Mansfield, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Mansfield is a small town in the foothills of the Victoria
n part of the Australian Alps
. It is approximately 180 km north-east of Melbourne
. At the 2006 census
, Mansfield had a population of 4052.
Mansfield is the centre of a large shire; it was amalgamated with the nearby town of Benalla
(60 km) to form Delatite Shire but after community action became the first de-amalgamation in Victoria. Mansfield was formerly heavily dependent on farming and logging, but is now a tourist-centre. It is the support town for the large Australia ski resort Mount Buller. It is associated with the High Country tradition of alpine grazing, celebrated in the film The Man from Snowy River, which was made around Mansfield, near the now famous Craigs Hut (based on a poem by Banjo Paterson
with the same name).
in Nottinghamshire
, England
. Settlement came after the discovery of gold nearby and the Post Office opened on January 1, 1858.
The railway to Mansfield arrived in the town from Tallarook
in 1891, being closed on November 18, 1978. The last passenger service was on May 28, 1977.
The area round Mansfield named as Banbury was also the location of the novel The Far Country
by Nevil Shute
which featured logging on Mount Buller
and previous forest fires, which having swept through Howqua obliterated almost all traces of a former settlement.
Mansfield is famous as part of the Ned Kelly Trail. Significant memorials include the Memorial to Police erected in the centre of the town's roundabout. Mansfield Cemetery is the burial ground for police officers slain by Ned Kelly and his gang at Stringybark Creek.
was named after J.P.Rowe as he owned land on the Campaspe river (Ebsworth p. 489). Rowe was a principal founder of Melbourne University. He fired a shot at a 14 year old Ned Kelly
accompanied by bushranger Harry Power
(27 May 1869); (Jones, p. 34). Rowe stood for the Upper House seat of the Murray District in 1859 and was defeated. (O'Brien, Chs. 4-5) In October 1878 Rowe supplied information to police Sergeant Kennedy on the whereabouts of a wanted man, Ned Kelly. Acting on Rowe's verified advice, Kennedy and his police party rode into the Wombat Ranges, where three of them were killed; and the Kelly Gang was born (McQuilton, p. 95).
and Lake Nillahcootie. During the summer these sites are popular waterskiing destinations.
The nearby mountains Mount Buller
and Mount Stirling
offer attractions all year round. During winter they are visited for skiing, lifted
and back country
respectively. In the summer hiking
and mountain biking
are popular. Ski lifts operate year-round at Mount Buller allowing bikers to easily get to the top of downhill
mountain biking runs.
The bushland around Mansfield is used for horse riding, trail biking and four wheel driving on extensive tracks throughout the region.
In past years, the "Mansfield Balloon Festival" celebrated hot air balloons, and drew crowds and enthusiasts from across the state. The ballon Festival hasn't been to Mansfield for several years.
Mansfield is also the home to the Mansfield Eagles football club
, an Australian Rules team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League
.
Mansfield has a horse racing club, the Mansfield District Racing Club, which schedules two race meetings a year including the Mansfield Cup meeting on Boxing Day
(26 December).
Golfers play at the course of the Mansfield Golf Club on Kidston Parade.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n part of the Australian Alps
Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in southeastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria...
. It is approximately 180 km north-east of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Mansfield had a population of 4052.
Mansfield is the centre of a large shire; it was amalgamated with the nearby town of Benalla
Benalla, Victoria
Benalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
(60 km) to form Delatite Shire but after community action became the first de-amalgamation in Victoria. Mansfield was formerly heavily dependent on farming and logging, but is now a tourist-centre. It is the support town for the large Australia ski resort Mount Buller. It is associated with the High Country tradition of alpine grazing, celebrated in the film The Man from Snowy River, which was made around Mansfield, near the now famous Craigs Hut (based on a poem by Banjo Paterson
Banjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, OBE was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
with the same name).
History
Mansfield, originally known as Mount Battery, was at the boundary of a number of pastoral runs, and a township was surveyed in 1851 and named after MansfieldMansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Settlement came after the discovery of gold nearby and the Post Office opened on January 1, 1858.
The railway to Mansfield arrived in the town from Tallarook
Tallarook, Victoria
Tallarook is a town in Victoria, Australia located on the Hume Highway, north of the state capital, Melbourne. The town is in the Shire of Mitchell Local Government area. At the 2006 census, Tallarook had a population of 258....
in 1891, being closed on November 18, 1978. The last passenger service was on May 28, 1977.
The area round Mansfield named as Banbury was also the location of the novel The Far Country
The Far Country (1952 novel)
The Far Country is a novel by Nevil Shute, first published in 1952.In this novel, Shute has some harsh things to say about the new National Health Service, as well as the socialist Labour government, themes he would later develop more fully in In the Wet...
by Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway was a popular British-Australian novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer. He used his full name in his engineering career, and 'Nevil Shute' as his pen name, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.-...
which featured logging on Mount Buller
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
and previous forest fires, which having swept through Howqua obliterated almost all traces of a former settlement.
Mansfield is famous as part of the Ned Kelly Trail. Significant memorials include the Memorial to Police erected in the centre of the town's roundabout. Mansfield Cemetery is the burial ground for police officers slain by Ned Kelly and his gang at Stringybark Creek.
John Pearson Rowe
Dr. John Pearson Rowe (1810–1878) was a military surgeon and squatter who owned the 'Loyola Run' (also known as Mount Battery) near Mansfield. Reputed as the first catholic resident of the district, it is recorded that nearby RochesterRochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
was named after J.P.Rowe as he owned land on the Campaspe river (Ebsworth p. 489). Rowe was a principal founder of Melbourne University. He fired a shot at a 14 year old Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
accompanied by bushranger Harry Power
Harry Power
Harry Power was an Australian Bushranger. It is believed, by some, that Ned Kelly served as his accomplice while a teenager. -Early life:...
(27 May 1869); (Jones, p. 34). Rowe stood for the Upper House seat of the Murray District in 1859 and was defeated. (O'Brien, Chs. 4-5) In October 1878 Rowe supplied information to police Sergeant Kennedy on the whereabouts of a wanted man, Ned Kelly. Acting on Rowe's verified advice, Kennedy and his police party rode into the Wombat Ranges, where three of them were killed; and the Kelly Gang was born (McQuilton, p. 95).
Recreation
Mansfield is very close to two large lakes, Lake EildonLake Eildon
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
and Lake Nillahcootie. During the summer these sites are popular waterskiing destinations.
The nearby mountains Mount Buller
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
and Mount Stirling
Mount Stirling
Mount Stirling is a cross-country and backcountry ski resort in the Australian state of Victoria approximately 230 km from Melbourne. Mount Stirling is a popular location for beginner backcountry skiers and snowboarders due to its distance from Melbourne and proximity to the Mount Buller...
offer attractions all year round. During winter they are visited for skiing, lifted
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
and back country
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
respectively. In the summer hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
are popular. Ski lifts operate year-round at Mount Buller allowing bikers to easily get to the top of downhill
Downhill cycling
Downhill biking is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, usually starting at intervals of 30 seconds , on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete. Riders come from all around the world. Riders are timed with equipment similar to...
mountain biking runs.
The bushland around Mansfield is used for horse riding, trail biking and four wheel driving on extensive tracks throughout the region.
In past years, the "Mansfield Balloon Festival" celebrated hot air balloons, and drew crowds and enthusiasts from across the state. The ballon Festival hasn't been to Mansfield for several years.
Mansfield is also the home to the Mansfield Eagles football club
Mansfield Football Club
The Mansfield Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the Goulburn Valley Football League, they are based in Mansfield, Victoria. The club is officially known as the Mansfield Eagles Football/Netball club, but have been nicknamed "The Eagles" by supporters...
, an Australian Rules team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League
Goulburn Valley Football League
The Goulburn Valley Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia...
.
Mansfield has a horse racing club, the Mansfield District Racing Club, which schedules two race meetings a year including the Mansfield Cup meeting on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
(26 December).
Golfers play at the course of the Mansfield Golf Club on Kidston Parade.
Notable residents
- Josh FraserJosh FraserJosh Fraser is a professional Australian rules football player currently playing for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League and formerly of the Collingwood Football Club....
- CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
football player - Victoria MitchellVictoria MitchellVictoria Mitchell is an Australian long-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.She took part in the World Student Cross Country Championships in 2002 and finished in eleventh place.Her first international medal was a silver at the 2005 Summer Universiade. She was the 2007...
- Athlete - David MenschDavid MenschDavid Mensch is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Australian Football League.Mensch was a half forward and played in two losing grand final teams...
- Previously an AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
player at the Geelong Football ClubGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... - Simon GerransSimon GerransSimon Gerrans is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for the British UCI ProTour team, .-Biography:Gerrans was born in Melbourne, Victoria and grew up in Mansfield, Victoria....
- Professional road bicycle racer - Betty Conabere - Botanical illustrator