GLOUCESTER Gloucester is a valley town that is a quite nice surprise. Gloucester is also a town that is not on a major route. That said, Gloucester is a town of substance with most essential services and heritage planning plus building a tourism profile. Gloucester will not be an ‘encounted town’. Gloucester is a destination location and the diversion will be worth the effort. It stands on the Avon River just below its junction with the Gloucester River. Settlement occurred in the 1830s. The township of Gloucester was first established in 1855, primarily for sheep farming; however it became apparent that the land was not entirely suitable. The four main industries of the Gloucester area are: tourism, timber, cattle farming and, now, coal. The timber industry has been prevalent in Gloucester since the late 19th century, and it and cattle farming are still major industries in and around Gloucester; both dairy and beef cattle. In 1876, gold was discovered in Copeland, a small town north-west of Gloucester. Copeland became a large town of over 3,000 inhabitants due to the gold discovery and the large number of red cedar trees. However, the population has since dwindled to a population of a few hundred. Gloucester is the feed town to the national park and pinnacles mountain ranges. The Gloucester War Memorial a high profile acknowledgement within the Gloucester Memorial Park. The Gloucester Museum is near the old police station overlooking the town. There are two hotels in Gloucester. One modern and the other a 100 year classic. The congregational churches are a mix of the old, the ugly and the new. There are a number of heritage buildings, gardens and points of interest to invite the traveler to linger and stay awhile. Gloucester is a nice spot.