Drysdale, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Drysdale is a rural township near Geelong, Victoria
, Australia
, located on the Bellarine Peninsula
. The town has an approximate population of over 3700.
The town is named after Anne Drysdale whose estate "Coriyule""it's haunted" still sits above the township. The area was formerly known as McLeod's Waterholes and Bellarine. A township began to develop in the late 1840s and a Post Office (known as Bellarine until 1862) opened on 1 January 1855. From 1902 until 1951 Murrudoc Post Office to the west operated in the area also known as Murradoc. The railway reached the local railway station from South Geelong on the way to Queenscliff in 1879, and remained in Victorian Railways
service until 1976. It is now the western terminus of the tourist orientated Bellarine Peninsula Railway
. The station lies next to Lake Lorne
, an important regional site for waterbirds.
Until abolished in 1993, the Rural City of Bellarine
council seat was in Drysdale.
Aldi Supermarket is expected to build a store in Murradoc Road in 2011.
A popular youth music and performing arts venue, affectionately labelled 'The Potato Shed' is located in the back of Drysdale. The industrial size venue is the site of 'Battle of The Bands', a yearly music festival which has seen a number of local bands make a name for themselves in a popular setting.
Drysdale is home to a number of primary and high schools, including Saint Ignatius College, the senior campus of Bellarine Secondary College
, and a campus of Christian College
. The local football club is the Drysdale Hawks, who play Australian Rules Football
and compete in the Bellarine Football League
. The Bellarine Rail Trail
also runs through the town.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located on the Bellarine Peninsula
Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together with the Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip from Bass Strait...
. The town has an approximate population of over 3700.
The town is named after Anne Drysdale whose estate "Coriyule""it's haunted" still sits above the township. The area was formerly known as McLeod's Waterholes and Bellarine. A township began to develop in the late 1840s and a Post Office (known as Bellarine until 1862) opened on 1 January 1855. From 1902 until 1951 Murrudoc Post Office to the west operated in the area also known as Murradoc. The railway reached the local railway station from South Geelong on the way to Queenscliff in 1879, and remained in Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
service until 1976. It is now the western terminus of the tourist orientated Bellarine Peninsula Railway
Bellarine Peninsula Railway
The Bellarine Railway is a volunteer-operated steam-driven tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a 16 km section of a formerly disused branch line on the Bellarine Peninsula between the coastal town of Queenscliff and Drysdale, near Geelong.- History as a working...
. The station lies next to Lake Lorne
Lake Lorne
Lake Lorne is a small freshwater lake on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, immediately south-west of the township of Drysdale. It is a popular birdwatching site and is well known for its variety of waterbirds, many of which have been recorded as breeding there.Lake Lorne lies in a...
, an important regional site for waterbirds.
Until abolished in 1993, the Rural City of Bellarine
Rural City of Bellarine
The Rural City of Bellarine was a Local Government Area located to the southeast of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, and covered most of the Bellarine Peninsula. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1853 until 1993.-History:...
council seat was in Drysdale.
Aldi Supermarket is expected to build a store in Murradoc Road in 2011.
A popular youth music and performing arts venue, affectionately labelled 'The Potato Shed' is located in the back of Drysdale. The industrial size venue is the site of 'Battle of The Bands', a yearly music festival which has seen a number of local bands make a name for themselves in a popular setting.
Drysdale is home to a number of primary and high schools, including Saint Ignatius College, the senior campus of Bellarine Secondary College
Bellarine Secondary College
Bellarine Secondary College is a multi-campus school on the Bellarine Peninsula. The college consists of 2 campuses, one in Ocean Grove, and the main campus in Drysdale. The larger and main campus in Drysdale holds the students in years 9, 10, 11 and 12, while the smaller Ocean Grove campus holds...
, and a campus of Christian College
Christian College, Geelong
Christian College is an P-12 independent school located over four campuses in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Three campuses are located in suburban Geelong: the Senior Campus at Waurn Ponds , the Middle School in Highton , and the Junior School in Belmont , while the Bellarine Campus in located in...
. The local football club is the Drysdale Hawks, who play Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and compete in the Bellarine Football League
Bellarine Football League
The Bellarine Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bellarine Peninsula region of Victoria, Australia, formed in 1971.Six of the eight founding clubs played in the Polwarth Football league the year before....
. The Bellarine Rail Trail
Bellarine Rail Trail
The Bellarine Rail Trail is a 32 km walking and cycling track on the Bellarine Peninsula, in Victoria, Australia, that follows the route of the former South Geelong to Queenscliff branch line...
also runs through the town.