Beeac Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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Main Street, Beeac seen from the north | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 38°12′0″S 143°38′0″E / 38.20000°S 143.63333°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 370 ( 2016 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 3251 | ||||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Colac Otway Shire | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Polwarth | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Wannon | ||||||||||||||
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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 southwest of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Beeac had a population of 370. [1]
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 had become a prominent wheat growing district, wine grapes were cultivated and a salt works was operating on the lake. Throughout the 1860s and 1870s, churches, schools, shops and hotels were established. [2] The railway reached Beeac in 1889, bringing the area into closer contact with nearby Colac. The line closed in 1953. [4] A newspaper, The Beeac Advocate and Weering and Warrion Advertiser, operated from 1901 to 1902 and the local hospital was founded in 1928. [2] [5]
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Irrewarra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League. [6]
Golfers play at the course of the Beeac Golf Club on Mingawalla Road. [7]
The test cricketer, Bill Johnston was born and raised in Beeac. [8] Geelong Football Club premiership player and 1965 Best and Fairest winner, Peter Walker, was also originally from Beeac.
Media related to
Beeac at Wikimedia Commons