Beaufort, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Beaufort
state = vic


caption =
lga = Pyrenees Shire
postcode = 3373
pop = 987
est =
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Ripon
fedgov = Wannon
dist1 = 164
dir1 = west
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 50
dir2 = west
location2= Ballarat
dist3 = 44
dir3 = east
location3= Ararat

Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is 387 metres above sea level. At the 2001 census, Beaufort had a population of 987.Census 2001 AUS | id=UCL203800 | name = Beaufort (L) (Urban Centre/Locality) | quick=on | accessdate = 2007-06-03] The town takes its name either from Rear-Admiral F. Beaufort or a Welsh village in Monmouthshire.cite web | url = http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=VIC&region=73&view=195 | title = Beaufort | work = Historical Towns Directory | publisher = Australian Heritage | accessdate = 2006-07-10]

The area was once occupied by the Jajowarrung Aborigines who called the area 'Peerick'.

Thomas Mitchell passed through the district on his expedition of 1836. Early settlers in the area were the Kirkland Brothers and a Mr. Hamilton; the latter took up "Trawalla Station" in 1838. The station was taken over by Adolphus Goldsmith in 1841 and he developed the property into a rich grazing enterprise. Lake Goldsmith was named after him. Gold was discovered in 1852, with another gold rush from 1854 at nearby Fiery Creek. The Fiery Creek diggings supported four townships — Beaufort, Yam Holes Creek, View Point and Southern Cross — during the 1850s. The population on the fields reportedly reached approximately 100,000 people at its height in the late 1850s and produced 450,000 ounces of gold over a two-year period, 1855–1856.cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://www.pyreneestourism.com.au/history.htm | title = History | work = Pyrenees Tourism | publisher = Pyrenees Shire | accessdate = 2006-07-10] The town was surveyed in 1857 and town allotments were sold from 1858. By 1860, Beaufort had become a small but strong agricultural, pastoral and timber district. Beaufort's Court House was built in 1863 [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~adhs/190Mar01.htm] [http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/pages/pdfs/RaglanBeaufort.pdf] and the the Post Office renamed as Beaufort the same year (since 1855 having been known as Fiery Creek, Fiery Creek PGF, and Raglan).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 ]

Beaufort has been home to an all-ages, five-day (rave) music and arts festival, called Rainbow Serpent Festival, since 1998. [* [http://www.myspace.com/rainbowserpentfestival Rainbow Serpent Festival] ] [* [http://www.highway8.com Highway 8 Music Management] ]

The Nordic Knights motorcycle club moved to Beaufort after departing from Melbourne in 1982, but was later disbanded.

The town has its own railway station on the Ararat railway line.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football League. Citation | last = Full Points Footy | title = Beaufort | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Beaufort.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-25 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Victoria/Beaufort/2005/02/17/1108500206226.html Sydney Morning Herald travel information]