Batesford is a small township located approximately 10 kilometres west of

Geelong Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern 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 ...

and 67 kilometres south-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 me ...

. It is located on the banks of the Moorabool River and on the Midland Highway. The town is divided between the

City of Greater Geelong The City of Greater Geelong is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and, had a population of 271,057 as of the 2021 Australian census ...

and Golden Plains Shire.

History

Batesford is named after Alfred and John Bates who settled here in 1837 at a place where the river could be forded. The township was surveyed in 1854 and was originally named Hopeton after George Hope whose land it formed a part. A feature of Batesford is the

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 ...

bridge dating from 1859 which now forms part of the service road past the Batesford Hotel (formerly the Derwent or Dog Rocks Hotel). Both these structures are on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...

. The Post Office opened on 18 August 1856 and closed in 1949. Batesford features a large granite outcrop. The 'Dog Rocks' is a reserve located within the town that obtained its name from local wild dogs that once lived around the rocks. Indigenous Australian's believe the 'Dog Rocks' to be haunted. Batesford contains the Dogs Rocks Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, which is home to many endemic species. The Dog Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary was established when the current owner George Belcher’s great grandfather purchased the property in 1856. It is situated adjacent to the Dog Rocks outcrop on the top of a hill in west Batesford, west of Geelong, in Victoria. This open eucalyptus woodland nurtures a rich variety of flora and fauna. Rare local native vegetation can be found. The Sanctuary is recognised for its concentration of bird life and provides a protected haven and habitat for them. It also contains a variety of mammals and reptiles which are all part of the complex ecology of the area.

Batesford Today

Batesford in 2019 still has a Hotel and the other campus of Rollins Primary School. The Bell Park Soccer Club play their home games at The Bell Park Sport & Recreation Club even though the grounds are actually in Batesford. Batesford also has a Roadhouse

Heritage listed sites

Batesford contains a number of heritage listed sites, including: * 56 Buchter Road,

Laurence Park Homestead Laurence is an English and French given name (usually female in French and usually male in English). The English masculine name is a variant of Lawrence and it originates from a French form of the Latin ''Laurentius'', a name meaning "man from ...

* Midland Highway,

Moorabool River Bridge Moorabool is a bounded rural locality of the City of Greater Geelong local government area in Victoria, Australia. History Moorabool Post Office opened on 1 October 1861 and closed in 1960. In 2021, the Victorian Big Battery began oper ...

* Geelong-Ballarat railway line,

Moorabool River Railway Viaduct Moorabool is a bounded rural locality of the City of Greater Geelong local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by count ...

* 750 Midland Highway, Travellers Rest Inn 1849

Gallery

Image:Batesford_Bridge.jpg, The old Batesford Bridge, built using

in 1859 File:BatesfordMooraboolRiverBridge.JPG, The bridge in 2010

References

{{authority control Suburbs of Geelong Towns in Victoria (Australia)