Camperdown 3260 Camperdown 3260

Camperdown is a rural township on the Western District volcanic plains of Victoria. It is 40 km. west of Colac and 165 km west-south-west of Melbourne.

Camperdown is famed for its early settlers, the Manifold brothers. In 1838 John and Peter Manifold, who had brought sheep to the Geelong district from Tasmania two years before, explored westwards. They found the freshwater Lake Purrumbete (most lakes on the plain are salt or brackish), and the good volcanic-soil grazing land in the vicinity of Mt. Leura, a large scoria hill one kilometre east of Camperdown.

By the end of the 1840s a small village developed about two kilometres north-west of Camperdown. Named Timboon, it was positioned on marshy land, and in 1851 a government surveyor chose a site for a township on more elevated land. The township was named Camperdown by Governor La Trobe. The reason for the name is believed to have emerged through a conversation between the Governor and Niel Black a nearby pastoralist. Black favoured Duncan as the name, and the Governor compromised by drawing a connection with Admiral Duncan, the late Commander of Britain's North Sea fleet, who had also been Earl of Camperdown. (Timboon was not the township of the same name about fifty km. south of Camperdown.)

A school had been opened in old Timboon in 1854, and a National School was opened four years later. Presbyterian, Catholic and Anglican churches were opened between 1857 and 1864. The Wesleyans began to conduct services in a temperance hall in about 1868. In 1863 the area around Camperdown was proclaimed the Hampden shire, and Camperdown was the shire's administrative centre.

Camperdown became a service centre for wealthy pastoral empires. It became a stock sales centre, particularly when connected to Colac and Melbourne by rail in 1883. In addition to the Manifolds at "Purrumbete", there were the McArthurs at "Meningoort", James Manifold at "Talindert"and several other pastoralists who made enough money to build expansive homesteads. It was the Manifolds, however, whose presence dominated the Camperdown landscape. A Gothic clock-tower was erected at the intersection of the town's major commercial streets in 1897 in memory of a younger Manifold who died in a hunting accident. The main street is named Manifold Street, and is a divided carriageway with an elm-tree median. Several street-tree plantings were designed by the director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, William Guilfoyle.

Camperdown had become a well-appointed township. Additional facilities which were provided in the next few years were a hospital (1907 - a Manifold gift), and a grammar school (1904). The Leura Hotel was rebuilt in 1902, becoming known as the grandest and most comfortable hostelry in the west. In 1921 a State high school was opened. An elaborately rebuilt Camperdown Theatre was opened in 1928.

On 9 September, 1952, Camperdown borough was created by separation from Hampden shire.

Camperdown has retained much of its building stock, and it has been well maintained. Industries which have been established have continued: the Camperdown-Glenormiston Dairying Company Ltd. (1960), was a merger of local butter factories of the 1890s, and became part of Bonlac Foods Ltd. A meatworks begun by the borough council in 1956 expanded to become an export abattoirs. Not so fortunate was Country Road Clothing (1978), which took over an Aywon factory. Camperdown's commercial area tends to be overshadowed by the regional Warrnambool and Colac, although its retailing had 220 employees in 1988.

At the eastern end of the Camperdown township there are Mounts Leura and Sugarloaf, volcanic scoria mounds. Mt. Leura has a lookout and is the location of an annual hillclimb rally. Manifold Street runs the length of Camperdown, with its elm-tree median and the Gothic clock-tower. At the western end there are a botanic garden (1869), the volcanic-crater Lakes Gnotk and Bulleen Merri, with facilities for water sports and ovals. In the town itself there are State and Catholic schools to year 12, a hospital, geriatric and lone persons' accommodation, three hotels, three motels, a well-appointed caravan park, showgrounds, a swimming pool (1960), and five churches. About two kilometres north of the town there is the racecourse, with one of Victoria's best known country grandstands.

Historic buildings in Camperdown include the post-office, mechanics' institute, masonic hall, the avenue of elms, the post-office, mechanics' institute, masonic hall, the avenue of elms, the clock-tower and the court house (1886). The historical museum is housed in the former Oddfellows hall. The Old Timboon Inn (1855) is one of the few reminders of the first Timboon village, and is on the Register of the National Estate.

Camperdown and its "lakes and craters"countryside tend to be overlooked by tourists, perhaps because they are journeying to Port Fairy or spectacular coastal scenery, and perhaps because the Camperdown landscape does not have a well known vantage point. The view from Mt. Leura, however, offers a rewarding perspective, as does the occasional open day for historic homesteads. There is an annual Leura Festival.

The median house price in Camperdown in 1987 was $36,500 and in 1996 it was $66,000.

On 23 September, 1994, Camperdown town was united with Hampden and Heytesbury shires and parts of Otway and Mortlake shires to form Corangamite shire.

Camperdown's census populations have been 415 (1861), 1,627 (1891), 3,473 (1911), 3,205 (1954) and 3,153 (1996). The population has gained an increasing proportion of aged persons as farmers move to the town in retirement.

---

❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Camperdown 3260 






Update Page