The City of Bathurst is located on the central tablelands of New South Wales, around 207km west of Sydney by road. Australia's first inland settlement has much to offer the visitor all year round from gold rush to colonial history, farmstays and outdoor activities, shopping and festivals, to the world famous Mount Panorama. Bathurst's main streets are a mixture of old and new, highlighted by the charming cast iron lamp posts adorning busy shopping centres.

Born and raised in Bathurst, Ben Chifley was one of Australia's most respected Prime Ministers, being highly regarded by people from all political viewpoints. Chifley remained in office from July 1945 to December 1949.

The city of Bathurst has one of the most important and intact nineteenth and early twentieth century 'townscapes' in New South Wales. Many workers' cottages, industrial and commercial buildings, terrace houses, mansions, slab huts and grand civic structures from 1815 to the 1950 remain intact.

In 1862, the Cobb & Co's headquarters were transferred from Victoria to the New South Wales town of Bathurst, a initiative designed to follow the goldfield trade. The restoration of one of the original coaches is an interesting story.

Edward Hargreaves is often regarded as the father of the Australian Gold Rush and is also attributed with the invention of the cradle and the discovery of gold in Ballarat but the earliest recorded discovery of gold was made in 1823 in Bathurst, N.S.W. by a Lands Department surveyor, James Mc Brien. Mc Brien was engaged in the survey of a road along the Fish River, between Rydal and Bathurst and at one point of the survey recorded in his field book the following note: "At E. (end of survey line) 1 chain 50 links to river and marked gum tree. At this point I found numerous particles of gold convenient to river".

When Lachlan Macquarie was appointed Governor of NSW in 1810 he took over a settlement with a rapidly growing population that occupied a narrow coastal strip where farming land was becoming scarce. In an effort to open up more land for agriculture he granted permission in May 1813 for Gregory Blaxland and his party including William Lawson and William Wentworth to try to find a way over the Blue Mountains and see what was on the other side. Following the mountain ridges the party found a way through what seemed to be an impenetrable maze of valleys and high cliffs. Upon their return to Sydney they reported their success to Governor Macquarie who subsequently sent Assistant Surveyor George Evans out to confirm the discovery and venture even further into the interior.

Being the oldest inland settlement, the streets of Bathurst have seen many grand moments in history. The streetscapes today are lined with impressive buildings, marvellous monuments and beautiful parks reflecting the history of the city.