Drysdale is a rural township near
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
,
Victoria, Australia
Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...
, located on the
Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula (Wadawurrung language, Wadawurrung: ''Balla-wein'' or ''Biteyong'') is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together wi ...
. The town has an approximate population of over 3,700. Drysdale forms part of an urban area, along with nearby
Clifton Springs, that had an estimated population of 13,494
[ Estimated resident population, 30 June 2016.] at June 2016.
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 has several primary and high schools, including
Saint Ignatius College, the senior campus of
Bellarine Secondary College, and a campus of
Christian College
A Christian college is an educational institution or part of an educational institute dedicated to the integration of Christianity, Christian faith and integration of faith and learning, learning in traditional academic fields. Unlike Bible colle ...
. The local football club is the
Drysdale Hawks, who play
Australian Rules Football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
and compete in the
Bellarine Football League. The Hawks were formed in 1879 and have won 15 premiership titles, the last in 2010.
The
Bellarine Rail Trail also runs through the town. The local cricket club is also named the Drysdale Hawks.
History
The town is named after
Anne Drysdale. She and
Caroline Elizabeth Newcomb had the estate "Coriyule" which sits above the township. The area was 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
The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companie ...
service until 1976. It is now the western terminus of the tourist orientated
Bellarine 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.
Heritage listed sites
Drysdale contains several
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. ...
listed sites, including:
*
Drysdale Hotel
*
Drysdale Railway Station
*
The Stock Pound
*
Drysdale State School
*
Drysdale War Memorial
Notable residents
*
Anne Drysdale
*
Caroline Elizabeth Newcomb
Gallery
File:Drysdale Anglican Church.JPG, Anglican church
File:Drysdale Community Centre.JPG, Community Centre
File:Drysdale Court House Museum.JPG, Court House
File:Drysdale Free Library.JPG, Drysdale Free Library
File:Drysdale Post Office.JPG, Post Office
File:Drysdale Railway Station from Lake Lorne.jpg, Railway Station
References
External links
Drysdale - City of Greater Geelong"Trains,Troops&Tourists"-The South Geelong-Queenscliff Railway (Book)
Towns in Victoria (state)
Bellarine Peninsula
Suburbs of Geelong
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