Summary

Australia Victoria Shire of Bellarine
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee 1897 (AD)
Mint: not recorded
Other Details: Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897 was celebrated the great enthusiasm throughout the British Empire. It prompted many Australian local governments to issue commemorative medals, including the Shire of Bellarine. Bellarine is a rural locality to the west of Melbourne on the northern side of the Bellarine Peninsula, between Clifton Springs and Portarlington. A Presbyterian church and a school were established in about 1854, the year the Bellarine road district was declared. Four years later a mechanics' institute was founded, and in 1865 a Wesleyan church and school opened. On 18 September that year the Bellarine shire was proclaimed. It extended from Geelong to Ocean Grove, occupying all of the Bellarine Peninsula except Queenscliff. Other coastal townships included Clifton Springs, Indented Head, Portarlington, Ocean Grove and St. Leonards. Inland were the Drysdale township and farmlands with good soil for agriculture. The Shire headquarters were located in Drysdale. By 1871 Bellarine municipality's census population was 3,802. The Peninsula's industries included creameries, wattle liquor factories and boiling-down works; its primary industries focussed on vegetable-growing.

Obverse Description

Jugate busts, young & old Queen Victoria; around, QUEEN VICTORIA'S 60TH YEAR OF REIGN * 1837 TO 1897 * (stops on either side of date in form of crosses);

Reverse Description

At centre within wide rim view of front of Shire Hall; above, VICTORIA , in exergue, 1897; around on broad rim, SHIRE OF BELLARINE * F.J. PACEY, PRES. A. M'WILLIAMS, SEC. *

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897 was celebrated the great enthusiasm throughout the British Empire. It prompted many Australian local governments to issue commemorative medals, including the Shire of Bellarine. Bellarine is a rural locality to the west of Melbourne on the northern side of the Bellarine Peninsula, between Clifton Springs and Portarlington. A Presbyterian church and a school were established in about 1854, the year the Bellarine road district was declared. Four years later a mechanics' institute was founded, and in 1865 a Wesleyan church and school opened. On 18 September that year the Bellarine shire was proclaimed. It extended from Geelong to Ocean Grove, occupying all of the Bellarine Peninsula except Queenscliff. Other coastal townships included Clifton Springs, Indented Head, Portarlington, Ocean Grove and St. Leonards. Inland were the Drysdale township and farmlands with good soil for agriculture. The Shire headquarters were located in Drysdale. By 1871 Bellarine municipality's census population was 3,802. The Peninsula's industries included creameries, wattle liquor factories and boiling-down works; its primary industries focussed on vegetable-growing. -Australian Places web site, Monash University, http://arts.monash.edu/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/bellarine.html; Blake, L. 1977. Place Names of Victoria. Rigby. -D. Tout-Smith 25/11/2003.

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