Castlemaine

Victoria (Western Region)

Castlemaine
CASTLEMAINE is at the centre of the area once known as the Mount Alexander Goldfields. Between 1851 and 1861, when its gullies were among the richest in the world, 105,000kg of gold were found here (more modest quantities are still found at Wattle Gully mine at nearby Chewton, the oldest working gold mine in Australia). Castlemaine became the headquarters of the Government Camp for the area in 1852, and its impressive buildings were all built during the following ten years. With no deep mines to sustain it, however, Castlemaine has developed little since then.

Within a year of gold being discovered, the population in Castlemaine soared to 25,000. Today it stands at a humble 7300. The famous Castlemaine Market Place became a distribution point for food to all central Victoria goldfields. It is now a museum and well worth seeing. There's something for everyone in Castlemaine. Lovers of architecture, fine arts and history, photographers, field naturalists and families all find something to delight them. Spend some time looking at the fabulous architectural gems which remind us of the boom mining town this once was. Take time to view one of the finest regional art galleries in Victoria. Visit the Castlemaine Gaol or take a walk through the wonderful Botanical Gardens. You might even stop for a picnic. The gardens, private and public, are superb, particularly in Spring and Autumn when the wildflowers are spectacular. The town’s finest building is the Old Castlemaine Market on Mostyn Street, a wonderfully over-the-top piece of Neoclassical architecture. The Theatre Royal on Hargraves Street, one of the oldest theatres in Australia, is also quite magnificent; it’s said that when the famous Lola Montez performed here, miners threw nuggets of gold at her in appreciation. It’s now a cinema (tel 03/5472 1196) incorporating a cabaret-style section and a licensed bistro downstairs, and more traditional movie-house seating upstairs. Theatre groups and live bands sometimes perform here, and there’s even a disco Thursday to Saturday nights until 3am. Another unusual attraction, a short distance from the centre, is Buda, at 42 Hunter Street (daily 9am–5pm; $7), a gracious nineteenth-century home and garden originally built in 1861 by a retired Baptist missionary in the style of an Indian villa. It was added to by its subsequent owner Ernest Leviny, a Hungarian silversmith, in the 1890s. The house and gardens give an insight into the good life enjoyed in the goldrush days, and much work by Leviny and his family is on display, including lampshades, carved woodhangings and embroidery made by his daughters, as well as early photography and the family’s art and silverware collection. Partly because of the big Castlemaine State Festival, which takes place over ten days in April in odd-numbered years, this is quite an arty place, and there are several other galleries around town. In odd-numbered years lots of gardens in the Castlemaine district open their doors to visitors during the Festival of Gardens, which takes place during the Melbourne Cup week in November. If you’re here on a Saturday, trek the 2km out along the Melbourne Road to Wesley Hill Market, a giant flea market selling local produce and crafts (7.30am–noon). Another tourist attraction is the Dingo Farm (daily, but ring to confirm tel 03/5470 5711; $8) between Castlemaine and Chewton, where about seventy dingoes are kept in fenced-in enclosures on bushland; signs along the Pyrenees Highway will direct you there. If you are feeling a bit more energetic why not make use of some of the excellent sporting facilities for a game of tennis, golfer bowls. Try a spot of fishing or visit a local football match. Follow one of the many marked walking tracks or head bush yourself. Bring your bike and enjoy one of the day rides. Gallery at Castlemaine
The Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum on Lyttleton Street (Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–noon & 1–5pm; $3) is worth a visit. Established in 1913 in a classic Art Deco building, the gallery specializes in Australian photographs and paintings, featuring many works by the Heidelberg School, notably Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts. At the Gallery at Castlemaine you can see Frederick McCubbin's Golden Sunlight which was donated by Dame Nellie Melba. You can also admire the works of Tom Roberts and E. Phillips Fox who underline the importance of the Heidelberg School in the development of Australian art. And that is not to mention the several Margaret Preston's you will discover here. Collectively the three Victorian art galleries in Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine hold some of Australia's key art pieces and other works which portray early regional scenes are valuable historical references and certainly worth noting. You will discover many outdoor works of art in Ballarat which also mark the exuding confidence of the goldrush. Botanical Gardens
At the Castlemaine Gardens you can see one of the oldest known cultivated trees in Victoria - an English oak, planted by His Royal Highness Prince Alfred in 1867. Practicalities
The information centre is in the Market Building at Mostyn Street (daily 9am–5pm). Places to stay include Campbell Street Lodge in a historic building at 33 Campbell St, which has motel-style rooms in a National Trust-listed house; Kraus Cottage on the hilltop at Wills St and the Old Castlemaine Gaol on Bowden Street, converted into an unexpectedly cosy guesthouse, with beds in former prison cells and a restaurant/wine bar (Wed–Sun). Two centrally located B&B’s are the National Trust-listed Midland Private Hotel, 2 Templeton St and the Coach and Rose B&B, 68 Mostyn St. Food in Castlemaine is excellent, with a wide variety of places to choose from. Bings Café, at 71 Mostyn St opposite the market (daily 9am–4.30pm), serves breakfast all day and has everything from full meals to veggie burgers and sandwiches. In addition to selling bread, cakes, pastries and light meals, Saff’s Café at 64 Mostyn St hosts special events such as concerts, recitals and poetry readings every last Saturday of the month. Togs Place at 58 Lyttleton St provides good food in a peaceful atmosphere, and has a courtyard where you can sit out in summer. The Globe Garden, 81 Forest St, (licensed, lunch Sun only, dinner Wed–Sun) is another pleasant place with a courtyard, serving good food with a menu that changes with the seasons. You can sample Mexican fare at the licensed Simpatico Mexican Restaurant, 32 Johnstone St (dinner daily), in a 140-year-old bakery. Bonkers on Barker, a bar and bistro in a beautifully restored former hotel at 233 Barker St, also does B&B accommodation (tel 03/5472 4454; $75–$124). Or go for cheap pub meals at the local hangout, the Criterion Hotel at 163 Barker St, which has pool tables and bands at weekends, or the Commercial Hotel on the corner of Hargraves and Forest streets.