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You wouldn’t exhaust the beauty of this beautiful and ancient city if you spent a week in Bathurst and its surroundings. Bathurst, the Blue Mountains’ first central hub, is situated 670 m above sea level and 205 km west of Sydney along the Great Western Highway.
Bathurst is rich in tradition and heritage of gold rush, is Australia ‘s ancestral birthplace to motorsports, and has ample natural scenery from the local river to the surrounding bushland. It is a vibrant country town with a rich cultural heritage and is a recognized learning center. Bathurst succeeds in effectively combining rural, manufacturing, and educational industries with a lifestyle lavish in facilities for sport, art, and tourism.
Bathurst is on the sides of the Macquarie River in the New South Wales Central Tablelands Region. Bathurst, due to the discovery of gold in the area in the early 1850s, is Australia’s oldest inland colonial settlement and has developed from a village driven by convicts and their military supervisors to a very productive business hub for the wealthy farming area around it, and then a major administrative center and, most recently, a large national learning center with a variety of popular schools and the main campus of Charles Sturt University. It is also home to the Wiradjuri people of aboriginal descent.
Bathurst is even more than just that. It has a remarkable (probably unmatched) collection of historic public and private buildings and beautiful ancient villages surround it. It has outstanding restaurants and may claim to have one of the country ‘s most excellent museums. It was host to one of the country’s humblest and most admired prime ministers. Bathurst is also the home of the most prestigious motor race in the country – the Bathurst 1000.
As it is home to Mount Panorama, one of the world’s most prominent tracks, most Australians equate Bathurst with motorsports. It hosts many major racing competitions, including Bathurst 12 Hour and Bathurst 1000. Well, before it became a meeting spot for fans of motor racing, the Mount was an essential part of the history of the nearby Wiradjuri tribe. The Mount has been called ‘Waluu,’ meaning ‘watch over.’
Mount Panorama is unquestionably a mecca for fans of motor racing throughout Australia and around the world. On 16 April 1938, Mount Panorama hosted its first race, The Australian Tourist Trophy, to an unprecedented 20,000 spectators. The centerpiece is the internationally renowned Bathurst 1000, which takes place every October. The first Grand Prix motorcycle was held in 1949 and the first Grand Prix automobile in 1958. In recent years, Mount Panorama has undergone some severe remodeling to ensure that this icon’s legacy lives on for future generations.
The 6.2 km circuit is open to the public throughout the year. It provides excellent views from the top of the hill of the town and the area, situated at the Bathurst south-west corner. The public can take a spin around the course when there are no races scheduled. Visit the National Motor Racing Museum, just off the highway.
Established in 1988, it is situated at the base of the Mount Panorama racing circuit at 400 Panorama Avenue (Murray’s Corner). Celebrate Australian motorsports history, personalities, and achievements. Although Mount Panorama and the Bathurst 1000 are the centerpieces of their shows, they look through the Australian Motor Racing continuum. It tells the history of speedway, electric, road, racing, freewheeler, sports car and touring cars. Particular interest is given even to the history of motorbike racing.
Whether you’re trying to build and play, watch and listen or research and learn, Bathurst has some of the most elegant ways to engage in a vibrant arts culture west of Sydney. Bathurst is also well served to bars and clubs by a wide variety of entertainment venues from the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Center.
The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum is now the permanent home of the $15 million Somerville Collection, a $600,000 conversion of a heritage-listed former school in Bathurst. It is one of the country’s largest collections, and the museum is merely incredible. The Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, situated at 70-78 Keppel Road, has built close ties with nearby townships and the local community to create a lively venue that showcases the broad scope of creative endeavors. It was established in 1989. It was the first regional gallery built in NSW and provides opportunities for local and regional artists to develop professionally.
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