Smythesdale

Smythesdale is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Glenelg Highway. Most of the town is located in the Golden Plains Shire local government area; however, a small section lies in the Shire of Pyrenees. Smythesdale is 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of Ballarat and 135 kilometres (84 mi) west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Smythesdale and the surrounding area had a population of 1,032.[1] Smythesdale Primary School is a part of the Woady Yaloak PS with Ross Creek, Scarsdale, and Snake Valley as the other campus'.

Smythesdale
Victoria
Court House Hotel
Smythesdale
Coordinates37°39′0″S 143°41′0″E
Population1,032 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)3351
Location
  • 136 km (85 mi) W of Melbourne
  • 21 km (13 mi) SW of Ballarat
  • 13 km (8 mi) NE of Linton
LGA(s)
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s)Wannon
Localities around Smythesdale:
Hillcrest Haddon Nintingbool and Smythes Creek
Snake Valley Smythesdale Ross Creek
Scarsdale Scarsdale Scarsdale

The town was established during the Victorian Gold Rush, and the Post Office opened on 14 July 1854. The town was known as Smythe's Creek until 1864.[2]

Facilities in the town include the Court House Hotel, a bluestone police lock up, constructed in 1869 and the old Court House, now home to the local historical society. The former courthouse closed on 1 January 1983 after having not been visited by a Magistrate since 1976, was briefly used as a Sunday school, and was then leased to the historical society in 1985.[3][4]

Smythesdale is the birthplace of Arthur Alfred Lynch, a polymath who was trained in engineering and medicine, wrote poetry, was a Member of the British Parliament and fought against the British in the Second Boer War.[5] It was also home to women's rights activist, Lillias Margaret Skene.[6]

Heritage listed sites

Smythesdale contains a number of heritage listed sites, including:

  • Glenelg Highway, Glenelg Highway Stone Mileposts [7]
  • 64 Brooke Street, Smythesdale Court House [8]
  • Surface Hill Road, Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit [9]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Smythesdale (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  3. "Smythesdale". Travel Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
  4. "Special Report No. 4 - Court Closures in Victoria" (PDF). Auditor-General of Victoria. 1986. p. 31. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. Serle, Geoffrey (1986). "Lynch, Arthur Alfred (1861 - 1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online edition. Australian National University. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
  6. Smart, Judith (2002). "Skene, Lillias Margaret (1867 - 1957)". Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online edition. Australian National University. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
  7. "Stone Mileposts (H1701)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  8. "Smythesdale Court House (H1653)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  9. "Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit (H1226)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
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