Bealiba

Bealiba is a town in the Central Goldfields Shire and Shire of Loddon, Victoria, Australia. The town is located north-west of the state capital, Melbourne, and from the regional city of Bendigo. At the, Bealiba and the surrounding area had a population of 300.

History

The name is derived from the Djadjawurrung word "Beal-ba" meaning "the red or flooded gum tree". The first Europeans in the Bealiba area were drovers in the 1840s and in 1845 George Coutts was the first European permanent settler. In the midst of the Victorian gold rush, gold was discovered in Bealiba in 1856 and for 18 months the town grew to a population of 18,000. After the rush subsided, the area was opened up for selection by farmers.
Facilities in Bealiba include a post office and general store. The town is home to many historic buildings including the pub and the Town Hall. However, the pub was closed in 2016 by new owners after 12 months ownership.
Bealiba railway station, on the Mildura railway line opened in 1878. It closed in 1981 under the New Deal reorganisation of country rail services.
The Bealiba Court of Petty Sessions closed on 1 August 1968.
Bealiba shares an Australian rules football team with nearby Natte Yallock—the Natte Bealiba Swans—who compete in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League.