Halfway between Bendigo and Heathcote, Axedale sits on the picturesque Campaspe River and the O’Keefe Rail Trail.
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The area was originally part of the Axedale Pastoral Run, so named by its proximity to Axe Creek (which is said to be inspired by Axe River in Dorsetshire, England). With the gold rush hitting the region in the 1850s (Axedale was itself a minor goldfield), the hotel on the high street opened in 1855 servicing miners travelling between Bendigo and Heathcote. Initially named Axedale Tavern and owned by three Irishmen, Feliks Drake bought out his two co-owners and renamed the business ‘Drakes Hotel’ – a title it held until 2010 when new owners restored the pub and reinstated the Axedale Tavern moniker.
During the gold rush, a growing Catholic community started to emerge in the area and this was encouraged by Dr George Backhaus, who was an influential priest in Bendigo. He donated a parcel of land to the community for a Catholic church (built in 1862) and after it was deemed unsafe in the late 1800s, it was rebuilt using the original bluestone. St Mary’s continues to have regular services today. A Presbyterian church was built in 1869, and an Anglican in 1913 and there are two cemeteries in Axedale – one just for Catholic burials.
With a primary school, golf course, hotel, general store, hall, auto repair shop, police station, post office, sand quarry and local water supply, Axedale has become an independent community that also greatly benefits from its easy access to Bendigo and Lake Eppalock. Farming continues to be successful in the area, along with a number of vineyards.
Alongside attractive Victorian-era homes and modest bungalow-style mid-century builds scattered throughout the township, there have been a number of new homes built over the last decade. Emerging estates, and the attractive appeal of country-style living in a convenient location, ensure that Axedale is a township that will continue to grow.
Axedale at a glance
Population: 984
Male: 52.3%
Female: 47.7%
Median age: 37
Families: 256
Private dwellings: 379
Average people per household: 2.8
Median monthly mortgage repayments: $1,733
Median weekly rent: $330