centre. According to the City of Greater Bendigo Community Profile,

5278-412: The command and control of the new High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that the Army is scheduled to receive from 2025. Several Bushmaster variants have been produced for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force , these are: The Troop variant being used by the Royal Australian Air Force originally differed from the Army variant in that it was fitted with 10 seats for infantry and

5369-457: The company to Thales Australia. In October 2016 it was announced that Australia and Indonesia would jointly develop a vehicle based on the Bushmaster for use by the Indonesian military. The vehicle, known as the Sanca, is manufactured by Pindad in collaboration with Thales. The Bushmaster is optimised for operations in northern Australia , and is capable of carrying up to 9 soldiers and their equipment, fuel and supplies for 3 days, depending on

5460-439: The completion of the Calder Freeway linking Melbourne and Bendigo in 2009, and the region's proximity to Melbourne, Bendigo has become one of the fastest-growing regional centres in Victoria. The traditional owners of the Mount Alexander , traditionally named Leanganook, area that includes Greater Bendigo , are the Dja Dja Wurrung (Djaara) people. They exploited the rich local hunting grounds from which they were displaced by

5551-435: The concept of infantry mobility and fill the IMV role, until the IMV entered service. In February 1994, the draft specification for the IMV was released, followed in July by the invitation to register interest, with 17 proposals received including by Australian company Perry Engineering with the Bushmaster, and by Australian Specialised Vehicle Systems with the Taipan, derived from the South African Mamba . In September 1995,

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5642-455: The district, decimating and displacing the Dja Dja Wurrung and destroying the infrastructure they created over generations to maximise seasonal drainage patterns; the 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;

5733-401: The gaol. The venue hosts performing arts and live music. It also acts as a ceremonial and teaching space for local secondary schools and universities. The city hosts the Bendigo National Swap Meet for car parts every year in early November. It is regarded as the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and attracts people from all over Australia and the world. The city hosts the Victorian leg of

5824-416: The gunner is exposed to enemy fire. Between 2009 and 2012, the Protected Mobility, Troop, Command and Mortar variants in use in Afghanistan were upgraded. The upgrade included the addition of the protected remotely controlled weapons station, automated fire suppression system and ECM systems. The Special Operations Task Group vehicles were fitted with a weapon ring to mount a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. There

5915-425: The mid-19th century constituted 20% of Bendigo's population, built the heritage-listed Bendigo Joss House Temple dedicated to Kwan Tai or Lord Guan , where they practised syncretic beliefs involving ancestor worship and the three main religions of China: Buddhism , Taoism and Confucianism . Bendigo is also home to the largest stūpa in the Western world, the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion , which houses

6006-459: The population estimate for 2019 for this area was 118,093 (0.39 persons per hectare ). In the 19th century, Catholicism was the predominant Christian tradition in Bendigo. Catholic priest and pioneer George Henry Backhaus established a site in 1852 for the first Masses at Golden Square and, by the end of the year, he was camping at the site of Bendigo's first church, St Kilian's Church, completed in 1858. A wealthy man, Backhaus left his estate for

6097-422: The request for tender was issued to five shortlisted proposals. In early 1996, Perry Engineering produced a prototype Bushmaster, based on an Irish designed Timoney Technologies MP44, including the Rockwell/Timoney independent suspension, and with US company Stewart & Stevenson components from the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV). Over 65% of the components by Stewart & Stevenson were from

6188-411: The requirements of the specification, and performed with varying success over the course of the trials. In March 1999, ADI was awarded the Bushranger contract to produce the Bushmaster at their Bendigo facility. In November 1999, ADI was privatised becoming 50% owned by French company Thales and 50% owned by Australian company Transfield . In 2006, Thales acquired the remaining 50% of ADI and renamed

6279-942: The roof, either on a ring mount or a remote weapon system . IMVs are typically designed to have much greater protection from IEDs than other armoured vehicles, with crews able to survive blasts that would be lethal in more conventional armoured personnel carriers . They are typically much heavier than unarmoured vehicles, with weight typically greater than six tonnes, and ranging to as much as thirty. Being designed for patrol and transportation rather than direct combat, they are designed to have good on road mobility. They are often capable of road speeds approaching or exceeding 100km/h, high for an armoured vehicle. Offroad maneuverability may be limited due to lack of all wheel drive, power to weight, and high ground pressure. Many are derived from existing truck chassis. The original Rhodesian Mine Ambush Protected vehicles were derived from Unimog, Mercedes, and Nissan truck chassis. The term refers to

6370-463: The soaks they had dug between banks into sandy sediment to tap into the water table were likewise obliterated. Some of their waterholes in rock platforms of creeks that they found or enlarged, then covered with slabs to protect them from animals, may still remain, unidentified. Gold was officially discovered in the area in October 1851, just after the other significant goldfields in neighbouring Castlemaine , from where many diggers migrated, bringing

6461-401: The surrounding bushland. As a legacy of the gold boom, Bendigo has many ornate buildings built in a late Victorian colonial style. Many buildings are on the Victorian Heritage Register and registered by the National Trust of Australia . Prominent buildings include the Bendigo Town Hall (1859, 1883–85), the Old Post Office , the Bendigo Law Courts (1892–96), the Shamrock Hotel (1897),

6552-465: The tawny frogmouth, and though not native to the area, a colony of endangered grey-headed flying foxes ( Pteropus poliocephalus ). The Bendigo Art Gallery is one of Australia's oldest and largest regional art galleries. In March 2012, it hosted a royal visit from Princess Charlene of Monaco at the opening of an exhibition about Grace Kelly . The Capital Theatre , originally the Masonic temple,

6643-594: The term IMV was coined, such as the French VAB and South African Buffel . The term is coming more into use to differentiate light 4x4 wheeled APCs from the traditional 6x6 and 8x8 wheeled APCs. The up-armored M1114 Humvee variant can be seen as an adaptation of the unarmoured Humvee to serve in the IMV role. In 1994, the Australian Department of Defence identified the need to mobilise infantry through

6734-493: The total population to 40,000 in less than a year. Many of these diggers were Chinese and their descendants still live in the region. During 1852, under the direction of Surveyor General of Victoria , Robert Hoddle , William Swan Urquhart was making a general survey of Mount Alexander and the surrounding ranges, and of the goldfields, and fixed the site of the township of 'Sandhurst', now Bendigo. On 13 July 1852 Hoddle passed on to Urquhart Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe's request for

6825-609: The troop-carrier variant (152 vehicles) were completed on 7 June 2006. Deliveries of the command variant were completed by mid-2006 followed by the delivery of the other variants. In December 2006 the Australian Minister for Defence announced that the Australian Bushmaster order had been increased and over 400 vehicles will be delivered. This figure was confirmed as 443 vehicles in a subsequent press release. In August 2007 an additional 250 were ordered for

6916-430: The type of variant. The vehicle is fitted with air conditioning and was once planned to have a cool water drinking system, but was omitted upon production due to cost constraints. After operational complaints the drinking water cooling system is being reconsidered for installation. It has a road cruise speed of 100 km/h and an operational range of 800 km. The Bushmaster is a mine protected vehicle and provides

7007-420: The vehicle are located outside the crew compartment, while it also has an automatic fire suppression system. The troop carrier variant of the Bushmaster is fitted with one gun ring. The forward gun ring can be fitted with a 5.56 mm or 7.62 mm machine gun. The two rear hatches each have a mounting boss to allow the attachment of a swing mount capable of holding a 7.62 mm machine gun. The Bushmaster

7098-659: The vehicle's troubled development, a total of 299 Bushmasters were ordered by the Wheeled Manoeuvre Systems Program Office of the Defence Materiel Organisation for the Australian Defence Force , reduced from the 370 which were originally ordered. Bushmaster deliveries began in 2005, three years later than was originally scheduled, and were scheduled to be completed in July 2007. Deliveries of

7189-518: The wealth generated during this period is reflected today in the city's Victorian architectural heritage. From 1853 until 1891, Bendigo was officially named Sandhurst. Bendigo's boom period lasted until the early 20th century and after a temporary decline in population and employment, renewed growth occurred from the 1930s as the city consolidated as a manufacturing and regional service centre. Although gold mining continues, recent population growth has been most heavily concentrated in suburban areas. With

7280-508: The withdrawal of other bids, the Bushmaster and Taipan remained the only contenders for the project. That November, ADI launched its re-engineered Bushmaster proposal changing the design and shape of the hull to withstand a greater force and associated internal and external features. In March 1998, three Bushmaster IMVs and three Taipan IMVs built in South Africa started a 44-week competitive evaluation trial. Neither vehicle fully met all of

7371-608: Was 104. In July 2006 the Dutch Government announced an urgent purchase of 25 Bushmasters to equip Royal Netherlands Army units operating in Afghanistan . Due to the urgency of this purchase these vehicles were taken from Australian Army stocks. Additional Bushmasters were built by ADI to replenish the Australian inventory. 23 Bushmasters were directly delivered to Dutch Army units in Afghanistan starting from 28 August 2006. The remaining two vehicles were transported to

7462-561: Was 45.4 °C (113.7 °F), during the 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave . There is also a disputed recording of 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) (on 14 January 1862). Summers are also subject to cold weather: on 2 February 2005, the maximum temperature did not exceed 11.5 °C (52.7 °F) all day. The mean minimum temperature in July is 2.7 °C (36.9 °F) and winter minima below 0 °C (32 °F) are recorded on 26.1 nights per year on average. Mean maximum winter temperatures in July are 12.7 °C (54.9 °F). Most of

7553-399: Was a survivability enhancement to the lower hull, floor, seat mounts and axle caps. Two adaptive roller kits were provided able to be mounted to the front of the vehicle for protection against mines or IEDs. In late 2012, the entire fleet was rotated, with new upgraded vehicles provided with increased blast protection and the option of adding extra external composited armour. During 2012-2013,

7644-459: Was acquired by brothers Stewart and Robert Gibson in 1848, with Frederick Fenton later replacing one of the Gibson brothers. After the discovery of gold in 1851, Fenton sold provisions to the miners and agisted their horses. Becoming the sole owner of the Ravenswood run in 1857, Fenton built its substantial homestead. Gold was officially discovered on Bendigo Creek at the north-eastern boundary of

7735-564: Was already taking place. His plan General Survey of the Bendigo Goldfields showing the proposed reserves for townships. Drawn by W.S. Urquhart, Melbourne, November 1852 recommended sites for national schools, churches, markets and other public purposes reserved from sale. In 1853, a massive protest called The Red Ribbon Rebellion was held over the cost of the licence fee for prospectors, though it passed off peacefully, due to good diplomacy by police and miners' leaders. From being

7826-433: Was attacked with small arms, mortars and RPGs. The vehicle was struck several times but all soldiers in the Bushmaster survived and were unhurt. Since the vehicle was immobilized and still under attack, they were forced to abandon it. Since salvage was not possible the Bushmaster was later destroyed by a Dutch Apache helicopter. The troops were transported out of danger by a second Bushmaster IMV. On 19 October 2007 during

7917-475: Was completed between 1896 and 1908 and the spire between 1954 and 1977. Fortuna Villa is a large surviving Victorian mansion, built for Christopher Ballerstedt and later owned by George Lansell. Many other examples of Bendigo's classical architecture rank amongst the finest classical commercial buildings in Australia and include the Colonial Bank building (1887) and the former Masonic Hall (1873–74), which

8008-490: Was ordered, these vehicles to be fitted with cameras, sensors and an interrogation arm to find and destroy improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A further 14 Bushmasters were ordered in June 2009. In August 2009, another 14 vehicles were ordered, bringing the total Dutch order to 86. Dutch special forces deployed as part of the Northern Mali conflict from April 2014 were equipped with a number of Bushmasters. In May 2015

8099-410: Was placed to retain skilled workers needed to later produce Hawkei vehicles, with the Army having little need for the additional Bushmasters. This took the total number of Bushmasters in service with the Australian military to 1,052. The Motorised Combat Wing of the Army's Combat Arms Training Centre provides initial training to Army and Air Force Bushmaster drivers. Maintenance training is provided by

8190-591: Was purchased by the Dutch Army with a hydraulic arm fitted with interrogation tool, light, camera, metal detector and proximity detector. An Indonesian variant made by Pindad known as Sanca based on the Bushmaster but created to meet Indonesian requirements, was revealed in November 2016 after it was announced in October 2016 that Thales will work with Pindad. 50 Sancas are scheduled for delivery with 30 going to Indonesian forces stationed overseas on peacekeeping operations and 20 for Kopassus forces. Sanca means Python in

8281-734: Was required in built-up urban areas in Iraq. UKSF left Iraq in May 2009. In 2016, the Escapade was used in the Battle of Mosul during the Iraqi Civil War . In 2017, the Escapade was used in the Battle of Raqqa during the Syrian Civil War . Infantry Mobility Vehicle IMVs were developed in response to the threats of modern warfare, with an emphasis on crew protection and mine-resistance. Similar vehicles existed long before

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