Sutton Grange, Victoria

Sutton Grange is a small country town located approximately 30km south of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia.It has a very small population of approximately 150 people, most of which consist of old sheep farming families. In the 1930s Sutton Grange was a prosperous little town bigger than those surrounding it today, but due to a large bushfire all establishments and housing was burnt to the ground, and only the land remained.Sutton Grange is now more widely known for its fine food and wine, boasting the Sutton Grange Organic Farm or Holy Goat Cheese, Colliers Fine Chocolates and several successful wineries and Broad's Dairy. Sutton Grange is also known for its horse racing, hosting Sutton Grange Winery/Stud and its fine Merino wool, which is some of the best in Australia.HistorySutton Grange Post Office opened on 1 August 1865 and closed in 1970.The 1930s bushfire was a tragic disaster for Sutton Grange. A once prosperous little town, with pubs, a butter factory, school, church and post office was burnt to ashes, and that brought an end to its prosperity. Still widely known as one of the best wool growing areas in Victoria, it also is home to some of Australia's best shearers. Wool growing families that keep this reputation as good as it is, are the Bartys, the Collisons, the Davises, the Barkers and the Bickfords. The Bartys are famous in the wool trade as having some of the best fine Merino wool in Australia.