Streatham

Streatham is a rural village on the Glenelg Highway in the Western District, about midway between Ballarat and Hamilton.

Streatham is situated where the Glenelg Highway crosses Fiery Creek, and the Terminus Hotel was opened there in 1850, which later had substantial bluestone stables (1868) for Cobb and Co coaches. A school was opened in 1861. In addition to Fiery Creek there are numerous permanent and ephemeral lakes, including Lake McLaren south of Streatham and Chinaman Swamp to the west. The surrounding plains were described in 1865 as treeless and well grassed, with some more distant volcanic cones. Some lakes were used for salt harvesting.

A bluestone Presbyterian church was built in 1875. Badly burnt in 1977, the church was restored and rededicated in 1980, and is on the Victorian Heritage Register.

In 1903 Streatham was described in the Australian handbook:

The Blythvale estate was subdivided for closer settlement in 1908 and soldier settlement farms were subdivided from the Nerrin Nerrin estate in 1919. A further soldiers’ settlement scheme occurred after World War II. Desite these influxes of population the local hotel closed in 1970 for want of patronage. Shops burnt out in 1977 were not re-established for the most part, and an assistance fund was instead used to improve the water supply service.

Streatham has a general store, a recreation reserve, a golf course, Catholic and Uniting (former Presbyterian) churches and a public hall. The school was closed in 1998. Streatham’s census populations have been: