General News
2 October, 2025
Navarre – named after a Spanish Kingdom
A settlement was established beside a stock route on the boundary between the Woodlands and Decameron runs in 1848 when a Mr. Robert Bazely established an Inn. The Burung Balug clan of the Djada Wurrung tribe were the traditional owners, occupying the land for the previous 5,000 years.
By Greg Robson, Stawell Historical Society
A Mr. Robert Mackley established a second Inn in 1850.
With the advent of the Mt. Alexander Goldfield in late 1851, the now thriving unnamed settlement became a way side stop for diggers as it was on the main South Australian gold escort route.
In 1855 the settlement was surveyed and name the township, Navarre, after the ancient Spanish Kingdom of Navarra in the Pyrenees Mountain Range in Europe.
A Government Camp Reserve included a Police Station and a Court of Petty Sessions. Navarre was proclaimed a township on September 13th 1861.
Early prospecting in the district revealed gold, but not in payable quantities as the rushes to the ‘Navarre Diggings’ in 1859 and 1861 were to the East, near the present township of Barkly.
Seven years later, the township included a general store, hotel and a postal service.
A Primary School was established in 1864. The school has survived some turbulent times over the years having burnt down twice, the last being in July 1961.
On December 24th 1866, 58 acres were set aside for a horse racing and general recreation reserve. A race track was established in 1911 and the Navarre Football Club was also created.
The football oval was established in the centre of the race track and a 9 hole golf course established on the land surrounding the racecourse.
In the Stawell News and Pleasant Creek Chronicle on Wednesday September 24th 1924 it was reported the rising and prosperous township boasted a bakery, butcher shop, fruit shop, general store and a 17 room coffee palace.
In 1924 a timber grandstand was built in the Recreational Reserve at a cost of £800. It was to seat 600 people. The grandstand was officially opened at the New Years Day races on January 1st 1925. It was built to a design by a Mr. J. Irvin, an architect from Ararat and built by Mr. Jas Whitely of Avoca. The New Years Day Race Meetings ended when the passenger trains stopped running in 1931.
The Navarre Railway Line was opened in 1914 with trains running daily from Ararat to Navarre with stops at Dunneworthy, Ben Nevis, Crowlands, Landsborough, Joel and Tulkara.
Passenger services were withdrawn on the Navarre line on June 15th 1931 although freight services continued to run until 1954 when the line was closed completely.
Electricity was switched on in the town in 1964 and a grand ball was held to celebrate the ‘switch on’ and the amazing changes that electricity was going to provide for the community.
