title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Sree Chithira Thirunal established the University of Travancore (now the University of Kerala) in under "The Travancore University Regulation" in 1937. The need for a separate University for Travancore had been felt for long. Two Committees were appointed to enquire into the question of establishing a separate University, in 1919 and 1924. After considering their recommendations, on 1 November 1937, Sree Chithira Thirunal issued the "University Act". Special emphasis was given to vocational education to meet the requirements of modern conditions. The administration of the Government Colleges and the control of all the Private Colleges in the Kingdom were transferred to the University. "The Institute of Textile Technology, an Engineering College" and "a Central Research Institute" to carry on research in Pure and Applied Sciences, were also started. "A Department of Marine Biology" was another significant addition. Institutions like the "Observatory, the Public Library and the School of Arts" were also placed under the University. He also formed a new form of University Training Corps, viz. Labour Corps, preceding the N C C, in the educational institutions. The expenses of the University were to be met fully by the Government. The College Of Engineering, Medical College Hospital at Ulloor, Trivandrum's SAT hospital were created at Sree Chithira Thirunal's behest. "The Travancore Primary Education Act" by which Sree Chithira Thirunal introduced Free, Universal and Compulsory Education irrespective of caste, gender etc. The Act also prohibited child labour and also prohibited religious instruction in schools, thus making education completely secular.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: According to historian, A. Sreedhara Menon, Sree Chithira Thirunal also initiated industrialization and increased the role of the public sector in Travancore. He introduced heavy industry in the State and established giant public sector undertakings. As many as twenty industries were established, mostly for utilizing the local raw materials such as rubber, ceramics and minerals. A majority of the premier industries running in Kerala even today were established by Sree Chithira Thirunal. Travancore Rubber Works, Kundara Ceramics, Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), Travancore Titanium Products Ltd, Travancore-Cochin Chemicals, Punalur Paper Mills etc. are some of the industries started by him. Historian A. Sreedhara Menon referred to the administration of Sree Chithira Thirunal as 'enlightened' as his reign saw remarkable progress in the fields of education, economy, defence & society as a whole. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Public Transport Department (renamed Kerala State Road Transport Corporation), Pallivasal Hydro-electric project etc. was begun by him. 12 September 1945 as Travancore Bank Ltd. later known as STATE BANK OF TRAVANCORE (SBT). SBT was established in 1945 as the Travancore Bank Ltd., at the initiative of Travancore Diwan C. P. Ramaswami Iyer under the guidance of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. Instead, the Bank considered the Maharaja of Travancore Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma as the founder. Although the Travancore government put up only 25% of the capital, the bank undertook government treasury work and foreign exchange business, apart from its general banking business. Its head office was at Thiruvananthapuram.[2] In 1960, it became a subsidiary of State Bank of India under the SBI Subsidiary Banks Act, 1959, enacted by the Parliament of India.,[3] and thus achieved the name 'State Bank of Travancore'.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Sree Chithira Thirunal patronized musicians, artists, dancers and Vedic scholars. He appointed, for the first time, an Art Advisor to Government, Dr. J. H. Cousins. He also inaugurated an art gallery named Sree Chitra Art Gallery, features a unique collection of traditional and contemporary paintings, including the works of Raja Ravi Varma, Nicholas Roerich, Svetoslav Roerich, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, V. S. Valiathan, C. Raja Raja Varma, and K. C. S. Paniker. Sree Chithira Thirunal also started efforts to popularize Carnatic Music, especially the works of his ancestor & Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. He assigned musicians Muthiah Bhagavathar and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer for this task. In 1939, Sree Chithira Thirunal started "Sri Swathi Thirunal Music Academy" (renamed as Sree Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962) with the primary objective of popularizing the Maharajah Sree Swathi Thirunal kritits (compositions). Nellikkampatty Game Sanctuary (renamed Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP)) was also created under his instructions. Sree Chithira Thirunal supported the vision and untiring works of his brother-in-law, Lt. Col. G. V. Raja, in the fields of Sports and Tourism. Lt. Col. G. V. Raja was synonymous with the establishment of Royal Flying Club, renamed Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and development of tourism in Travancore as well as Kerala. However, "The Travancore Dramatic Performances Act" in 1939 is considered by researchers as an attack on freedom of expression, as it prohibited materials that criticized the British Emperor or the government.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: During and immediately after the Vaikom Satyagraha, the general public started to support the temple entry movement in Kerala and due to the participation of Mahatma Gandhi, it got all India level importance as well. The Travancore Government, under the reign of Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal, decided to appoint a Temple Entry Enquiry Committee. The committee was formed on 25 November 1932 as per the order of the Maharajah. The committee was required to report on the subject of Temple Entry for the dalits, and appointed V.S. Subramania Aiyar as its president. But the Committee took a negative stance against Temple Entry and advised against the temple entry citing the possibility of civil disorder from the part of the upper castes.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The committee also suggested certain methods to the government by which the rigour of the custom, that excluded the dalits from the temple, might be softened. The Committee stated that Hindu community is bound to take immediate and adequate measures for the upliftment of the dalits, socially and economically, and it should be done independently of the question of temple entry.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The above four observations were immediately put into action by the government and thus all restrictions on the usage of public amenities, like roads, wells, tanks etc. by the dalits, were removed. The practice of theendal (distance of pollution) or untouchability was immediately banned.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: According to Mahatma Gandhi University researchers, the report made by the Temple Entry Enquiry Committee was not relevant and became useless as it could not make satisfactory recommendations in the matter of temple entry for which it was primarily formed. After the submission of the Committee Report, people were not much interested in the temple entry movement in Travancore. But the temple entry question was discussed occasionally in Travancore without any serious organised attempts. Based on the research provided on Shodganga site, the efforts of "Kerala Harijan Sevak Sangh" played a big part in bringing the attention of the people, back to the cause. On 22 March 1936, at the annual meeting of Kerala Harijan Sevak Sangh, held at Trivandrum, a Temple Entry Committee was appointed for starting temple entry agitation in Kerala. By the decision of the Temple Entry Committee, several temple entry conferences were held at the capitals of Harijan Sevak Sangh in Kerala. After the conference, volunteers marched at various places to focus the attention of people in the matter of temple entry. In Travancore, though holding processions were prohibited at the time, they were permitted to conduct it by the government. Kerala Harijan Sevak Sangh also managed to gather the support of upper castes for the temple entry question and observed 19 April 1936 as the "Temple Entry Day" in Kerala. About 55,000 signatures of upper castes in Travancore were collected by their efforts. The Kerala State Temple Entry Conference held at Trivandrum on Mary 9th and 10th, presided by Srimathi Rameshwari Nehru, gathered more force and voice to the temple entry agitation. The resolution of temple entry, on equal status to all Hindus introduced by K. Kelappan, was unanimously passed in that conference. A team was also created in the Conference to introduce matter of the temple entry before Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal. Srimathi Rameshwari Nehru made a two weeks tour throughout Kerala and achieved public support for the temple entry movement. The study done by Mahatma Gandhi University researchers, published in the website, Shodhganga, has pointed out that, Sree Chithira Thirunal was indeed in full favour of a proper temple entry even when, the Maharajah of Cochin and British Malabar's Zamorin, opposed it vigorously. G. D. Birla, the then President of "All India Harijan Sevak Sangh" had an audience with the Maharajah and did an interview with him in the third week of June 1936, which is mentioned in the research paper, "TEMPLE ENTRY FREEDOM IN KERALA". The interview with Maharajah revealed that he indeed had favourable attitude towards the temple entry for dalits. A. V. Thackar, the Secretary of All India Harijan Sevak Sangh, in his speech at Calicut on 6 November 1936 too said that the Maharajah of Travancore may be taking the decision about the matter on the next birth day of Maharajah on 12 November, same year. The team from Kerala State Temple Entry Conference also met the then Prime Minister of Travancore, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyer and handed over the memorial for submitting it to the Maharajah.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The historians also point out the fact that both the immediate predecessors of Sree Chithira Thirunal, i.e., Maharajah Moolam Thirunal as well as Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, were against temple entry for dalits. The Vaikom Satyagraha leaders and volunteers were arrested and imprisoned on a large scale, during the reign of Moolam Thirunal. During the Regency of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi those imprisoned were released and at the request of Mahatma Gandhi, she opened the west, south & north public roads to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple to all castes. But she refused to open the eastern road to the same temple as it was used by Brahmins and also refused to give temple entry for all castes. For this, she was criticized by the likes of Mannathu Padmanabhan who accused that the Regent Maharani was under the influence of Tamil Brahmins, and her excuse that as the Regent she had no power to decide, was a lie. He retorted that she had complete power to give temple entry but she simply refused to do the same. This was further proved when Mahatma Gandhi, during a visit to Travancore, posed the question of temple entry to Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi. She glossed over the question by saying that, it was wrong and most unfortunate but she had no power to do so as she was just a 'Regent' for her then minor nephew, Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal and that Gandhi should the pose the question to him. A frustrated Gandhi repeated the question to the boy Maharajah. But much to the embarrassment of Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the 12-year-old Sree Chithira Thirunal, readily and without any consultation, promised Gandhi that he would allow temple entry during his reign. This incident was later quoted by Dr. K. R. Narayanan, the former President of India, in his speech referring to the progressive mind of Sree Chithira Thirunal even as a young boy.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: With an outlook which no previous Indian ruler had been able to entertain for thousands of years, Sree Chithira Thirunal signed the Proclamation. On 12 November 1936, the Travancore Government published an extra-Ordinary Gazette which contained the Temple Entry Proclamation. Thus the Proclamation, issued by Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, finally abolished the ban on Dalits from entering Hindu temples in Travancore (now part of Kerala, India) and also ended the cruel practice of untouchability. Historians and sociologists consider the proclamation as a milestone in the history of Travancore as well as the rest of Kerala. It was published on the eve of Sree Chithira Thirunal's birthday in 1112 (1936 A.D.). The Proclamation was received throughout India with delight and admiration.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Thus, Travancore achieved equal temple entry freedom of worship to all classes of Hindus in 1930s itself. The Proclamation was the first of its kind in Princely States as well as in British India. Even though there were agitations in various parts of India as well as rest of Kerala for temple entry, none managed to achieve their aim. The Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation could not make any serious effects in Cochin or British Malabar. The attitude of the Zamorin and the Maharajah of Cochin was not favourable towards it. Neither Zamorin nor the Maharajah of Cochin had any wishes to change the existing customs and usages in temples. According to historians, in such a context, the proclamation has far more importance, and through it, Travancore achieved the popularity as an enlightened progressive Princely State.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyer, the then Prime Minister of Travancore credited the Proclamation to the conviction of the young Maharajah and said:


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The Prime Minister of Madras described the Proclamation as the "greatest religious reform in India after the time of Asoka termed Sree Chithira Thirunal as the Modern Asoka of India".


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The researchers believe that it was Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar's legal skill that ironed out all the practical difficulties, posed by the orthodox section, before the Proclamation. He foresaw all the objections that could be raised against Temple Entry and dealt with them one by one. He was also able to ensure that the actual declaration was known beforehand to only very few people. To the people of Travancore, it came as a momentous announcement. The Universities of Andhra and Annamalai conferred D.Litts on the Maharajah. A life size statue of Sree Chithira Thirunal was erected in Trivandrum as well as Madras by the citizens there which were unveiled by the Rajah of Bilkanir and Lord Erstine, the then Governor of Madras, respectively.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Despite all the development and prosperity attained by his reign, Sree Chithira Thirunal's ruling period saw severe political unrest due to the then ongoing Indian freedom struggle. The Haripura Session of the Indian National Congress February 1938 resolved that in the Princely States by independent organisations may be encouraged to carry on internal struggles in these states. Gandhi's view was that the demand made by the people of princely states for responsible government was just and proper added fuel to their works. Thus, the Travancore State Congress with Pattom Thanu Pillai, a lawyer and public figure of Travancore as its first president. The Travancore State Congress started an active campaign for the creation of responsible government in Travancore. Sir C. P. tried every possible measure to curb the congress activities but the party had become one of the major critics of Prime Minister (Diwan), Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar. Meetings and demonstrations were banned and A. Narayana Pillai was arrested on a charge of sedition. According to Shodhganga website, "the Dewan soon started a reign of terror to suppress the State Congress." The State Congress presented a memorandum to Sree Chithira Thirunal making him aware of the immediate need for the grant of responsible government and also bringing to his notice the repressive policies of his Prime Minister's administration. Sir C. P. retaliated by declaring State Congress and its ally 'All Travancore Youth League' as disloyal and subversive bodies. The Diwan cancelled the licences of news papers, Malayala Manorama and Kerala Kaumudi which published news relating to the activities of the State Congress. On 26 August 1938, the State Congress started a widespread Civil Disobedience Movement but leaders like Pattom Thanu Pillai and T. M. Varghese were arrested in Trivandrum. Then the congress organized a massive rally under the leadership of Akkamma Cherian on the birthday of the Maharaja on 12 November 1938. After understanding the seriousness of the situation, Sree Chithira Thirunal announced the withdrawal of the ban on the State Congress and the unconditional release of its leaders. But Sir C. P. put forward the condition of withdrawing the earlier memorandum which contained personal allegations against him which the Youth League opposed and left the Congress and strengthened the ranks of the Youth League whereas some formed radical group with Communist leanings and K. Krishna Pillai as its leader. The radical wing of the Youth League, consisting of the Communists, had decided to cooperate with the government in its war efforts following the entry of the USSR in the Second World War. But after the war, the Communist staged a violent protest against Sir C. p. which came to known as the much disputed Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. What ever be the aim or motive of the Communists for conducting Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, the government action which led to the death of hundreds of Communist Party workers, marred the otherwise progressive reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal. The image of Sir C. P. was destroyed irreparably, and has been since cast into the light of a 'villain' by the entire political class in Kerala. The State Congress' long struggle for a responsible government finally became a reality in 1948 when Sree Chithira Thirunal announced the first public election in Travancore.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: On 3 June 1947, British announced the date of their withdrawal from India & creation of two dominions. The Indian Independence Act 1947 provided that the suzerainty of the British Crown over the princely states would simply be terminated, with effect from 15 August 1947, that would leave the princely states completely independent. After British India became independent as two dominions in 1947, British Suzerainty was lifted from Travancore and in essence Travancore became Independent. The Instrument of Accession was a legal document created in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British suzerainty to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition of British India. Thus on 11 July, the Travancore Prime Minister, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar announced, at the behest of Sree Chithira Thirunal, that the Kingdom of Travancore will neither join India nor Pakistan but will remain an Independent Country. This led to protests in Travancore mainly from Congress and other political parties who feared that it only sought to perpetuate the autocratic rule of Diwan Sir C. p. Family sources indicate that Sir C. P., himself, was not in favour of independence but only greater autonomy and that a favourable agreement had been reached between Sir C. P. and the Indian representatives by 23 July 1947 and accession to the Indian Union could not be carried out only because it was pending approval by the Maharajah. Nevertheless, an assassination attempt was made on Sir C. P. by a Brahmin youth named K.C.S. Mani on 25 July 1947 during a concert commemorating the anniversary of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: As Sree Chithira Thirunal's decision to keep Travancore independent of India was unacceptable to the Indian government, several rounds of negotiations were held between the Maharaja and the Indian representatives. After holding discussions with Mountbatten, Sree Chithira Thirunal agreed to enter into a Stand-still Agreement with the Indian Union on 10 August 1947. And according to the Stand-still Agreement, Travancore’s domestic sovereignty will be accepted by the Indian government even though foreign policy & defence will be in Indian government’s hand. But Travancore could indulge in foreign trade without India’s permission; also that there won’t be any interference in internal matters of Travancore by the Indian govt. But Louis Mountbatten withdrew all his assurances regarding maintaining Travancore's sovereignty and another round of discussion started between Sree Chithira Thirunal and Indian representative, V. P. Menon. In 1948, Sree Chithira Thirunal announced first public election in Travancore to create responsible government with the Maharaja as the Constitutional Head of State.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: At the same time, negotiation with the Indian union was ongoing and finally Sree Chithira Thirunal agreed to accede his state to the new Dominion of India in 1949. The neighbouring Cochin state was united with the Kingdom of Travancore. According to V. P. Menon, Sree Chithira Thirunal came close to refusing the post of "Rajpramukh" because he could not give oath to the Indian government as he had already taken the oath in front of his family deity Sree Padmanabha. He stated that he "would rather abdicate his position and stand down for the welfare of his people." Sree Chithira Thirunal's conditions were accepted by the Indian representatives and V. P. Menon, the chief Indian negotiator, put forward the suggestion that as Sree Chithira Thirunal was unwilling to take the oath, he should write a letter to the Indian government assuring them his full co-operation and commitment to the post of "Rajpramukh". Thus Sree Chithira Thirunal became the Rajpramukh of the newly created United States of Travancore-Cochin and his ancient Travancore Kingdom merged into the Union of India. He was an "Hon. Major General" with the British Indian Army and the "Colonel-in-Chief and the Supreme Commander" of the Travancore Army and of the Travancore-Cochin State Forces for the period 1949–54. He became an "Hon. Colonel" in the Indian Army as the Travancore Army was integrated by him into the former, after 1949, as the 9th (1st Travancore) and the 16th Battalion of the Madras Regiment (2nd Travancore).


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Following the national policy of integration, the State of Kochi and Travancore were merged into Travancore-Cochin State under a Rajpramukh. The rulers of Travancore and Cochin had entered into a Covenant to unite their States into one, with a common Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The new entity was named the "United State of Travancore and Cochin", better known as "Thiru-Kochi" inaugurated on 1 July 1949. Sree Chithira Thirunal became the Rajpramukh, Governor equivalent, of the newly formed United State. A Council of Ministers was to advise him in the exercise of his functions. They were to comply with the directions of the Government of India. Questions of disputed succession in regard to the State were to be decided by the Rajpramukh after referring it to the High Court of the United State and in accordance with the opinion of the latter.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: According to Article XI of the Covenant, Rajpramukh Sree Chithira Thirunal promulgated an ordinance which declared that the laws existing in the two states should continue to be in force in their respective territories and the courts, both civil and criminal. They would continue to enjoy their existing jurisdiction and powers conferred on them. The courts were to eliminate conflicts arising from the application of laws by interpretation. Another Ordinance led to the creation of the High Court of the United State of Travancore-Cochin. Sree Chithira Thirunal was empowered to appoint the Chief Justice and other judges of the High Court whose number was fixed at not less than five. The Ordinance prescribed the powers and jurisdiction of the High Court including the superintendence over all subordinate courts. All appeals pending before the High Courts of Travancore and Cochin were to be heard by the High Court of the United State. The seat of the new High Court was decided to be at Ernakulam. Sree Chithira Thirunal had already executed an "Instrument of Accession" under section 6 of the Government of India Act, 1935, thereby accepting the supremacy of Dominion Legislature. He served as the first and only Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 to 31 October 1956, which was the entire duration of the existence of that political entity.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The movement for a united (Aikya) Kerala gathered momentum with the attainment of independence. The first concrete step in this direction was taken on 1 July 1949. The next step came with the reorganization of States on a linguistic basis in the light of the report of the States Reorganization Commission. It was decided to add Malabar district and the Kasargod taluk of south Canara district to Travancore-Kochi and to separate the Tamil-speaking southern region of old Travancore from Travancore-Kochi for inclusion in Madras State. On 1 November 1956, the state of Kerala was created by uniting the Malayalam-speaking areas of the Travancore-Cochin Union with those of neighbouring Madras State, and Sree Chithira Thirunal's office of Rajpramukh came to an end. Thus, after a hectic public life of 25 years, Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma retired from active public service in 1956.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: V. P. Menon, the chief Indian negotiator, alleged in his book that, Sree Chithira Thirunal was against the prospect of the Maharajah of Cochin becoming "Uprajpramukh", as both Travancore and Cochin Kingdoms had a long-standing rivalry from early times itself; Cochin used to be a tributary of Travancore before the arrival of the British. Also when Sree Chithira Thirunal did the Temple Entry Proclamation in Travancore, allowing untouchables to enter all Travancore Hindu temples, the ruler of Cochin refused to accept it This caused a further strain in their already shaky relation.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Lakshmi Raghunanadan (a granddaughter of Senior Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi) alleged that Sree Chithira Thirunal initiated a move to overtake her grandmother's summer estate at Peermade in 1938 which however did not happen due to the intervention of the then British Resident of Travancore. A division of royal properties and estates were done, after the cancellation of Privy Purse by the Indian government, in 1971. The properties were divided between the branch of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and Sethu Parvathi Bayi, the Senior and Junior Maharanis of Travancore. The terms of division of properties was accepted by all members of both branches. But later Revathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma, (the grandson of Senior Queen Sethu Lakshmi Bayi) who at the time of property division was a minor, accused that Sree Chithira Thirunal had taken away a property, Poojappura Satelmond Palace, that rightly belonged to his grandmother, the Senior Maharani. Sree Chithira Thirunal had given away this Palace to the Government of Kerala to construct a new Medical Centre, the now famous, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, in 1974. Revathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma also accused that Chithira Thirunal had unlawfully taken away the traditional holdings of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi as Senior Rani of Attingal. Her case was presented to the then Viceroy of India in the 1930s but was dismissed by him, as former Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma had already removed all the powers of Attingal Queens in the 18th century itself.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Revathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma took his grievance first to the High Court of Kerala and later to the Supreme Court of India. However, at both courts, the verdicts came in favour of Sree Chithira Thirunal and the appelant Revathi Thirunal's case was dismissed in the final judgement of 1991 by the Supreme Court of India.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: After retiring from active public life in 1956, Sree Chithira Thirunal turned his attention towards business and acquired some shares in the spice trading company "Aspinwall Ltd". In the early 1970s, when the English owners decided to withdraw their investment, major portion of the company's shares was bought by Sree Chithira Thirunal. After his demise, his legal heirs in the Travancore Royal Family hold the controlling interests of the company to date. As part of the agreement during Travancore-Cochin Union formation, the control of "Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple" was also left to Sree Chithira Thirunal. When the Privy Purse was cancelled, according to his niece and writer Aswathy Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, in one stroke, he lost 18 Lakhs (per year), the majority of which he was using to support the "Padmanabhaswami Temple", despite this, he supported the temple from his own private funds. As Padmanabhadasa and hereditary head trustee, he conducted the "Murajapam" and "Lakshadeepam" ceremonies in Padmanabhaswamy Temple, more times than all his predecessors. He also decided to use electric lights for the first time for the "Lakshadeepam" when there was scarcity of oil and cost escalation. Under his decision, "Padmanabhaswami Temple" was electrified except inside the Sreekovil. He also brought forth Pension system for the employees of "Padmanabhaswami Temple".


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: On 28 December 1971, Sree Chithira Thirunal lost his privy purse when the Government of India de-recognized the status of the Maharajahs of the erstwhile princely states, as rulers and was thus politically stripped. However the titles as well as other clauses of the agreements signed between the Government of India and the Maharaja in 1947 legally still hold. He thus became the Titular Maharajah of Travancore from 1971. The famous Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology was created with the personal funds of Sree Chithira Thirunal, after Privy Purse was cancelled by the Govt. Of India. Sree Chithira Thirunal established many charitable trusts for helping the needy financially in medical, educational and cultural fields. Sree Chithira Thirunal also sponsored the higher education of a young K. R. Narayanan who went on to become the 10th President of India. .


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Sree Chithira Thirunal was famous for his devotion and piety towards his family deity "Sree Padmanabha" and many has often compared him to his ancestor Maharaja Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma in terms of devotion to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. According to his niece, Pooyam Thirunal Gauri Parvathi Bayi, Sree Chithira Thirunal led a simple life as "Padmanabhadasa" and that he had a tremendous sense of humour, love for painting and drawing, fondness for knowledge about Puranas, religion, politics and history. Chithira Thirunal's devotion to Sree Padmanabha Swamy was very famous and had been referred to by many leaders including Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi etc. He was called "Ponnammavan" by his family at Kowdiar.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: According to niece and writer Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, by the late 1980s, Sree Chithira Thirunal's health had deteriorated rapidly. But against the warnings of his doctors, he continued to lead the Arattu Processions of Padmanabhaswamy Temple. And on 31 March 1991 despite his highly weakened body and advanced age, he led the procession, and other temple rituals, by walking barefoot with four and half kilogram sword in his hand, escorting the deities to the Shankumugham beach as well as back to the Padmaanabhaswamy Temple, which the common people considered as the symbol of Sree Chithira Thirunal's devotion to his Tutelary deity, "Sree Padmanabha". After 15 days, he was hospitalized and was discharged after a couple of days.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: On 11 July 1991, while getting ready for his daily morning darshan to Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Sree Chithira Thirunal fell down unconscious. It was diagnosed that he had suffered a stroke and was admitted to the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, aged seventy-eight. He remained in a state of coma for nine days and died, early morning on 20 July, the same year. After his death, there was a massive out pouring of public grief, he was a widely respected and much adored figure of Kerala. He was given full military as well government honours, as the Maharaja of Travancore as well as the former Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Travancore Armed Forces and the then Hon. Colonel of the 9th and 16th Battalion (formerly the 1st & 2nd Travancore Infantry) of the Madras Regiment. The Indian Army oversaw and controlled the public proceedings of his cremation. He was cremated at his official residence, Kowdiar Palace, based on the rites and rituals of Kshatriyas. Adhering to Marumakkathayam Law, his funeral rites were done by his younger brother, Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma and his only nephew Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma who are the legal heirs of Sree Chithira Thirunal. He had ruled Travancore for 67 years and at his death, was one of the last surviving rulers of a first-class princely state in the old British Raj. He was also the last surviving "Knight Grand Commander" of both the Order of the Star of India and of the Order of the Indian Empire. The Government of India issued a stamp in 1991, commemorating the reforms that marked the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal as the Maharaja of Travancore. He was succeeded, as head of the Travancore royal house as well as the Titular Maharajah of Travancore, by his younger brother, Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: Every year, since 1992, the Sree Chithira Thirunal Memorial Lecture is held in the honour of the Maharajah on his birth anniversary at Kanakakunnu Palace, Trivandrum. The first ever Lecture was delivered by the then Vice President of India, Dr. K. R. Narayanan. The lecture is organized by "Sree Chithira Thirunal Smaraka Samithi", a trust that organizes all celebrations related to the birth anniversary of the Maharajah every year.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The Sree Chithira Thirunal National Award was set up by the "Sree Chithira Thirunal Trust" in the memory of the Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in 2006. It carries a purse of one lakh Indian rupees and a citation. It honours those individuals who have made exceptional contributions in fields such as science, sports, technology, literature, art, medicine, cinema and education.


title: Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

text: The winners are selected by a panel consisting of trust Chairman T. Raveendran Thampi, managing trustee T. Satheesh Kumar and by eminent individuals from different fields of the society. The first ever award from the trust was awarded to eminent scientist & former Chairman of ISRO G. Madhavan Nair (2006). Other winners include India's former National Security Advisor M K Narayanan (2007), agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan (2008), actor Mohanlal, veteran playback singer K J Yesudas(2010), diplomat Nirupama Rao, E. Sreedharan (2012), M T Vasudevan Nair (2013) former Indian Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar (2014), former Ambassador and vice chairman of the Kerala Higher Education Council T.P. Sreenivasan (2015), the world-renowned cardiac surgeon M S Valiathan (2016).


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Arlene Harriet Gottfried (August 26, 1950 – August 8, 2017) was a New York City street photographer who was known for recording the candid scenes of ordinary daily life in some of the city's less well-to-do neighborhoods; her work was not widely known until she was in her 50s.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Throughout her life, Gottfried freelanced for many top publications, including "The New York Times Magazine", "Fortune", "Life", and "The Independent" in London.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: In her later years, she published five books of her work: "The Eternal Light" (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 1999), "Midnight" (powerHouse 2003), "Sometimes Overwhelming" (2008), "Bacalaitos and Fireworks" (powerHouse 2011), and "Mommie: Three Generations of Women" (powerHouse 2015).


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: "The Eternal Light" focused on a choir Gottfried first saw at a gospel fest, which also led to her discovery of her love for singing.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: "Midnight" is a series of photographs that followed a man named Midnight who struggled with schizophrenia.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: "Mommie: Three Generations of Women" was a portrait of three generations of women in her family: her immigrant grandmother, her mother and her sister. "Mommie: Three Generations of Women" later received "Time" magazine's Best Photobook Award in 2016.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Her photographs and archives have been exhibited at the Leica Gallery in New York and Tokyo, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the European House of Photography (MEP), the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Born in Coney Island, she was the daughter of Lillian (Zimmerman), a homemaker, and Max Gottfried, who ran a hardware store with his own father, above which the family lived. Gottfried was the older sister of comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried (1955–2022). When she was 9, Arlene moved to Crown Heights, where she became heavily influenced by the nearby, fast-growing Puerto Rican community. Later in the 1970s, she moved with her Jewish immigrant family to the neighborhoods of Alphabet City and the Lower East Side.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: When Gottfried was a teenager, her father gave her an old 35 mm camera, which she eventually took to Woodstock, even though she said, "I had no clue what I was doing". She credited her upbringing for giving her the ability to get intimate photographs of strangers: "We lived in Coney Island, and that was always an exposure to all kinds of people, so I never had trouble walking up to people and asking them to take their picture."


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Gottfried graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology taking photography courses. She worked as a photographer for an advertising agency before freelancing for publications such as "The New York Times Magazine", "Fortune", "Life", the "Village Voice", and "The Independent" (London). She was a habitué of Nuyorican Poets Café, a friend of Miguel Piñero, and on the Lower East Side sang gospel with the Eternal Light Community Singers.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: In 1991 while on assignment Gottfried photographed the Eternal Light Community Singers, eventually singing with them, as well. Gottfried also sang gospel with the Jerriese Johnson East Village Gospel Choir.


title: Arlene Gottfried

text: Gottfried died on August 8, 2017, from complications of breast cancer at her home in Manhattan at the age of 66 surrounded by friends and family.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: The traditional cucumber sandwich is a crustless tea sandwich (or finger sandwich) composed of thin slices of cucumber situated between two thin slices of lightly buttered white bread. The sandwich originated in the United Kingdom, and modern variants, largely of United States origin, introduce cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped dill or spices, and salmon, and may substitute brown bread. One specific US variant includes benedictine, a green soft spread made from cucumbers and cream cheese.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: Cucumber sandwiches are most often served for a light snack or for afternoon tea, a formal light meal served in the late afternoon, or in the early evening before the main supper. Cucumber sandwiches are also traditionally served in the tea break at club cricket matches in England.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: Cucumber sandwiches formed an integral part of the stereotypical afternoon tea affair. By contrast, people of the era's lower working classes were thought to prefer a coarser but more satisfying protein-filled sandwich, in a "meat tea" that might substitute for supper.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: Some writers have attempted to draw out an association between the daintiness of the sandwich and the perceived effeteness of the UK's aristocracy. Cucumber sandwiches are often used as a kind of shorthand in novels and films to identify upper-class people, occasionally in a derogatory manner. In the first act of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895), cucumber sandwiches that have expressly been ordered and prepared for Lady Bracknell's expected visit are all voraciously eaten beforehand by her nephew and host, Algernon Moncrieff; consequently he is forced to tell a little lie, with his butler's connivance: namely that "there were no cucumbers in the market this morning... not even for ready money". In addition, the sandwiches were once considered appropriate delicacies to offer to visiting clergy, in times when such visits were still a common feature of English middle class life.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: The popularity of the cucumber sandwich as an upper-class "dainty" reached its zenith in the Edwardian era, when cheap labour and plentiful coal enabled new techniques of producing cucumbers in hotbeds under glass through most of the year. With the declining popularity of tea as a meal in the United Kingdom, there was a corresponding decline in the popularity of cucumber sandwiches, but they are still frequently served at teas, luncheons, and gatherings. Most English cricket clubs supply malt vinegar and ground pepper to dash inside the sandwich, and this is the simplest form commonly used in England.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: Cucumber sandwiches are often eaten in the summer months or in warmer climates, such as in parts of India. The English influence on Indian culture has made the sandwiches popular during cricket matches and weekend picnics. The Indian variant is flavoured with green chutney and sometimes contains slices of boiled potatoes. Indian Airlines served cucumber sandwiches as part of its usual vegetarian inflight meal in short-haul domestic flights, until its merger in 2011.


title: Cucumber sandwich

text: A wide-bladed knife is used to obtain thin slices from a Pullman loaf. According to one measure, daylight should pass through the resulting fine pores of the bread. The slices of bread are buttered all the way to the edges in the thinnest coating, which is only to prevent the bread from becoming damp with cucumber juice, and the slices of peeled cucumber, which have been dashed with salt and lemon juice, are placed in the sandwich just before serving to prevent the sandwich from becoming damp. The crusts of the bread are cut away cleanly, creating tea sandwiches.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Populous is a video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts, released originally for the Amiga in 1989, and is regarded by many as the first God game. With over four million copies sold, "Populous" is one of the best-selling PC games of all time.


title: Populous (video game)

text: The player assumes the role of a deity, who must lead followers through direction, manipulation, and divine intervention, with the goal of eliminating the followers led by the opposite deity. Played from an isometric perspective, the game consists of more than 500 levels, with each level being a piece of land which contains the player's followers and the enemy's followers. The player is tasked with defeating the enemy followers and increasing their own followers' population using a series of divine powers before moving on to the next level. The game was designed by Peter Molyneux, and Bullfrog developed a gameplay prototype via a board game they invented using Lego.


title: Populous (video game)

text: The game received critical acclaim upon release, with critics praising the game's graphics, design, sounds and replay value. It was nominated for multiple year-end accolades, including Game of the Year from several gaming publications. Retrospectively, it has been considered one of the greatest video games of all time. The game was ported to many other computer systems and was later supported with multiple expansion packs. It is the first game in the "Populous" series, preceding "" and "".


title: Populous (video game)

text: The main action window in "Populous" is viewed from an isometric perspective, and it is set in a "tabletop" on which are set the command icons, the world map (depicted as an open book) and a slider bar that measures the level of the player's divine power or "mana".


title: Populous (video game)

text: The game consists of 500 levels, and each level represents an area of land on which live the player's followers and the enemy followers. In order to progress to the next level the player must increase the number of their followers such that they can wipe out the enemy followers. This is done by using a series of divine powers. There are a number of different landscapes the world (depicted on the page in the book) can be, such as desert, rock and lava, snow and ice, etc. and the type of landscape is not merely aesthetic: it affects the development of the player's and enemy's followers.


title: Populous (video game)

text: The most basic power is raising and lowering land. This is primarily done in order to provide flat land for the player's followers to build on (though it is also possible to remove land from around the enemy's followers). As the player's followers build more houses they create more followers, and this increases the player's mana level.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Increasing the mana level unlocks additional divine powers that allow the player to interact further with the landscape and the population. The powers include the ability to cause earthquakes and floods, create swamps and volcanoes, and turn ordinary followers into more powerful knights.


title: Populous (video game)

text: In this game the player adopts the role of a deity and assumes the responsibility of shepherding people by direction, manipulation, and divine intervention. The player has the ability to shape the landscape and grow their civilization – and their divine power – with the overall aim of having their followers conquer an enemy force, which is led by an opposing deity.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Peter Molyneux led development, inspired by Bullfrog's artist Glenn Corpes having drawn isometric blocks after playing David Braben's Virus. The game's budget was £20,000.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Initially Molyneux developed an isometric landscape, then populated it with little people that he called "peeps", but there was no game; all that happened was that the peeps wandered around the landscape until they reached a barrier such as water. He developed the raise/lower terrain gameplay mechanic simply as a way of helping the peeps to move around. Then, as a way of reducing the number of peeps on the screen, he decided that if a peep encountered a piece of blank, flat land, it would build a house, and that a larger area of land would enable a peep to build a larger house. Thus the core mechanics – god-like intervention and the desire for peeps to expand – were created.


title: Populous (video game)

text: The endgame – of creating a final battle to force the two sides to enter a final conflict – developed as a result of the developmental games going on for hours and having no firm end.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Bullfrog attempted to prototype the gameplay via a board game they invented using Lego, and Molyneux admits that whilst it didn't help the developers to balance the game at all, it provided a useful media angle to help publicise the game. One curious incident related in media coverage involved an attempt by Molyneux to investigate the displacement of water when adding blocks to the world model, this being frustrated by Lego not being watertight and thus causing a "flood" that "dissuaded further experimentation".


title: Populous (video game)

text: During the test phase the testers requested a cheat code to skip to the end of the game, as there was insufficient time to play through all 500 levels, and it was only at this point that Bullfrog realised that they had not included any kind of ending to the game. The team quickly repurposed an interstitial page from between levels and used it as the final screen.


title: Populous (video game)

text: After demoing the game to over a dozen publishers, Bullfrog eventually gained the interest of Electronic Arts, who had a gap in their spring release schedule and was willing to take a chance on the game. Bullfrog accepted their offer, although Molyneux later described the contract as "pretty atrocious:" 10% royalties on units sold, rising to 12% after one million units sold, with only a small up-front payment.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Peter Molyneux presented a post-mortem of the game's development and work in progress on a related personal project at Game Developers Conference in 2011.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Bullfrog produced Populous World Editor, which gave users the ability to modify the appearance of characters, cities, and terrain. An expansion pack called Populous: The Promised Lands added five new types of landscape (the geometric Silly Land, Wild West, Lego style Block Land, Revolution Française, and computer themed Bit Plains). In addition, another expansion disk called Populous: The Final Frontier added a single new landscape-type and was released as a cover disk for "The One".


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Populous" was released in 1989 to almost universal critical acclaim. The game received a 5 out of 5 stars in 1989 in "Dragon" #150 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. Biff Kritzen of "Computer Gaming World" gave the game a positive review, noting, "as heavy-handed as the premise sounds, it really is a rather light-hearted game." The simple design and layout were praised, as were the game's colourful graphics. In a 1993 survey of pre 20th-century strategy games the magazine gave the game three stars out of five, calling it a "quasi-arcade game, but with sustained play value". "MegaTech" magazine stated that the game has "super graphics and 500 levels. "Populous" is both highly original and amazingly addictive, with a constant challenge on offer". They gave the Mega Drive version of "Populous" an overall score of 91%.


title: Populous (video game)

text: In the September–October 1989 edition of "Games International" (Issue #9), John Harrington differed from other reviewers, only giving the game a rating of 2 out of 5, calling it "repetitive" and saying, "Although you take on the role of a god, somehow there is a lack of mystique about this game, and despite the cute graphics, the colourful worlds and the commendably elegant icon-driven game system, this game left me with a less than 'god like' feeling."


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Computer and Video Games" reviewed the Amiga version, giving it an overall score of 96%. Japanese gaming magazine "Famitsu" gave the SNES version 31 out of 40. "Raze" gave the Mega Drive version of "Populous" an overall score of 89%. "Zero" gave the Amiga version of "Populous" an overall score of 92%. "Your Amiga" gave the Amiga version of "Populous" an overall score of 93%. "ST/Amiga Format" gave the Amiga version of "Populous" an overall score of 92%.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Maxwell Eden reviewed "Populous World Editor" for "Computer Gaming World", and stated that "Now all "Populous" fans wanting to be apprentice wizards can share in the magic of that gift. "Populous" is a great game and "PWE" is an ideal enhancement that breathes new life into weary bytes. Absolute power was never as incorruptible, nor this creative."


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Compute!" named the game to its list of "nine great games for 1989", stating that with "great graphics, a simple-to-learn interface, and almost unlimited variety, "Populous" is a must buy for 1989". Peter Molyneux estimated that the game accounted for nearly a third of all the revenue of Electronic Arts in that year.


title: Populous (video game)

text: Orson Scott Card in "Compute!" criticized the game's user interface, but praised the graphics and the ability to "create your own worlds ... you control the world of the game, instead of the other way around". "STart" in 1990 gave "kudos especially to Peter Molyneux, the creative force behind "Populous"". The magazine called the Atari ST version "a fascinating, fun and challenging game. It's unlike any other computer game I've ever seen, ever. Don't miss it, unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool arcade gamer who has no time for strategy". "Entertainment Weekly" picked the game as the No. 16 greatest game available in 1991, saying: "Talk about big-time role-playing. Most video games posit you as a mere sword-wielding, perilously mortal human; in "Populous" you're a deity. Slow-paced, intricate, and difficult to learn: You literally have to create entire worlds while all the time battling those pesky forces of evil."


title: Populous (video game)

text: The game was released in the same month that "The Satanic Verses" controversy gained publicity in the United States following the publication of "The Satanic Verses" in the United States. Shortly after release, Bullfrog was contacted by the "Daily Mail" and was warned that the "good vs evil" nature of the game could lead to them receiving similar fatwā, although this did not materialize.


title: Populous (video game)

text: By October 1997, global sales of "Populous" had surpassed 3 million units, a commercial performance that "PC Gamer US" described as "an enormous hit". By 2001, "Populous" had sold four million copies, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all time.


title: Populous (video game)

text: In 1990 "Computer Gaming World" named "Populous" as Strategy Game of the Year. In 1996, the magazine named it the 30th best game ever, with the editors calling it "the father of real-time strategy games". In 1991 it won the Origins Award for "Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1990", the "1990 Computer Game of the Year" in issue 25 of American video game magazine "Video Games & Computer Entertainment", and was voted the sixth best game of all time in "Amiga Power". In 1992 "Mega" placed the game at No. 25 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. In 1994, "PC Gamer US" named "Populous" as the third best computer game ever. The editors hailed it as "unbelievably addictive fun, and one of the most appealing and playable strategy games of all time."


title: Populous (video game)

text: In 1999, "Next Generation" listed "Populous" as number 44 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "A perfect blend of realtime strategy, resource management, and more than a little humor, it remains unsurpassed in the genre it created." In 2018, Complex placed the game 98th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". IGN ranked Populous 70th on its "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time."


title: Populous (video game)

text: In 1990 Bullfrog used the "Populous" engine to develop "Powermonger", a strategic combat-oriented game with similar mechanics to "Populous", but with a 3-dimensional graphical interface. In 1991 they developed and released a true sequel, "", and in 1998 a further direct sequel, "".


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Populous" was also released on the SNES, developed by Imagineer as one of the original titles for the console in Japan, and features the addition of a race based on the Three Little Pigs.


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Populous DS", a new version of the game (published by Xseed Games in America and Rising Star Games in Europe), was developed by Genki for the Nintendo DS and released 11 November 2008. The game allows the user to shape the in-game landscape using the DS's stylus. It also features a multiplayer mode allowing four players to play over a wireless connection.


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Populous" has been re-released through GOG.com and on Origin through the Humble Origin Bundle sale. It runs under DOSBox.


title: Populous (video game)

text: The browser-based game "Reprisal" was created in 2012 by Electrolyte and Last17 as a homage to "Populous".


title: Populous (video game)

text: "Godus" (formerly "Project GODUS") was revealed as a URL on the face of "Curiosity – What's Inside the Cube?", and "is aimed to reimagine" "Populous".


title: Carrickfergus

text: Carrickfergus ( , meaning "Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest town and one of the oldest towns in Ireland as a whole. Carrickfergus Castle, built in the late 12th century at the behest of Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy, was the capital of the Earldom of Ulster. After the earldom's collapse, it remained the only English outpost in Ulster for the next four centuries. Carrickfergus was the administrative centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council, before this was amalgamated into the Mid and East Antrim District Council in 2015, and forms part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area. It is also a townland of 65 acres, a civil parish and a barony.


title: Carrickfergus

text: The town is the subject of the classic Irish folk song "Carrickfergus", a 19th-century translation of an Irish-language song ("Do Bhí Bean Uasal") from Munster, which begins with the words, "I wish I was in Carrickfergus".


title: Carrickfergus

text: Scottish Gaelic poet Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair's "immram" poem "Birlinn Chloinne Raghnaill" ("The Birlinn of Clanranald"), describes the sea voyage of a Highland war galley from Loch Eynort, in South Uist, to Carrickfergus. Alan Riach, who has translated the poem into English, has praised the genius of its 18th-century author and how brilliantly he emulated both Homer and Virgil in telling his tale of men against the sea. Riach has also alleged that, in addition to being an immortal work of Scottish Gaelic literature, "The Birlinn of Clanranald", is, "one of the great poems of world literature."


title: Carrickfergus

text: The British peerage title of Baron Carrickfergus, which had become extinct in 1883, was bestowed upon Prince William on his wedding day in 2011.


title: Carrickfergus

text: The town is said to take its name from Fergus Mór (Fergus the Great), the legendary king of Dál Riata. According to one tale, his ship ran aground on a rock by the shore, which became known as "Carraig Fhearghais" – the rock of Fergus.


title: Carrickfergus

text: As an urban settlement, Carrickfergus far pre-dates the capital city Belfast and was for a lengthy period both larger and more prominent than the nearby city. Belfast Lough itself was known as 'Carrickfergus Bay' well into the 17th century. Carrickfergus and the surrounding area was, for a time, treated as a separate county. The historical walled town originally occupied an area of around 97,000 square metres, which now comprises the town centre, bordered by Albert Road to the west, the Marine Highway to the south, Shaftesbury Park to the north and Joymount Presbyterian Church grounds to the east. Segments of the town wall are still visible in various parts of the town and in various states of preservation. Archaeological excavations close to the walls' foundations have yielded many artefacts that have helped historians piece together a picture of the lives of the 12th and 13th century inhabitants.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Carrickfergus became an inhabited town shortly after 1170, when Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy invaded Ulster, established his headquarters in the area and built Carrickfergus Castle on the "rock of Fergus" in 1177. The castle, which is the most prominent landmark of Carrickfergus, is widely known as one of the best-preserved Norman castles in Ireland.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Sometime between 1203 and 1205, De Courcy was expelled from Ulster by Hugh de Lacy, as authorised by King John. De Lacy oversaw the final construction of the castle, which included the gatehouse, drum towers and outer ward. It was at this time that he established the nearby St Nicholas' Church. De Lacy was relieved of his command of the town in 1210, when King John himself arrived and placed the castle under royal authority. De Lacy eventually regained his title of Earl of Ulster in 1227, however the castle and its walled town were captured several more times following his death (in 1242). The forces of Edward de Bruce captured the town in 1315 and the castle in 1316 before his death in battle in 1318. The town was largely destroyed by the Scots in 1402.


title: Carrickfergus

text: The Battle of Carrickfergus, part of the Nine Years War, took place in and around the town in November 1597. It was fought between the crown forces of Queen Elizabeth I and the Scots clan of MacDonnell, and resulted in a defeat for the English. A contemporary Elizabethan illustration of Carrickfergus shows ten tower-houses, as well as terraces of single-storey houses, some detached cottages and 70 or more Irish beehive-type huts in the town.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Sir Arthur Chichester was appointed by the Earl of Essex to govern the castle and town in 1599 and was responsible for the plantation of English and Scottish peoples in the town, as well as the building of the town wall.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Nevertheless, the decaying castle withstood several days of siege by the forces of William of Orange in 1689, before surrendering on 28 August. William himself subsequently landed at Carrickfergus on 14 June 1690.


title: Carrickfergus

text: During the Seven Years' War, in February 1760, the whole town was briefly captured and held to ransom by French troops landed from Francois Thurot's naval squadron, after the defenders ran out of ammunition. In 1711 Carrickfergus was the scene of the last witchcraft trial in Ireland. Eight women were charged with bewitching a young girl, and were convicted, despite a strong indication from one of the judges that the jury should acquit. They were sentenced to a year in prison and four sessions in the pillory.


title: Carrickfergus

text: In April 1778, during the American War of Independence, John Paul Jones, in command of the American ship "Ranger", attempted to capture a British Royal Navy sloop of war, , moored at Carrickfergus. Having failed, he returned a few days later and challenged "Drake" to a fight out in the North Channel which the Americans won decisively.


title: Carrickfergus

text: During the 1790s there was considerable support in the Carrickfergus area for the United Irishmen. On 14 October 1797 William Orr was hanged in the town following what was widely regarded as a show trial held in Carrickfergus Courthouse (now the Town Hall) and in 1798 United Irish founder Henry Joy McCracken was captured on the outskirts of the town while trying to escape to America.


title: Carrickfergus

text: In 1912 the people of Carrickfergus turned out in their thousands to watch as the made its first ever journey up the lough from its construction dock in Belfast. The famous passenger liner was anchored overnight just off the coast of Carrickfergus, before continuing on its journey.


title: Carrickfergus

text: During World War II, Northern Ireland was an important military base for United States Naval and Air Operations and a training ground for American G.I.s. The First Battalions of the elite US Rangers were activated and based in Sunnylands Camp for their initial training. The "US Rangers Centre" in nearby Boneybefore pays homage to this period in history. It is rumoured that Italian and German POWs were held in the town, the Italians in a camp at Sullatober mill, and Germans at Sunnylands.


title: Carrickfergus

text: In the 1970s, the town became an important centre for the textile industry. An ICI man-made fibres factory was opened at Kilroot and was followed by the Rothman's cigarette factory. Courtaulds operated a large rayon works there until the 1980s.


title: Carrickfergus

text: On 8 September 2007, Carrickfergus was the Northern Irish host for the "Last Night at the Proms", featuring Alison Balsom, Alfie Boe, and Ulster conductor Kenneth Montgomery.


title: Carrickfergus

text: "Argan" or the "Company") announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Atlantic Projects Company ("APC"), recently entered into an engineering and construction services contract with EPUKI London, UK, to construct a 2 x 330 MW natural gas-fired power plant in Carrickfergus, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The power trains will be provided by Siemens Energy which will utilize SGT5-4000F gas turbines. The facility is being developed by EPNI Energy Limited. A notice to proceed has been received with certain project activities having commenced. The overall project completion date is expected in the latter half of 2023.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Throughout the course of The Troubles, there was a paramilitary presence in the town, namely the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association. Census figures show that the Catholic population of Carrickfergus declined from 16.2% in 1971 to 9.56% in 2011.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Carrickfergus railway station opened on 1 October 1862. In addition, the northwest of the town is served by Clipperstown railway station, and the east by Downshire railway station. All three stations have regular commuter services to Belfast and Larne. Three historic stations in Carrickfergus, Barn, Eden and Mount, closed in the 1970s.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Carrickfergus is covered by the East Antrim constituency, whose Member of Parliament (MP) is Sammy Wilson of the DUP. The Parliamentary constituency of Carrickfergus existed from 1801 to 1885.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Until 2015 the local authority was Carrickfergus Borough Council, based at Carrickfergus Town Hall. Since 1 April 2015 Carrickfergus has come under the control of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The town is covered by two of the council's wards, Carrick Castle and Knockagh. In the May 2019 local elections, the following councillors were elected for these wards:-


title: Carrickfergus

text: Secondary schools serving the area include Carrickfergus Grammar School, Carrickfergus Academy and Ulidia Integrated College.


title: Carrickfergus

text: Sporting establishments in the town include the association football clubs Carrick Rangers F.C. and Barn United FC.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst () is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia and had a population of 37,191 in June 2019.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst is often referred to as the Gold Country as it was the site of the first gold discovery and where the first gold rush occurred in Australia. Today education, tourism and manufacturing drive the economy. The internationally known racetrack Mount Panorama is a landmark of the city. Bathurst has a historic city centre with many ornate buildings remaining from the New South Wales gold rush in the mid to late 19th century.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The median age of the city's population is 35 years; which is particularly young for a regional centre (the state median is 38), and is related to the large education sector in the community. The city has had a moderate population growth of 1.29% year-on-year averaged over the five years until 2019, making Bathurst the tenth fastest-growing urban area in New South Wales outside Sydney. This growth over recent years has resulted in increased urban development, including retail precincts, sporting facilities, housing estates and expanding industrial areas.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst is located on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range in the Macquarie River plain; also known as the Bathurst plains.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Macquarie River, which is part of the Murray-Darling basin, the largest river system in Australia, runs through the centre of the city. A number of levee banks have been erected in Bathurst to protect the region from occasional flood events.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Mount Panorama is located from the CBD and effectively within the city limits; it is AMSL and rises above the Bathurst CBD.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Great Western Highway, which begins in the centre of the city of Sydney, ends at Bathurst. Two main state highways start at Bathurst: the Mitchell Highway to Bourke and the Mid-Western Highway to Hay. Bathurst is about mid-way along a regional road route from Canberra and Goulburn to Mudgee and the Hunter Region. Bathurst is also on the Main Western railway line that starts at Sydney Central and proceeds for by rail to Bathurst.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Macquarie River divides Bathurst with the CBD located on the western side of the river. Four road bridges and two rail bridges span the river within the city area. From the upstream side they are: Macquarie River Railway Bridge (built in 1876) closed in 2011 (replaced with a new concrete single track rail bridge structure alongside and brought into use in 2011); the four lane Evans Bridge which opened in 1995; the Denison Bridge opened in 1870 (closed to road traffic and now a pedestrian bridge); the Gordon Edgell Bridge, a low−level bridge located on George Street; and Rankens Bridge at Eglinton.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Two physical components comprise the Bathurst region; the Bathurst Basin and the Tablelands areas. They are drained by the Macquarie, Turon, Fish and Campbells Rivers to the north and Abercrombie and Isabella Rivers to the south. The central basin area of the Bathurst area is mainly granite soils while in the north area sandstone, conglomerates, greywacke, siltstones, limestones and minor volcanos predominate. The south is more complex geology with siltstones, sandstones, greywacke, shales and chert, basalt and granite intrusions and embedded volcanic and limestones. Underlying Bathurst is the dominant feature of Bathurst granite (intruded in the Devonian period) and at Mount Panorama and Mount Stewart basalt occurs.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Topography of the region ranges from slightly undulating to rough and very steep country, about 30 km to the east of Bathurst is the folded and faulted sedimentary and metamorphosed formations of the Great Dividing Range which runs roughly north–south.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst's central business district (CBD) is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is about in area and covers two city blocks. Banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park (shown) and monuments are in this area.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst has retained a mix of main street shopping along with enclosed shopping centres within the CBD, unlike other towns where the CBD focus has split between main street and new shopping centre developments located in the suburbs. Within the CBD lies Kings Parade; this is a park setting with several memorials of people and events in history. It is a popular location for locals to meet. Keppel Street is Bathurst's second commercial shopping area, removed from the CBD by two blocks to the south. This area developed once the railway arrived in 1876.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The main suburbs of Bathurst are: Kelso, Eglinton, West Bathurst, Llanarth, South Bathurst, Gormans Hill, Windradyne, Windradyne Heights and Abercrombie Estate. One of the newer suburbs is Marsden Estate, in Kelso.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Due to its elevation, Bathurst has an oceanic climate ("Cfb"), according to Köppen climate classification. Bathurst is in Australia's cool temperate climate zone which is defined as having mild to warm summers and cool to cold winters. Regular summer thunderstorms are common, resulting from the flat plains country to the west, leading into the mountainous nature of the country around Bathurst and assisting the development of storm cells. These storms rarely strike the city and instead often move either in a south east or north east direction away from Bathurst Bathurst gets 106.9 clear days annually.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In winter, light to moderate snowfalls occur each year on the higher peaks around Bathurst, whilst snow is relatively rare in the city itself due to its sheltered location. On 5 July 1900, Bathurst received a freak snowfall measuring at in the main street. Bathurst is relatively dry year round, as it lay in a rain shadow on account of its sheltered valley location flanked by hills and ranges on all sides.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: On 11 February 2017, Bathurst Ag recorded a new record high temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F), although temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) are exceedingly rare for Bathurst. However, this reading did not even slightly compare to Bathurst Gaol's 44.7 °C (112.5 °F), on 12 January 1878. The highest minimum temperature was , on 14 January 1939.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The area around what is now called Bathurst was originally occupied by the Muurrai clan of the Wiradjuri people. It was known as "dalman" or place of plenty. Yam fields were cultivated on the fertile floodplain and fire-stick farming was utilised to maintain grassy pasture for wild game. The Wiradjuri were noted by early colonists for their neat "mandiyaba" or possum-skin cloaks which were decorated with artistic etchings known as "burwurr". British colonial settlement into this area began in 1815 and was expanded in 1818 when Governor Lachlan Macquarie removed restrictions that limited colonial settlements. Once these restrictions were removed the Wiradjuri people suffered major dislocation, death and disruption to their way of life.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The government surveyor, George Evans, was the first European to sight the Bathurst Plains in 1813, following the first successful British crossing of the Blue Mountains in the same year. In 1814, Governor Lachlan Macquarie approved an offer by William Cox to build a road crossing the Blue Mountains, from Emu Plains to the Bathurst Plains. This road was wide and long, built between 18 July 1814 and 14 January 1815 using 5 freemen, 30 convict labourers and 8 soldiers as guards. Twenty convicts and soldiers remained stationed at terminus of the road at the Bathurst Plains. These were the first non-Indigenous residents of what was to become Bathurst but was simply referred to until May 7 of that year as the Grand Depot. Governor Macquarie surveyed the finished road in April 1815, travelling along it to the Grand Depot with his wife and an entourage of 50 officials, soldiers and servants.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: On 7 May 1815, Governor Macquarie raised the British flag at the Grand Depot, ordered a ceremonial volley to be fired and named the military outpost as Bathurst after the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst. Bathurst thereby became the oldest inland British settlement in Australia. William Cox, who was appointed the first Commandant of Bathurst, and William Lawson were promised large grants of land in the area and soon sent herds of their livestock to the region.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Bathurst region was opened up to wider British settlement in 1818 when Macquarie granted ten men of land each. These men were William Lee, Richard Mills, Thomas Kite, Thomas Swanbrooke, George Cheshire, John Abbott, John and James Blackman, John Neville and John Godden. These grants were located at what is now White Rock and Kelso. In 1818, Governor Macquarie stated in his diary:


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: This morning I inspected 10 new settlers for Bathurst. I have agreed to grant each 50 acres of land, a servant, a cow, four bushels [141 litres] of wheat, an allotment in the new town, and to receive into the King's Store at Bathurst all the Wheat they can grow for the first 12 months.In the early years of settlement, Bathurst was a base for many of the early explorers of the NSW inland, including George Evans in 1815, John Oxley in 1817–1818, Allan Cunningham in 1823, and Thomas Mitchell during the 1830s.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In 1819, frontier conflicts between local Wiradjuri groups and encroaching settlers began when Aboriginal people were shot and others mauled by the colonists' dogs. When Governor Brisbane opened the Bathurst area to wider colonisation from 1822, the subsequent large influx of graziers led to a more intense conflict over land and resources known as the Bathurst War. The Wiradjuri, led by leaders such as Windradyne, continued to resist settler encroachment until martial law was declared in August 1824, after which settlers conducted several raids against Wiradjuri settlements; colonists such as Theophilus Chamberlain, the superintendent for William Cox, perpetrated several massacres. In response, Major James Thomas Morisset was appointed commandant of Bathurst to restore order, conducting several sweeps across the landscape. Martial law ended in December 1824 as the remaining Wiradjuri were forced to make peace with the colonial authorities.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Flecks of gold were first discovered in the Fish River in February 1823, but it was 12 February 1851 in a Bathurst Hotel when Edward Hargraves announced the discovery of payable gold. Soon, gold was found at Ophir (later Sofala) and Hill End in the 1850s.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Hill End, called 'Bald Hills' in 1850, 'Forbes' in 1860 and finally Hill End in 1862 was part of the Tambaroora district. At its peak had a population of 7 000 people. Hill End's fame is the finding of the 'Holtermann Specimen (Correctly the Beyers Holtermann Specimen)' on 20 October 1871 being the largest single mass of gold ever discovered in the world, a record that still stands today. Found in 1872 this single mass of quartz and gold weighed 630 lbs and when crushed produced and est. of 3000 troy oz (205 lbs or 93 kg) of gold, thus processed held more gold then the processed gold from largest nugget ever found, that being the Welcome Stranger from the Victorian Goldfields. Holtermann recognizing the significance of the find attempted to preserve it by buying it from the Company of which he was one of a number of directors. His efforts were in vain. It is reported that a larger mass was discovered a few days later in the same mine but was broken up underground. Absolutely reliant on Gold, the towns decline was dramatic once the Gold ran out before the 1900s. Photo: Hotlermann with the Beyers-Holterman Specimen


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In the 1860s, the town of Bathurst began to boom. Bathurst was to become the first gold centre of Australia. The nearby gold localities would transport their gold to Bathurst then to Sydney. The mail and gold transport coaches became an obvious target for bushrangers, which became a major problem for the authorities.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Ribbon Gang and the Bathurst Rebellion occurred in 1830, when a large group of over 80 convicts roamed the Bathurst district. They were eventually captured and charged with murder, bushranging and horse-thieving. On 2 November 1830, ten members of the Ribbon Boys were hanged in Bathurst for their crimes. The site of the first and largest public hanging in Bathurst is still marked by the laneway sign "Ribbon Gang Lane" in the CBD. Ben Hall, who became a notorious bushranger, was married in St Michael's Church at Bathurst in 1856. In October 1863, a gang of five (including Hall) raided Bathurst, robbing a jeweller's shop, bailed up the Sportsmans Arms Hotel and tried to steal a racehorse. They returned three days later and held up more businesses. John Peisley, another bushranger, was tried and hanged for murder at Bathurst Gaol in 1862.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst's economy was transformed by the discovery of gold in 1851. One illustration of the prosperity gold brought to Bathurst is the growth and status of hotels and inns. The first licensed inn within the township was opened in 1835, the "Highland Laddie". At the peak of hotel activity in 1875, coinciding with the gold rush period, there were 61 operating concurrently. A total of 89 hotel locations have been identified in the town of Bathurst, with 112 operating in the immediate district during the course of the history in Bathurst. Initially many pubs were simply a cottage with stables. As prosperity increased during the gold rush, the Hotels became typical of architecture of pubs known today.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Cobb & Co business was a horse drawn coaching transport business originally established in Victoria but relocated to Bathurst in 1862 to follow the gold rush. The business provided gold escorts, mail services and passenger services to the towns and rural settlements. Cobb & Co. coaches were constructed in the coaching workshops located in Bathurst and the Bathurst Information Centre contains a restored Cobb & Co. coach.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst later became the centre of an important coal-mining and manufacturing region. The Main Western railway line from Sydney reached Bathurst in 1876. From that time, the town became an important railway centre with workshops, crew base with locomotive depot and track and signal engineering offices. It remains today as the railway regional engineering headquarters with a large rail component manufacturing facility.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The heritage listed Bathurst Courthouse, a predominant landmark of the city centre, was constructed in 1880 based on designs by the New South Wales Colonial and Government architects, James Barnet and Walter Liberty Vernon.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In 1885, Bathurst had a population of about 8,000 and an additional 20,000 people in the district. The town in 1885 was a hub for stores such as E.G. Webb & Co. with supplies and distribution occurring throughout large parts of western NSW and into Queensland and South Australia.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: This period is characterised by periods of slow to moderate population growth, with industrial and education industries developing and technology and services delivered to the town. Several major infrastructure developments arrive such as distributed town gas, electricity, town water supplies, and a sewage treatment system. Town gas had arrived in Bathurst courtesy of a private venture in 1872, with the Council providing a competing network from 1888. On 30 June 1914, the Council purchased the Wark Bros gas system and combined the gas networks. The old gasworks plant on Russell Street (now out of use) was built in 1960. In 1987 natural gas arrived via a new 240 km spur pipeline off the Moomba to Sydney pipeline. The early part of the century saw electricity arrive initially for street lighting; the city converted from gas street lighting to electric lighting on 22 December 1924, when 370 electric lights at a cost of £40,000 were switched on. Lighting spread along streets through to 1935, over time to businesses and finally private houses. Sewage treatment was an early infrastructure project funded by the state government and built in 1915. Water supply started with private wells in backyards. Eventually a waterworks was built to the south of the town on the river with the water pumped through piping laid progressively to the businesses and private dwellings. In 1931, work started on the 1,700 ML Winburndale Dam project to gravity feed water through a wood stave pipe laid to the town. The scheme was opened by the Premier of New South Wales on 7 October 1933. Later, a new larger water supply dam was built on the Campbells River. Originally known as the Campbell River Dam scheme and later renamed the Ben Chifley Dam after the late Prime Minister Ben Chifley of Bathurst. It was opened in November 1956. The Ben Chifley Dam received a major storage upgrade designed to meet the cities needs to 2050; the work was completed in 2001 increasing the capacity by 30% to .


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: An ambulance service commenced on 6 June 1925 with a new Hudson ambulance. A new ambulance station was opened 2 March 1929 and is still used by the NSW Ambulance Service. Motor cars were becoming common in the early 20th century and the need for road service patrols commenced in 1927, provided by the NRMA using a motorcycle/sidecar response vehicle. The early electronic media age arrived with the opening of commercial radio station 2BS on 1 January 1937. Bathurst Aerodrome was opened in 1942, initially to benefit the war effort providing parking for aircraft overflowing from Richmond air force base. The first commercial airline service departed for Sydney on 16 December 1946.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: A famous Australian brand name of frozen foods began in Bathurst. Robert Gordon Edgell arrived in Bathurst in 1902. By 1906, he was growing pears, apples and asparagus and experimenting with canning and preserving fruit and vegetables, eventually opening a small cannery in 1926. In 1930, he formed the company Gordon Edgell & Sons which became, and still is, a famous Australian food brand, now owned by Simplot.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Many attempts were made to start a university college, the earliest attempts were 1912 through to 1947 when real progress was made with plans for a state teachers college. The first intake of teacher students came at the beginning of 1951 with the official opening on 9 November 1951. The college has transformed over time into the Mitchell College of Advanced Education on 1 January 1970. The college grew and ultimately became the Charles Sturt University on 19 July 1989.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst was one of the locations to campaign to be the site of the new federal capital. In an essay prepared by a journalist with the "Bathurst Times", Price Warung, in 1901 to promote Bathurst's candidacy, he responds to the federal committees key requirements for the capital to have: "centrality and accessibility of situation, salubrity, and capacity for impregnable defence". The proposed site for the capital city would have been slightly north-west of Bathurst, straddling the Macquarie River, at the locality known as Elrington.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: An Australian Army camp was established at Bathurst in early 1940, intended for the Second Australian Imperial Force's 1st Armoured Division; however, it was later converted to an infantry training centre due to the unsuitability of the closely settled area to armoured training. Following World War II, the camp was converted to a migrant reception and training centre, with the first group of migrants arriving in 1948. At times the centre had up to residents at one time, taking in a total of around 100,000 migrants before its closure in 1952, when Villawood Migrant Centre was opened. Officially Bathurst Migrant Reception and Training Centre, it was usually referred to as Bathurst Migrant Camp.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst's population has had rapid growth periods throughout its history; during the mid to late 19th century gold rush period, then post World War 2 when migrants from the war ravaged countries were settled in the area and returning soldiers were offered farming land, and at the start of this century has been another fast growth period corresponding in part to Sydney's congestion. Other periods have seen a slightly declining population, including the decade around the 1900s and during the 1960s. The following chart illustrates the growth from 1856 to recent times.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst's place in Australia's history is evidenced by the large number of landmark monuments, buildings, and parks.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In the centre of the city is a square known as Kings Parade. Originally a market area from 1849 to 1906 , it was redesignated as a public recreation ground and site for a soldiers memorial. Kings Parade now contains three memorials, an open space park and gardens.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Bathurst War Memorial Carillon is a tall tower structure located in the centre of Kings Parade. The Parade is located in the centre of Bathurst's CBD. The Carillon is a memorial to the soldiers who died in the two World Wars. The bell tower contains 49 bronze bells cast by John Taylor & Co in 1928 that are rung daily at lunchtime, and an eternal flame on the platform level of the structure. The Carillon was officially completed on Armistice Day, 11 November 1933 at a cost of £8,000. It was upgraded in 2020 to standards, making it only the third such carillon in Australia.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Evans memorial stands at the northern end of Kings Parade. Completed in 1920, the memorial commemorates the discovery of the Bathurst Plains in 1813 by George Evans, Assistant Surveyor of Lands.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Boer War memorial stands at the southern end of Kings Parade. This memorial was unveiled in 1910 by Lord Kitchener.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Local government was trialled in the new Colony with a 'Bathurst and Carcoar District Council' established on 12 August 1843, Bathurst was proclaimed a town in 1852 and incorporated as a borough in 1862, next a municipality in 1883, then gazetted a city in on 20 March 1885. the same day as Sydney was declared a city. Bathurst Regional Council was formed on 26 May 2004 following the amalgamation of the Bathurst City Council, most of Evans Shire and a small amount of land formerly included in Oberon Shire.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Electoral district of Bathurst is the state seat in the NSW Parliament. This seat covers the major centres of Bathurst and Lithgow, and all or part of Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Lithgow, Mid-Western and Oberon local government areas.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Since 1859, Bathurst has existed as an electoral district in the NSW Parliament. Prior to 1856, Bathurst was a part of the Electoral district of Western Boroughs. Before the 1920s, Bathurst was a single member constituency, in the 1920s it became a multimember district with proportional representation. During the middle part of the 20th century the seat was marginal between Labor and Country Parties, from 1981 when the strong Labor town of Lithgow moved from Blue Mountains to Bathurst, the seat was dominated by Labor, except for 1988 when it was won by the Liberal Party for one 3-year term, and the 2011 election when Paul Toole of the National Party won the seat.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst is currently within the federal electoral district of Calare which includes a large part of western NSW from Lithgow in the east to Tullamore in the west. Prior to the 2010 election, Bathurst was within the Macquarie federal electoral district which was more easterly based including the Blue Mountains area with Bathurst as the western boundary of the district.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst's economy is broad based with a manufacturing industry, large education sector (including agricultural) and government service sectors. In 2015, the Gross Regional Product was $1.96 billion representing 0.4% of the Gross State Product of New South Wales.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: To capitalise on Bathurst's growth, education facilities and youthful population, in 2011 the Regional Council announced it was progressing plans for a new Australian Centre for Science, Technology and Emerging Industries (ACSTEI), also known as the Technology Park, to be established adjacent to the Charles Sturt University Campus with the centre featuring next generation emerging industries.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Private sector employers with large workforces in Bathurst (according to statistics published in 2009) include Devro, an international company that produces food casing products and Mars Petcare manufacturing plant are the single largest private employers of labour. Companies such as Telstra's call centre, Simplot Australia's (more recognisable as brands such as Edgells, BirdsEye, Chiko Roll, and I&J Seafood products) food processing and canning plant and Burkes Transport a local trucking and distribution company. In 1982, Clyde Engineering opened a railway component facility in Kelso, initially producing electrical equipment under licence from Hitachi. In 1982 it began manufacturing locomotives. It closed in 2013.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Government sector employers with large local workforces include Country Energy with their District Field Office and Corporate Office, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst Regional Council, the NSW Land Registry Services that provide mapping and survey data across NSW, the Greater Western Area Health Service – Regional Office, Bathurst Correctional Centre, Department of Education and Training – Regional Office, Police Service – Chifley Local Area Command, and NSW State Forests – Regional Office. In April 1982, the State Rail Authority opened a locomotive and wagon overhaul facility in Bathurst.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The Bathurst region's climate of cool winter weather lends itself to stone fruit production and cool variety grapes suitable for wine production.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst is the location for the Bathurst Primary Industries Centre, a government facility that has been operating since 1895 and originally known as The Experimental Farm. Originally established to study most facets of agriculture in the early growth years of the western inland, work included dairy, pigs, vegetable, cereal plantings, and fruit trees. The site is still one of the most important stone fruit research units in Australia.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Sheep and wool production are the main primary sector industries in the surrounding area with beef cattle a secondary production. Wool has been a significant part of the Bathurst rural scene since the 1850s when the industry was growing rapidly. Lambs for meat production are a common product of the region's farms. Beef cattle breeds are predominantly British, British cross and European cross; the Bos indicus types are present but not common.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Bathurst is the site of a major timber processing facility, which uses timber harvested from the surrounding forests. There are large plantations of softwood timber (pinus radiata) that are harvested for timber products; the main product being sawlogs, and some pulp. Bathurst is the headquarters for the Macquarie Region of Forestry Corporation of NSW (a NSW State Owned Corporation).


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: In the 21st century, Bathurst is known for motorsport, being the site of the Mount Panorama motor racing circuit. It hosts the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race each February, the Bathurst Motor Festival every Easter, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race each October. During these times, the population swells with tourists. The circuit is a public road when not being used for racing and is a popular tourist attraction for visitors to the city. Bathurst has a long history of racing, beginning with motorcycle racing from 1911. From 1931 to 1938, motorcycle racing was conducted at the Old Vale Circuit before moving to the newly created Mount Panorama Circuit in 1938. On 16 April 1938, Mount Panorama attracted 20,000 spectators to its first race, The Australian Tourist Trophy and in 2006 the crowd figure reached 194,000 for the 3-day Bathurst 1000 event.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: A group known as 'Mount Panorama Second Circuit Action Group' is promoting and lobbying to incorporate additional track and facilities into the existing circuit to capture additional events and increase the use of the facility.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Beside the circuit is the National Motor Racing Museum. This museum was built to encourage visitors to the circuit all year round and includes motor cycles and cars, representing the racing history of Bathurst. Peter Brock, the race car driver, was synonymous with Mount Panorama racing and a memorial sculpture dedicated to him, is located in the museum grounds.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Sports in general are well supported by the Bathurst community. The Bathurst Regional Council and NSW State Government have contributed significant funds over the past decade to build new facilities, such as a new heated Aquatic Centre, an Indoor Sports Stadium, Hockey Complex and major upgrade of the track, new pit complex and spectator facilities at the Mount Panorama circuit. The Hockey Complex is an advanced facility which includes water and sand based fields as well as numerous grass fields.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: The city provides dedicated sports facilities for motor racing, Rugby League (part of Group 10), Rugby Union, Australian Rules, Athletics, Cricket, Netball, Tennis, Football and Touch Football. There are over 70 different sporting groups and organisations in the region from the Academy of Dance, croquet, aero, pony clubs, through to the football, rugby, cricket and cycling. Cycling is increasingly considered a speciality sport of the Bathurst Region with ideal road and community facilities around the city. The Bathurst Cycling Club is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia founded in 1884.


title: Bathurst, New South Wales

text: Gliding is a popular activity and there is a large gliding community in Bathurst. Gliding takes place at Pipers Airfield which is about 5 kilometres to the north of the city. Gliding also occurs most school holidays at the Bathurst Regional Airport where Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) from "No.301 Air Training Flight" learn to fly.