Kyneton, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Kyneton
is a town on the Calder Highway
in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria
, Australia
. The Calder Freeway
bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton
, Warwickshire
. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street. Piper Street has the oldest streetscape of these main streets, and still has many of its original buildings. The railway station
, about 91 kilometres from Melbourne on the Bendigo line, is a terminus for some peak hour trains. The town is the council seat of the Shire of Macedon Ranges. At the 2006 census
, Kyneton had a population of 5,905.
Kyneton is home to mineral springs, the Campaspe River
, botanical gardens and historic houses, many with bluestone
architecture. Kyneton hosts several events during the year including the ANZAC Day
parade, Kyneton Jazz Festival, Kyneton Daffodil Festival, Kyneton Agricultural show
and the Kyneton Cup.
Unlike a majority of towns in the area, Kyneton predates the Victorian gold rushes
, having being established in 1850, whereas the gold rushes started the year after. At this time, Kyneton was a growing rural centre, and served as a major stop for those heading to the gold rushes at Mount Alexander
and Bendigo
. The post office
opened on 1 July 1843 as Mount Macedon and was renamed Kyneton on 1 January 1854. The Kyneton Courthouse tried Ned Kelly
in 1870 for robbery under arms. This courthouse has since continued to function although only as a magistrates court on Mondays.
. The town receives television from Mount Alexander
, and is served by a community radio station, 100.7 Highlands FM, based in Woodend
.
Kyneton offers tourists several points of interest locally including the Botanic Gardens (established in the mid-1800s) and several walks along the Campaspe River
.
Various Farmers Markets and festivals throughout the year make the town popular as a day trip destination. The township also serves as a starting point for many nearby destinations, such as Trentham Falls
and Hanging Rock
in Newham
.
Kyneton Museum, located in the old Bank of New South Wales building (built in 1856), houses an extensive collection of local historical items.
Being located well away from any heavily populated areas and their inherent light pollution
, Kyneton is also a destination for astronomers seeking a clear view of the Southern Hemisphere
night skies. The Cobaw Plateau is host to a 500 hectare facility for astronomical observation.
.
Kyneton has a horse racing club, the Kyneton District Racing Club, which schedules around sixteen race meetings a year including the Kyneton Cup meeting in November (always the day after the Melbourne Cup
). In 2009 the Kyneton District Racing Club partnered with the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
to use the facilities of the racecourse and its extensive grounds as an educational training facility.
Golfers play at the course of the Kyneton Golf Club on Black Hill Road.
Kyneton has a soccer team "The Rangers" which compete in the Melbourne Division 3 under the FFV banner.
is a town on the Calder Highway
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...
in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria
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...
. The Calder Freeway
Calder Freeway
Calder Freeway is a freeway linking Melbourne to Ravenswood South in Victoria, Australia, superseding stretches of the Calder Highway. Originally just a short spur of the Tullamarine Freeway linking to the Calder Highway in Keilor in suburban Melbourne, it has been extended in phases to Ravenswood...
bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton
Kineton
Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278....
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street. Piper Street has the oldest streetscape of these main streets, and still has many of its original buildings. The railway station
Kyneton railway station, Victoria
Kyneton is a railway station on the Bendigo railway line in Kyneton, Victoria, Australia. The station lies approximately from the town centre and sees trains on V/Line Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca lines services.-Facilities:...
, about 91 kilometres from Melbourne on the Bendigo line, is a terminus for some peak hour trains. The town is the council seat of the Shire of Macedon Ranges. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Kyneton had a population of 5,905.
Kyneton is home to mineral springs, the Campaspe River
Campaspe River
The Campaspe River is a river in Victoria, Australia. It was named by Major Mitchell in 1836 for Campaspe, a mistress of Alexander the Great.The river was known as yalooka by the local aboriginal people of the Rochester area.-Course:...
, botanical gardens and historic houses, many with bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
architecture. Kyneton hosts several events during the year including the ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
parade, Kyneton Jazz Festival, Kyneton Daffodil Festival, Kyneton Agricultural show
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
and the Kyneton Cup.
History
The explorer Major Thomas Mitchell crossed and named the Campaspe River near present day Kyneton on his 1836 expedition. The first British settlers arrived in the area the same year.Unlike a majority of towns in the area, Kyneton predates the Victorian gold rushes
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
, having being established in 1850, whereas the gold rushes started the year after. At this time, Kyneton was a growing rural centre, and served as a major stop for those heading to the gold rushes at Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander is a mountain that is located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the small town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level...
and Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
. The post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opened on 1 July 1843 as Mount Macedon and was renamed Kyneton on 1 January 1854. The Kyneton Courthouse tried Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
in 1870 for robbery under arms. This courthouse has since continued to function although only as a magistrates court on Mondays.
Media
Kyneton's main locally produced newspaper is the Midland Express, which also serves CastlemaineCastlemaine, Victoria
Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The...
. The town receives television from Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander is a mountain that is located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the small town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level...
, and is served by a community radio station, 100.7 Highlands FM, based in Woodend
Woodend, Victoria
Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area. It is bypassed to the east and north by the Calder Freeway and is located about halfway between Melbourne and Bendigo...
.
Tourist attractions
Campaspe River
The Campaspe River is a river in Victoria, Australia. It was named by Major Mitchell in 1836 for Campaspe, a mistress of Alexander the Great.The river was known as yalooka by the local aboriginal people of the Rochester area.-Course:...
.
Various Farmers Markets and festivals throughout the year make the town popular as a day trip destination. The township also serves as a starting point for many nearby destinations, such as Trentham Falls
Trentham, Victoria
Trentham is a small town in the Shire of Hepburn and Shire of Moorabool Local government area, Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Trentham had a population of 629.Located at an altitude of , the town is north-west of Melbourne.-History:...
and Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock, Victoria
Hanging Rock , in Central Victoria, Australia, is a distinctive geological formation, 718m above sea level on the plain between the two small townships of Newham and Hesket, approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon, a former volcano...
in Newham
Newham, Victoria
Newham is a small town located in the Shire of Macedon Ranges in Victoria, Australia. It is situated between the towns of Kyneton, Woodend and Lancefield...
.
Kyneton Museum, located in the old Bank of New South Wales building (built in 1856), houses an extensive collection of local historical items.
Being located well away from any heavily populated areas and their inherent light pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
, Kyneton is also a destination for astronomers seeking a clear view of the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
night skies. The Cobaw Plateau is host to a 500 hectare facility for astronomical observation.
Education
Kyneton is centrally located among several outlying towns and serves as an educational hub for primary and secondary students. The following educational institutions are located in the main township:- Kyneton Primary School
- Our Lady of the Rosary, Kyneton
- Kyneton Secondary CollegeKyneton Secondary CollegeKyneton Secondary College is a secondary school in Kyneton, Victoria, Australia, approximately 90 km north of Melbourne. It was built in 1912, and opened in 1928 under the name of Kyneton High School.-History of the College:...
- Sacred Heart College, Kyneton
- Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFEBendigo Regional Institute of TAFEBendigo Regional Institute of TAFE is a regional provider of vocational education, training and assessment services, located in northern and central Victoria, Australia...
(BRIT), Kyneton Campus - Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFENorthern Melbourne Institute of TAFENorthern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...
(NMIT), NMIT Kyneton Park Training Centre (Kyneton Racecourse)
Sport
The town has an Australian rules football team competing in the Bendigo Football LeagueBendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
.
Kyneton has a horse racing club, the Kyneton District Racing Club, which schedules around sixteen race meetings a year including the Kyneton Cup meeting in November (always the day after the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
). In 2009 the Kyneton District Racing Club partnered with the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...
to use the facilities of the racecourse and its extensive grounds as an educational training facility.
Golfers play at the course of the Kyneton Golf Club on Black Hill Road.
Kyneton has a soccer team "The Rangers" which compete in the Melbourne Division 3 under the FFV banner.