Bathurst Showground
The Bathurst Showground is a heritage-listed showground at Kendall Avenue (Great Western Highway), Bathurst, Bathurst Region, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James Hines, J. J. Copemen and Edward Gell and built from 1879. The property is owned by Bathurst Showground Trust and the New South Wales Department of Trade & Investment, Regional Infrastructure & Services. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 4 September 2015. History Indigenous occupation and European settlement The Macquarie Valley, in which Bathurst was later situated, was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people, their land extending from the western side of the Dividing Range to the Darling River. The Wiradjuri were impacted early by the expansion of pastoralist and retaliated with a series of attacks. Governor Brisbane declared martial law in August 1824, but the attacks continued with a man named Windradyne being a prominent figure in resistance. Windradyne became associated with the Suttor family, who maintained friendly relations with the Wiradjuri and advocated on their behalf. Agriculture The Bathurst district was the first European settlement in the interior of the Australian continent, having been proclaimed by Governor Macquarie on 7 May 1815. The area was necessary for the