Beeac

{{Infobox Australian place | type = town

| name = Beeac

| state = vic

| image = BeeacMainStreet.JPG

| caption = Main Street, Beeac seen from the north

| lga = Colac Otway Shire

| postcode = 3251

| est =

| pop = 370

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2016}}

| pop_footnotes =

| elevation=

| coordinates = {{coord|38|12|0|S|143|38|0|E|display=inline,title}}

|use_lga_map = yes

| maxtemp =

| mintemp =

| rainfall =

| stategov = Polwarth

| fedgov = Wannon

| dist1 = 160

| dir1 = SW

| location1= Melbourne

| dist2 = 84

| dir2 = W

| location2= Geelong

| dist3 = 82

| dir3 = S

| location3= Ballarat

| dist4 = 19

| dir4 = N

| location4= Colac

| near-nw = Cundare

| near-n = Weering

| near-ne = Eurack

| near-w = Dreeite

| near-e = Ombersley

| near-sw = Warrion

| near-s = Ondit

| near-se = Irrewarra

}}

Beeac is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the shore of the hyper-saline Lake Beeac in the Colac Otway Shire local government area, 160 kilometres southwest of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Beeac had a population of 370.{{Census 2016 AUS

|id=SSC20183 |name=Beeac (SSC)|access-date=17 November 2017|quick=on}}

History

Beeac was originally created as a reserve for campers, and the name is thought to mean either "salt lake" or "grubs" in the local Aboriginal language.{{cite web | year = 2000 | url = http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Files/BeeacPATownshipPlan.pdf | title = Beeac Progress Association Township Plan | format = PDF | publisher = Colac Otway Shire Council | access-date = 9 June 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070904010520/http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Files/BeeacPATownshipPlan.pdf |archive-date = 2007-09-04| url-status = dead}} From 1860, the area was opened for selection and a townsite was surveyed in 1864. A post office opened on 1 January 1862 but was known as Ondit (the name of the surrounding parish) until 1872.{{Citation |last=Phoenix Auctions History |title=Post Office List |url=http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Beeac* |access-date=29 January 2021}}

The original post office building was destroyed by fire in 1926, but was eventually replaced by the current building. By the end of the decade, the Beeac area had become a prominent wheat growing district, wine grapes were cultivated and a salt works was operating on the lake. Throughout the 1860s and 1870s, churches, schools, shops and hotels were established. The railway reached Beeac in 1889, bringing the area into closer contact with nearby Colac. The line closed in 1953.{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Marcus |title=Irrewarra Station |url=https://www.railgeelong.com/location/irrewarra/ |website=Rail Geelong |access-date=2023-09-18}} A newspaper, The Beeac Advocate and Weering and Warrion Advertiser, operated from 1901 to 1902 and the local hospital was founded in 1928.{{cite web | url=http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Files/BeeacPATownshipPlan.pdf | title=Beeac Township Plan |publisher=Shire of Colac Otway |access-date=21 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904010520/http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Files/BeeacPATownshipPlan.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-04 |url-status=dead }}

The town today

The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Irrewarra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.{{Citation|last=Full Points Footy |title=Irrewarra-Beeac |url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Irrewarra-Beeac.htm |access-date=25 July 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131035214/http://fullpointsfooty.net/irrewarra-beeac.htm |archive-date=January 31, 2009 }}

Golfers play at the course of the Beeac Golf Club on Mingawalla Road.{{Citation | author= Golf Select | title = Toolondo | url = http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=925 | access-date = 11 May 2009}}

Notable people

The test cricketer, Bill Johnston was born and raised in Beeac.{{cite news| title=Obituary:Bill Johnston| first= David |last=Frith |author-link=David Frith (author)|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia/story/0,,2089626,00.html |date=28 May 2007 |access-date=6 September 2007| work=The Guardian}} Geelong Football Club premiership player and 1965 Best and Fairest winner, Peter Walker, was also originally from Beeac.

Geelong Football Club

Grandfinalist VFL player 1989

[[David Cameron

(footballer)|David Leigh Cameron]], born Beeac 1964.

References

External links

Category:Towns in Victoria (state)

Category:Western District (Victoria)