Bessiebelle is a locality in western
Victoria, Australia. The locality is in the
Shire of Moyne local government area, in what is commonly known as the
Western District. It sits approximately west of the state capital,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, on the
Eumeralla River adjacent to the
Mount Eccles National Park
__NOTOC__
The Budj Bim National Park, formerly known as Mount Eccles National Park, is a national park located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated approximately west of Melbourne and approximately so ...
.
In 1844,
Thomas Alexander Browne took up the area for a pastoral property he called Squattleseamere. Approximately half of the original property was sold off to smaller settlers between 1871 and 1896. Bessiebelle Primary School opened as Broadwater State School in 1874. Bessiebelle Post Office opened in May 1884. Bessiebelle Presbyterian Church opened in January 1905, followed by a general store in 1907 and a mechanics' institute around the same time, as well as a sawmill and several stores. The school was renamed Bessiebelle in 1917. The remainder of the Squattleseamere estate was sold for closer settlement and subdivided in 1924. A pastoral and agricultural society had developed by the 1940s. The post office and Presbyterian Church both closed in 1972. The school closed in 2005 as enrolments had dropped to 10. The Bessiebelle Hall (also known as the Bessiebelle Mechanics' Hall) remains in operation.
At the the population of Bessiebelle was 195,
but at the the population of Bessiebelle was 176.
Bessiebelle recorded a population of 98 at the .
The locality has an active CFA Branch.
References
Towns in Victoria (state)
Western District (Victoria)
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