Declared a townsite in 1815 and a city in 1885 Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland settlement and as such was an important regional centre and gateway for much of the exploration and development that took place in inland New South Wales. This process was accelerated in 1851 by the discovery in the region of Australia’s first payable gold. As a result, the city has a strong heritage reinforced by a rich culture with both historic and contemporary components.