Sutton Grange, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place |type = town
name = Sutton Grange
state = vic


caption = Intersection at Sutton Grange, including the public hall
postcode = 3448
lga = Shire of Mount Alexander
pop = 150
stategov = Bendigo West
fedgov = Bendigo
dist1 = 125
dir1 = NW
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 30
dir2 = S
location2= Bendigo
dist3 = 15
dir3 = E
location3= Harcourt

Sutton Grange is a small country town located approximately 30km south of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia.

It has a very small population of approximately 150 people, most of which consist of old sheep farming families. In the 1930s Sutton Grange was a prosperous little town bigger than those surrounding it today, but due to a large bushfire all establishments and housing was burnt to the ground, and only the land remained.

Sutton grange is now more widely known for its fine food and wine, boasting the "Sutton Grange Organic Farm" or "Holy Goat Cheese", "Colliers Fine Chocolates" and several successful wineries and Broad's Dairy. Sutton Grange is also known for its horse racing, hosting "Sutton Grange Winery/Stud" and its fine Merino wool, which is some of the best in Australia.

History

Sutton Grange Post Office opened on 1 August 1865 and closed in 1970. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

The 1930s bushfire was a tragic disaster for Sutton Grange. A once prosperous little town, with pubs, a butter factory, school, church and post office was burnt to ashes, and that brought an end to its prosperity. Still widely known as one of the best wool growing areas in Victoria, it also is home to some of Australia's best shearers. Wool growing families that keep this reputation as good as it is, are The Bartys, The Collisons, The Davis's, the Barker's and the Bickfords. The Bartys are famous in the wool trade as having some of the best fine Merino wool in Australia.

The old school in Sutton Grange is now privately owned and last taught children in 1990. The beautiful "A" lined building is built out of granite from the Mount Alexander granite quarries, and is now heritage listed, similar relics can also be foung close by, such as an old bridge, used back in the 30's, butter wells, from the old factory, and the post office's steps on a lawn owned privately by Ania and Piotr Zimon until 2007.

Trade

The major commodities currently produced in Sutton Grange are Wool, Wine and Dairy products. Countless sheep farms, wineries and 2 dairies (one cow and one goat), have this firmly established.

Wineries in the district include "Blamires Butterfly Crossing","Sutton Grange Winery"and "Langanook Wines", three quality producers of Australian wines. "Broad's dairy" has been producing cows milk for decades, and the newly established "Holy Goat Cheeses" is producing some of the most fine quality french style cheeses in Australia.

Neighbouring Towns and Geographical Features

*Redesdale
*Elphinstone
*Faraday
*Sedgewick
*Harcourt

Through Sutton Grange runs Myrtle Creek, which flows into the Coliban River. Sutton Grange is also surrounded by mountains and hills, the highest of which is Mt Alexander. The terrain and soil around Sutton Grange has a high percentage of quartz and granite.

Flora and Fauna

Wattles and Eucalypts are the most common large trees and are indigenous to the area. Common native animals seen in the Area are Grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies (or black wallabies), ring tail, and bush tail possums. Snakes can be a concern in Sutton Grange, as Notechis or (Tiger snakes) and Eastern Brown snakes (see Pseudonaja) are often sighted on private property. Other native snakes sighted also include coppers head, and red-bellied black snakes. Other annoyances are Rabbits and redback spiders.

Myths and Legends

A local myth around Sutton Grange is that a black panther/cougar (large cat) roams the country side free as it is a descendant from several panthers that were brought through the district as British mascots (date unknown). Several sightings throughout the years consistently uphold this belief, and is fuelled by unsubstantiated evidence such as plaster casts of "paw" prints and maimed stock.

References