Casterton. Victoria. An old late 19th century shop.
Casterton and the Australian Kelpie.
The Australian kelpie breed begins in Scotland as a collie but is cross bred in Victoria’s western district with dingoes. The origins of collie is probably derived from the Scots word “col” meaning black, while others say it was borrowed from the collie sheep of the Scottish Highlands. In 1843 George Robertson, a cabinet maker, took over the nearby Warrock Station. He brought with him from Van Diemans Land his working collies. George had two imported dogs, and he always refused to give the female pups away because he wanted to keep the breed pure. But the main female collie was cross bred with dingoes by Jack Gleeson on the adjoining property to Warrock. The Kelpie breed emerged from Warrock Station in the 1870s and the breed was refined by Jack Gleeson after he moved to Ardlethan in western NSW. To recognise the importance of this Australian breed the Australian Kelpie Centre opened in 2018 at a cost of $1.5 million which includes the Visitor Centre. Casterton has an annual Kelpie festival and a statue of a Kelpie adorns the entrance to the town. The dog is named after the mythological kelpie of Scottish folklore which is a horse like or human like inhabitant of the lochs. Kelpies are now famed sheep dogs used around the world.
The town is almost encircled by the Glenelg River which may have given it its name from the old Roman word for a walled town – Casterton. The site of the town was a popular crossing spot of the Glenelg River and the NSW government surveyed a town in 1852 although a hotel had opened her in 1846 and a post office in 1847. The Main Street was named Henty Street as the town sits close to the Henty’s properties of Merino Downs, Sandford and Muntham. The emerging town of the late 1850s and early 1860s was progressing well with some solid public buildings. Apart from stores and hotels there was the Anglican Church built in 1857 but replaced in 1866, the Presbyterian church of 1866 (a second built in 1908), a Courthouse and the Glenelg Shire Council Offices erected in 1866. As some of the larger pastoral estates were subdivided for closer settlement in the 1870s and with this came the farmers and a flourmill was erected in the town in 1873, a local newspaper had begun publications in 1869 and the 1870s saw the building of several banks. The railway from Hamilton reached Casterton in 1884 when a grand new railway station was built. That line closed in 1977. By 1900 Casterton had five hotels, five churches, two schools, a Mechanics Institute and a town population of 1,250 people. In the mid-20th century a new Town Hall was built in 1937.
Entering from Mt Gambier these are some of the historic buildings in the Main Street.
•First on left is the Anglican Church built in 1866.
•Next on right is the former Methodist Church built in 1877 but now a private home.
•Opposite on left is the second Presbyterian Church with tower built with double Gothic doors in 1908.
•Next on left is the first Presbyterian Church built in 1866. Sold to become a Masonic Lodge in 1902.
•Next on right you can see down to the railway station and yards. Station built 1886. Closed 1977. This is just before the Australian Kelpie Centre and Info Centre.
•Next on left the National Australia Bank circa 1890 now NAB.
•On right the Casterton Hotel built in 1860. The current façade was done around 1900.
•Next to it is a grand classical style building possibly a bank and residence from around 1880. Opposite it is the Entwined café.
•Next on right is the Town Hall built in 1937.
•Next on right is the tiny Art Deco Commonwealth Bank.
•Next to it is the ANZ Bank with rounded Art Deco style features. Built around 1920.
•Also on the right is the old Courthouse built in 1875 and recently a Community Centre.
•Next to it on the right is the Post Office. This eclectic building has Art Deco and classical features. A mix of styles. Opened in 1910. Note the classical style triangular pediment in the Art Deco rounded window in the centre of the ground floor.
•Lastly on the right is the Albion Hotel. The early 1865 brick hotel was washed away in a Glenelg River flood in 1906. The iconic present structure was built in 1907 with flair and flamboyance. Good symmetry, three street facing gables, ornamentation, cast iron lacework on the two verandas and unusual window entablature.
Casterton. Victoria. An old late 19th century shop.
Casterton and the Australian Kelpie.
The Australian kelpie breed begins in Scotland as a collie but is cross bred in Victoria’s western district with dingoes. The origins of collie is probably derived from the Scots word “col” meaning black, while others say it was borrowed from the collie sheep of the Scottish Highlands. In 1843 George Robertson, a cabinet maker, took over the nearby Warrock Station. He brought with him from Van Diemans Land his working collies. George had two imported dogs, and he always refused to give the female pups away because he wanted to keep the breed pure. But the main female collie was cross bred with dingoes by Jack Gleeson on the adjoining property to Warrock. The Kelpie breed emerged from Warrock Station in the 1870s and the breed was refined by Jack Gleeson after he moved to Ardlethan in western NSW. To recognise the importance of this Australian breed the Australian Kelpie Centre opened in 2018 at a cost of $1.5 million which includes the Visitor Centre. Casterton has an annual Kelpie festival and a statue of a Kelpie adorns the entrance to the town. The dog is named after the mythological kelpie of Scottish folklore which is a horse like or human like inhabitant of the lochs. Kelpies are now famed sheep dogs used around the world.
The town is almost encircled by the Glenelg River which may have given it its name from the old Roman word for a walled town – Casterton. The site of the town was a popular crossing spot of the Glenelg River and the NSW government surveyed a town in 1852 although a hotel had opened her in 1846 and a post office in 1847. The Main Street was named Henty Street as the town sits close to the Henty’s properties of Merino Downs, Sandford and Muntham. The emerging town of the late 1850s and early 1860s was progressing well with some solid public buildings. Apart from stores and hotels there was the Anglican Church built in 1857 but replaced in 1866, the Presbyterian church of 1866 (a second built in 1908), a Courthouse and the Glenelg Shire Council Offices erected in 1866. As some of the larger pastoral estates were subdivided for closer settlement in the 1870s and with this came the farmers and a flourmill was erected in the town in 1873, a local newspaper had begun publications in 1869 and the 1870s saw the building of several banks. The railway from Hamilton reached Casterton in 1884 when a grand new railway station was built. That line closed in 1977. By 1900 Casterton had five hotels, five churches, two schools, a Mechanics Institute and a town population of 1,250 people. In the mid-20th century a new Town Hall was built in 1937.
Entering from Mt Gambier these are some of the historic buildings in the Main Street.
•First on left is the Anglican Church built in 1866.
•Next on right is the former Methodist Church built in 1877 but now a private home.
•Opposite on left is the second Presbyterian Church with tower built with double Gothic doors in 1908.
•Next on left is the first Presbyterian Church built in 1866. Sold to become a Masonic Lodge in 1902.
•Next on right you can see down to the railway station and yards. Station built 1886. Closed 1977. This is just before the Australian Kelpie Centre and Info Centre.
•Next on left the National Australia Bank circa 1890 now NAB.
•On right the Casterton Hotel built in 1860. The current façade was done around 1900.
•Next to it is a grand classical style building possibly a bank and residence from around 1880. Opposite it is the Entwined café.
•Next on right is the Town Hall built in 1937.
•Next on right is the tiny Art Deco Commonwealth Bank.
•Next to it is the ANZ Bank with rounded Art Deco style features. Built around 1920.
•Also on the right is the old Courthouse built in 1875 and recently a Community Centre.
•Next to it on the right is the Post Office. This eclectic building has Art Deco and classical features. A mix of styles. Opened in 1910. Note the classical style triangular pediment in the Art Deco rounded window in the centre of the ground floor.
•Lastly on the right is the Albion Hotel. The early 1865 brick hotel was washed away in a Glenelg River flood in 1906. The iconic present structure was built in 1907 with flair and flamboyance. Good symmetry, three street facing gables, ornamentation, cast iron lacework on the two verandas and unusual window entablature.