Shelford, Victoria

Shelford is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia. The locality is in the Golden Plains Shire near the regional city of Geelong and 106 kilometres (66 mi) west of the state capital, Melbourne.

Shelford
Victoria
Former general store
Shelford
Coordinates38°01′0″S 143°58′0″E
Population253 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)3329
Location
LGA(s)Golden Plains Shire
State electorate(s)Polwarth
Federal division(s)Corangamite
Localities around Shelford:
Mount Mercer
Rokewood		 Mount Mercer Meredith
Rokewood
Barunah Park		 Shelford Bamganie
Teesdale
Hesse Inverleigh Inverleigh

Shelford is nestled in a valley divided by the Leigh River, Golf Hill Station was established in 1836 on the river banks. Most of the local squatters came from Scotland so the town had a strong Presbyterian feel and had two churches. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1847 as The Leigh and was renamed Shelford in 1854. By 1865 the town had a court house, post office, a mechanics institute and two hotels. In 1874 the Shelford Bridge was constructed using iron imported from Liverpool.

The town was never large; in the 1930s the town had a population of 130 persons. After the Second world war, the larger land holding were carved up for a soldier settlement scheme. Sixty-nine farms covering 45,000 acres were sold off to returning servicemen and their families.

In 1994 the Post Office became a Licensed Post Office, and has since closed; the date of closure is unknown.[2]


Heritage listed sites

Shelford contains a number of heritage listed sites, including:

Shelford Today

Shelford today still has a Recreation Reserve where the Shelford Cricket Club play their home games and the Recreation Reserve have Tennis Courts as well. Shelford also has a Primary School and a Town Hall Further development of the town is restricted by the fact the town lacks a reticulated sewerage system.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Shelford (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  2. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 31 March 2021
  3. "Former Leigh Shire Hall and Toll House (H2274)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. "Bridge Over Leigh River (H1452)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
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