Lethbridge is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

outside

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge) * felds ...

from Lethbridge quarries was used to build several significant buildings in

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 ...

, including the steps to the Parliament House. At the , Lethbridge had a population of 1,014. Lethbridge Post Office opened on 10 September 1857 and closed in 1980. The community of Lethbridge has a range of facilities and services including: * Lethbridge Primary School * The town hall (which offers community groups including Karate and Cub scouts) * Lethbridge Airpark * Sports and Community facility (Lethbridge Recreation Reserve) (with two football ovals and three tennis courts, also offering Playgroup and Community functions. A skate park and playground are located nearby. * Lethbridge Equestrian Centre * Lethbridge General Store *

Country Fire Authority The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 21 ...

* Lethbridge Lake (equipped with BBQ shelters and room for recreational activities such as fishing) *Lethbridge Wines
Golden Plains Equine
specialist veterinary clinic for horses.

History

The rural township was formally named Muddy Water Holes, the original name was most likely because of the line of ponds across Bruce's Creek. In 1854 the township was proclaimed and named as Lethbridge. Lethbridge was along the horse and carriage tracks that connected

and

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

to connect Geelong's port access with Ballarat's goldfields, which became the primary route between the two cities which is now Midland Highway. The railway came to the town with the opening of the Geelong-Ballarat line in 1862, with the local railway station opened soon after, but today only grain and fruit trains use the line. Throughout the 19th century, Lethbridge became a growing community. Multiple schools including a catholic school and a Presbyterian school opened up, however, they were all shut down when the township introduced a government school in 1874, known now as Lethbridge Primary School. The original site for Lethbridge Primary School continued to be used up until 2010, the school was relocated to a brand new premise in Stephenson Street, the original bluestone schoolhouse still remains intact at the former site. Local bluestone was sourced from Lethbridge quarries, the shire hall in Bannockburn and the war memorial in Inverleigh have also used bluestone in their construction. Football, cricket clubs, and even a mechanics' institute were introduced to Lethbridge. Lethbridge introduced its first Catholic church built in the early 1860s, St Mary's church. Before the 1860s Lethbridge was included in the parish of St Mary's Geelong. Lethbridge Uniting Church was built in 1868–69, originally built on the Midland Highway but later relocated to opposite the local railway station. The sites for both St Mary's church and Lethbridge uniting church still exist today,
Moranghurk
a Lethbridge homestead dating from approximately the 1840s, located on the Midland Highway, is listed on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...

. The Moranghurk shearer's quarters have been restored and can accommodate for up to 30 guests. During the 1900s, Lethbridge was not as busy as it once was. A portion of the population were farms settled by soldiers when part of the Moranghurk estate was subdivided during World War II. The population census even recorded a population as low as 172 in 1966.

Peter Lalor Peter Fintan Lalor (; 5 February 1827 – 9 February 1889) was an Irish-Australian rebel and, later, politician who rose to fame for his leading role in the Eureka Rebellion, an event identified with the "birth of democracy" in Australia. ...

, the leader of the Eureka Stockade rebellion, hid overnight in Lethbridge while fleeing from

to Geelong in November 1854.

George Elmslie George Grant Elmslie (February 20, 1869 – April 23, 1952) was a Scottish-born American Prairie School architect whose work is mostly found in the Midwestern United States. He worked with Louis Sullivan and later with William Gray Purcell as ...

, first Labor Premier of Victoria, was born in Lethbridge in 1861.

Present day

Population and activity in Lethbridge has declined since its peak during the mid-19th century. At the 2016 census, Lethbridge had a population of 1,014, as opposed to the 1861 population of 1,267. The predicted population for Lethbridge (and surrounding areas such as Meredith and She Oaks) in 2021 is 2,460 and expected to reach 3,007 in 2041. Many of the facilities mentioned above are located in one central area, despite Lethbridge being located on the Midland Highway, the central area is located away from the highway. Although the history of Lethbridge is preserved through buildings such as the railway station and old school site. At the Lethbridge lake, the former railway water tank still exists today, used to supply water for steam engines that needed to take on water at the railway station.

Sports

Cricket

Lethbridge has a cricket club that was established in 1879, playing at the sports facilities.

Football

Lethbridge offers football teams for junior players, also playing at the sports facilities in Lethbridge.

History

Present day

Sports

Cricket

Football

Equestrian

References

External links