Casterton
Postcode: 3311
Casterton is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Glenelg Highway, 42 kilometres east of the South Australian border, in the Glenelg Shire. It has a population of 1670. The Glenelg River passes through the town. Casterton derives its name for the Roman word meaning ‘walled city’, due to the lush green hills which surround the town.
The town site was surveyed in 1840, and the first hotel, The Glenelg, was built in 1846. It is known as the birthplace of the Australian Kelpie dog breed with a statue of a kelpie dog outside the Town Hall.
Casterton, as home of the Kelpie, hosts Australia’s biggest annual dog-show every year. It turns out many hundreds of people every year, and includes a street festival for the entire weekend.As well as this, Casterton hosts a vintage car rally and polocrosse championships in March, horseracing in May, a woodturning exhibition in August, and street-car drag racing in November. In December the town is home to a Christmas lights festival, which attracts visitors from all over the area.
In recent years Casterton has become, in a sense, a retirement town. With many facilities for the elderly it attracts many retiring couples. The town has a huge sense of community spirit with many activities enjoyed throughout the year.