Beeac
| Beeac Victoria | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Main Street, Beeac seen from the north | |||||||||||||
  Beeac | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°12′0″S 143°38′0″E / 38.20000°S 143.63333°ECoordinates: 38°12′0″S 143°38′0″E / 38.20000°S 143.63333°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 204 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3251 | ||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Colac Otway Shire | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Polwarth | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Corangamite | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Beeac is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the shore of the hyper-saline Lake Beeac in the Colac Otway Shire local government area, 160 kilometres south of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Beeac had a population of 204.[1]
History
Beeac was originally created as a reserve for campers, and the name is thought to mean either "salt lake" or "grubs" in the local Aboriginal language.[2] From 1860, the area was opened for selection and a townsite was surveyed in 1864.[2] A Post Office opened on 1 January 1862 but was known as Ondit (the name of the surrounding parish) until 1872.[3]
The original Post Office building was destroyed by fire in 1926, but was eventually replaced by the current building. By the end of the decade, the Beeac area became a prominent wheat growing district, wine grapes were cultivated and a salt works was operating on the lake. Through the 1860s and 1870s, churches, schools, shops and hotels were established.[2] The railway reached Beeac in 1884, bringing the area into closer contact with nearby Colac, however this line is no longer in service. A newspaper, The Beeac Advocate and Weering and Warrion Advertiser, operated from 1901 to 1902 and the local hospital was founded in 1928.[2][4]
The Town today
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Irrewarra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.[5]
Golfers play at the course of the Beeac Golf Club on Mingawalla Road.[6]
Notable people
The test cricketer, Bill Johnston was born and raised in Beeac.[7] Geelong Football Club Premiership player and 1965 Best and Fairest winner, Peter Walker, was also originally from Beeac. As was Rufus Youngblood, a champion harness racing horse.
References
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Beeac (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 "Beeac Progress Association Township Plan" (PDF). Colac Otway Shire Council. 2000. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ↑ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 11 April 2008
- ↑ "Beeac Township Plan" (PDF). Shire of Colac Otway. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ↑ Full Points Footy, Irrewarra-Beeac, archived from the original on January 31, 2009, retrieved 25 July 2008
- ↑ Golf Select, Toolondo, retrieved 11 May 2009
- ↑ Frith, David (28 May 2007). "Obituary:Bill Johnston". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
External links
Media related to Beeac at Wikimedia Commons