Skipton

The historic township of Skipton is located on the picturesque banks of Mount Emu Creek. Lying 165 km west of Melbourne on the Glenelg Highway, Skipton was initially settled as a pastoral run of over 20,000 acres in 1839.

When land was surveyed in 1852 for a township and the centre was established, some of the streets were named after the founding pioneers: Alexander Anderson, William Wright and James Montgomery.

Thought to have been named after the town of Skipton in Yorkshire, England the name was appropriate for the wool growing industry of the time. “Scip-tun” was an old English name for sheep town. With many large, prosperous stations in the area it was an appropriate venue for the first pastoral and agricultural show in the Western District. In coming years, the show became a regular fixture and proved to be particularly popular, with the sheep and ram sections drawing buyers and sellers from far and wide.

Skipton has a number of interesting sights, including the gothic Presbyterian bluestone church, the Mount Widderin Caves and the National Trust property "Mooramong" and its wildlife sanctuary and flora and fauna reserve. Skipton remains a farming region, producing wool, grain and cattle. Now known as “Home of the Platypus”, the town offers visitors a number of natural park settings and buildings of an historic nature.

For more information about Skipton, have a look at Skipton's official website.

To see what's happening in Skipton, check out the latest Skipton Community News

To find out more about Skipton's history, visit Skipton Historical Society website.