In 2013 Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia celebrated 200 years from its naming as a town in 1813. Over the 200 years significant milestones have occurred in the town and regions infrastructure development to support growth of the region. The development of Australia progressed with a few frontier towns built in extreme isolation like Bathurst. Sydney was founded in 1788 and 25 years later in 1813 only a few other coastal towns had been established. The desire to explore the unknown areas led the Colonial Government to sponsor expeditions to the interior of the vast country. A large mountain range running parallel to the Sydney coast blocked access to the west and rugged mountains and a river blocked access to the north. Before the exploration of the inland started they had no idea what they would find but what they did discover was fertile and well watered land ideal for grazing of animals and producing agricultural products.
To grow from a village to a town to a city requires major infrastructure construction. This normally occurs in phases, as the technology develops, as the funds allow, and the needs become pressing.
The key infrastructure developments that allowed Bathurst to grow were the road system, gas supply, telegraph network, railways, telephone, electricity, and water systems. Each one of these created an improvement in living conditions and productivity for the residents and the economy as a whole.
First a road was required and once built settlers moved west, over time the other infrastructure requirements followed as the town grew in importance to the Colony.