The City of Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia. It was established by Governor Macquarie and proclaimed a town in 1815 and, with the discovery of gold, experienced rapid growth in the 1850s and '60s.

In 1885. Bathurst was gazetted as a city and now has a population of about 30,000 people.. It has superb examples of early 1800's architecture with an abundance of heritage buildings.

The lovely wide main streets are a delightful mixture of old and new, with charming cast iron Victorian lamp-posts adorning busy shopping centres with a wide variety of restaurants, specialty shops and small galleries.

Bathurst is approximately 200kms west of Sydney. It is a comfortable two and a half hours drive from Sydney and three and a half hours from the National Capital, Canberra. Accommodation in Bathurst can be arranged at a wonderful choice of country B & Bs and self contained cottages as well as hotels and motels.

Bathurst prides itself in its education facilities, with education being one of the largest employers in the city. Charles Sturt University - University of the Year 1997 - has a campus located in Bathurst. The Western Institute of TAFE, a growing institution, has expanded its facilities in the past twelve months. There are numerous public and private high schools and the Conservatorium of Music.

Bathurst boasts a year round program of art and cultural events, markets, fairs, exhibitions etc.

Mount Panorama with 6.213kms of public road which, at each race meeting, transforms into the world-renowned Mount Panorama racing circuit. The circuit becomes the focus for over 1 billion people worldwide each year.

For more information about Bathurst go to www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au