Goldfields

Victoria struck it rich in the 1850s with the discovery of gold at Bendigo and Ballarat. Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill is a re-creation of an old mining town - a living museum depicting life as it was in the gold rush days. It is simply one of Australia’s best attractions and is excellent value. At the time of writing it was $65 for a family pass and this family did 10:00am to 5:00pm without a hint of boredom for adults or kids (aged 9 and 5). Local people dress in clothes of the period to run shops, businesses and a school. They are full of historic knowledge and fond of a chat. You can pan for gold (we all got a few specks) and take tours down old gold mines (an additional $10 a family for one of them, but worth it). There’s also an evening sound and light show, 'Blood on the Southern Cross' which depicts the Eureka Rebellion.

Sovereign Hill is a place where you absorb history rather than have it taught. And what did I absorb? That the coach from Ballarat to Melbourne in those days included an overnight stop at Bacchus Marsh and cost a blacksmith a week’s wages. The trip now takes a bit over an hour and a few dollars for petrol. I also learnt that Victorian chamber pots were covered with a coloured cloth, usually red. Why? So they could be easily separated from the white table napkins when they went to the laundry. But I’m still trying to work out what a notice-board sign from 1856 means: ‘James Dakin notices the public again trusting his wife’. Curious. The old Sovereign Hill Schoolhouse is worth dropping in for a lesson.

The Eureka Stockade Centre details the history of the uprising with multi-media and interactive displays.

Victoria's spa country is less than an hour from Ballarat. The adjacent towns of Hepburn Springs and Daylesford have been famous for their spas for more than 100 years, and the area is thick with eucalypt forests, fern gullies and pretty farming country.

Daylesford is charming, trendy, arty, lovely and ‘foody’ with serious coffee, homemade ice cream and relaxation with attitude. The first settlement was in the 1850s and 1860s by Swiss-Italians, and today there are plenty of restaurants, boutique shops, and cottage and country-house accommodation.

Mineral springs were first discovered in 1836 and there are now about 70 in the region, stretching as far as Kyneton. All have a different taste and you can take your own glass and help yourself. At the Hepburn Spa Resort, you can enjoy a scented spa bath.

Hanging Rock, near Mount Macedon, was made famous by the film Picnic at Hanging Rock, based on the haunting story of the mysterious disappearance of a group of schoolgirls from a picnic around the rock in 1900. Walking tracks lead to its summit for superb views.

A short, pleasant drive north takes you to Castlemaine, Maldon and Bendigo. As well as being the ‘birthplace’ of The Wild Colonial Boy’, Castlemaine is typical of an old goldmining town and is home to a creative community of painters, potters and other craftspeople.

For visitor information, head to the original market building (1862) with its classical Roman façade.

A 10 – 15 minute drive will take you to Maldon, the first town in Australia to be declared A Notable Town by the National Trust.

Like Ballarat, Bendigo is a ‘gold’ city with the architecture reflecting the prosperity of the times.

On the northern outskirts, the restored Chinese Joss House recalls the presence of the Chinese on the goldfields.

More Information

For more information about Victoria:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Melbourne
• Yarra Valley, Dandenongs & Mornington
• Great Ocean Road
• High Country
• Grampians
• The Murray
• Gippsland

Victoria Tours With Tours To Go