# Redesdale, Victoria

Redesdale /ˈriːdsdeɪl/ is a town in the City of Greater Bendigo and the Shire of Mount Alexander, Victoria, Australia. At the 2016 census, Redesdale had a population of 240.

## History

The Post Office opened on 22 March 1865. There are conflicting accounts about the origin of Redesdale's name. According to Thomas O'Callaghan's 1918 book "Names of Victorian Railways Stations", Redesdale is named after Lord Redesdale, while according to the website Victorian Places, Redesdale is named after Robert William Rede.

## Redesdale bridge

Redesdale is on the opposite bank of the Campaspe River from the town of Mia Mia. The towns are connected by the heritage listed Redesdale bridge, one of the oldest iron lattice-truss bridges in Victoria. The trusses for the bridge were originally imported for a river crossing in suburban Hawthorn in 1859. The ship Herald of the Morning bringing the trusses to Melbourne caught fire and sank in Hobsons Bay. As a result, the Hawthorn Bridge, connecting Richmond and Hawthorn, was delayed for a couple of years while new trusses were made and shipped out to Australia.
Ten years later the original trusses were salvaged from the Herald of the Morning and used for the Redesdale Bridge. The bridge was constructed on site in 1868 with a divided-lane through-truss design created specifically for the difficult river crossing and unique in Victoria.

## Railway

Redesdale was once the terminus for a branch line railway which connected with the Melbourne - Murray River Railway at Redesdale Junction, between Kyneton and Malmsbury. Other stopping points on the line, going towards Redesdale, included Edgecombe, Green Hill, East Metcalfe, Emberton and Barfold. The Redesdale line was opened on 15 January 1891 and closed on 29 June 1954. The tracks and stations have since been removed.

## Other

Redesdale is currently home to a primary school, a petrol station/general store, a historic bluestone pub/tavern and the Rural café.
Australia's worst aircraft disaster, the 1945 Australian National Airways Stinson crash, occurred two miles east of town.

## Climate

Climate data for Redesdale (1991–2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 46.1 (115.0) | 45.0 (113.0) | 38.7 (101.7) | 33.7 (92.7) | 25.9 (78.6) | 20.1 (68.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 21.1 (70.0) | 29.1 (84.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 41.1 (106.0) | 44.5 (112.1) | 46.1 (115.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.8 (85.6) | 29.1 (84.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 20.8 (69.4) | 16.1 (61.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.1 (53.8) | 13.6 (56.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.1 (80.8) | 20.6 (69.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 14.1 (57.4) | 10.6 (51.1) | 8.3 (46.9) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.3 (46.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 16.3 (61.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 14.0 (57.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) | 13.3 (55.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.7 (38.7) | 3.0 (37.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.1 (39.4) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.3 (50.5) | 7.4 (45.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) | 2.6 (36.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | −1.1 (30.0) | −2.2 (28.0) | −3.8 (25.2) | −5.6 (21.9) | −4.4 (24.1) | −4.2 (24.4) | −3.3 (26.1) | −3.0 (26.6) | −0.2 (31.6) | −5.6 (21.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 35.5 (1.40) | 32.7 (1.29) | 33.4 (1.31) | 39.4 (1.55) | 50.7 (2.00) | 60.0 (2.36) | 56.5 (2.22) | 55.9 (2.20) | 49.5 (1.95) | 41.9 (1.65) | 50.3 (1.98) | 38.1 (1.50) | 543.0 (21.38) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 3.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 6.6 | 8.4 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 7.9 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 75.2 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 8.6 (47.5) | 6.9 (44.4) | 6.3 (43.3) | 5.3 (41.5) | 4.7 (40.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 5.2 (41.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 7.5 (45.5) | 7.6 (45.7) | 6.8 (44.2) |
| Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ||||||||||||||