Beeac

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Beeac
Victoria
BeeacMainStreet.JPG
Main Street, Beeac seen from the north
Australia Victoria Colac Otway Shire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Beeac
Coordinates 38°12′0″S143°38′0″E / 38.20000°S 143.63333°E / -38.20000; 143.63333
Population370 (2016 census) [1]
Postcode(s) 3251
Location
LGA(s) Colac Otway Shire
State electorate(s) Polwarth
Federal division(s) Wannon
Localities around Beeac:
Cundare Weering Eurack
Dreeite Beeac Ombersley
Warrion Ondit Irrewarra

Beeac is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the shore of the hyper-saline Lake Beeac in the Colac Otway Shire local government area, 160 kilometres southwest of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Beeac had a population of 370. [1]

Contents

History

Beeac was originally created as a reserve for campers, and the name is thought to mean either "salt lake" or "grubs" in the local Aboriginal language. [2] From 1860, the area was opened for selection and a townsite was surveyed in 1864. [2] A post office opened on 1 January 1862 but was known as Ondit (the name of the surrounding parish) until 1872. [3]

The original post office building was destroyed by fire in 1926, but was eventually replaced by the current building. By the end of the decade, the Beeac area had become a prominent wheat growing district, wine grapes were cultivated and a salt works was operating on the lake. Throughout the 1860s and 1870s, churches, schools, shops and hotels were established. [2] The railway reached Beeac in 1889, bringing the area into closer contact with nearby Colac. The line closed in 1953. [4] A newspaper, The Beeac Advocate and Weering and Warrion Advertiser, operated from 1901 to 1902 and the local hospital was founded in 1928. [2] [5]

The town today

The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Irrewarra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League. [6]

Golfers play at the course of the Beeac Golf Club on Mingawalla Road. [7]

Notable people

The test cricketer, Bill Johnston was born and raised in Beeac. [8] Geelong Football Club premiership player and 1965 Best and Fairest winner, Peter Walker, was also originally from Beeac. Geelong Football Club Grandfinalist VFL player 1989 [[David Cameron (footballer)|David Leigh Cameron]], born Beeac 1964.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchelsea, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irrewarra-Beeac Football Netball Club</span> Australian rules football club

The Irrewarra-Beeac Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Colac & District Football League since 1986. They are based in the Victorian town of Irrewarra. Irrewarra is about six miles east of Colac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colac Imperials Football Netball Club</span> Australian rules football and netball club

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Norman Houghton is a historian and archivist in Geelong, Victoria, who has published more than 40 books, many focusing on timber tramways and sawmills of the Otway and Wombat Forests of Western Victoria, Australia. Most of his works have been self-published, while he has provided numerous articles to the newsletter and journal of the Light Railway Research Society of Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Beeac (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 November 2017. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Beeac Progress Association Township Plan" (PDF). Colac Otway Shire Council. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
  3. ↑ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List , retrieved 29 January 2021
  4. ↑ Wong, Marcus. "Irrewarra Station". Rail Geelong. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Beeac Township Plan" (PDF). Shire of Colac Otway. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Full Points Footy, Irrewarra-Beeac, archived from the original on 31 January 2009, retrieved 25 July 2008
  7. ↑ Golf Select, Toolondo , retrieved 11 May 2009
  8. ↑ Frith, David (28 May 2007). "Obituary:Bill Johnston". The Guardian . Retrieved 6 September 2007.

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