Castlemaine

Castlemaine sits in the Goldfields region of central Victoria, 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. Gold was discovered at nearby Specimen Gully in 1851, and within a year the diggings around Castlemaine had attracted over 30,000 miners and become one of the richest shallow alluvial goldfields in the world. The wealth generated by the gold rush paid for the grand public buildings and wide streets that still define the town today.

The Castlemaine Market Building, completed in 1862 and designed by William Downe, is one of the finest classical commercial buildings in regional Victoria. It anchors the main street and now houses a permanent market and gallery space. The Theatre Royal, built in 1855, is one of the oldest continually operating theatres on the Australian mainland and hosts a regular program of live performance and cinema.

Over the past two decades, Castlemaine has attracted a significant creative community. Artists, makers, food producers and musicians have been drawn by the affordable housing, the quality of light, the heritage architecture and the proximity to Melbourne (about 90 minutes by car or train). The Castlemaine State Festival, held biennially in March, is one of Australia's most respected regional arts festivals and brings major contemporary art, music and theatre to venues throughout the town.

The food scene punches well above the town's weight. The Mill, a converted flour mill on the edge of town, houses a cafe, bakery and event space that has become a regional food destination. Boomtown wine bar and several other restaurants along Mostyn Street draw weekend visitors from Melbourne specifically for lunch. The surrounding district also produces excellent olive oil, cider and small-batch wine.

Castlemaine is the natural pair with neighbouring Maldon (a remarkably intact 1850s gold-rush village 15 minutes north) and the broader Goldfields trail that includes Bendigo and Daylesford. The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, just south of town, preserves the original alluvial goldfields landscape with walking tracks through the old mine sites and regenerating bushland.