Bathurst NSW

Bathurst, NSW, the chief town of the western portion of New South Wales, situated on the Macquarie river, 122 miles S.W. of Sydney, with which it is connected by rail. Since its foundation in 1815 it has grown very steadily, owing to the richness of the soil, which is admirably suited to cereals; but the discovery of gold at Ophir, 27 miles distant, gave a great impulse to its prosperity, and in 1862 it was made a municipality. It possesses well-built streets and public buildings, is the seat of an Anglian and Roman Catholic bishopric, and contains tanneries, soap-works, and other factories. Diamonds and other precious stones are found in the neighbourhood.