Starting as the Castlemaine Woollen Mill in 1875, and finishing as Victoria Carpets in 2013, The Mill has transformed into a place for food and artisan manufacturing. On-site our food precinct comprises a Viennese coffee house and roastery, winemakers, a sourdough baker, craft brewery, smallgoods maker, cheese and dairy producer, chocolatier and ice cream maker. We also house an artisan precinct which includes makers of furniture, bath soaps and perfumery, underwear, wool-centric clothing, mosaics and an ethical florist. Our vintage precinct which is home of The Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar and Platform No. 5, is a treasure-trove of market-style spaces selling vintage, re-purposed, hand-made and second hand goods.

The Castlemaine State Festival began in 1976 through the vision of founder Berek Segan AM OBE and has now grown to become Australia’s longest running flagship regional arts festival. The Festival preceded any other Victorian arts festivals and has been unique in its scope and diversity, and in its impact on the social and cultural fabric of central Victoria and environs. The biennial Festival commissions, develops and presents a thrilling program of events encompassing performance, music, literature, visual arts and film and is known as major contributor in connecting people and developing social wealth within the regional community.

The Castlemaine Art Museum is an Australian art gallery and museum in Castlemaine, Victoria in the Shire of Mount Alexander. It was founded in 1913. It is housed in a 1931 Art Deco neo-classical building constructed for the purpose, heritage-listed by the National Trust. Its collection concentrates on Australian art and the museum houses historical artefacts and displays drawn from the district.

The Victorian Goldfields Railway is an authentic steam heritage train linking the historic gold mining towns of Castlemaine and Maldon in Central Victoria. Enjoy a family day out or treat yourself and travel in our elegant first class carriages as you travel through the central Victorian Goldfields. We have a revised one train timetable as we return to Covid Normal Operations - Departing from Castlemaine at 11.30am and Maldon from 2.45pm - Giving 2.5hrs in Maldon to enjoy it's many delights - running on Sundays and Wednesdays. You can book online up until just before departure time and you need only show your smartphone receipt at booking window - please contact us at info@vgr.com.au or 03 5470 6658 if you have any queries

Dog Rocks is a stunning granite outcrop within the Mount Alexander Regional Park which offers spectacular hillside views over Harcourt and the countryside beyond. Countless enormous boulders stand out strikingly from the western slopes of Mount Alexander, just a short walk from the parking area. There is a gravel parking area alongside Joseph Young Drive then a very short walking track takes you up the hill to Dog Rocks (zoom in on the map above for exact location). Be wary of uneven ground and steep drops, supervise children at all times. These rocks were given their name in 1846 by Lockhart Morton, manager of Sutton Grange station, after he observed many dingos frequenting the area.

The gardens are home to an impressive collection of established native and exotic trees, with a beautiful ornamental lake surrounded by open landscaped gardens, this setting will enhance any function and is the perfect location for weddings and family gatherings. Originally designed by notable botanist, Baron von Mueller, some of the surrounding trees are listed by the National Trust, including an ancient oak planted in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Wesley Hill Market is open every Saturday of the year, between 9 am and 1pm. A must do in Castlemaine. Over 70 stalls of mixed goods, plants, food, art and craft, fresh produce and bric a brac. First time to visit and didn't allow enough time to truly appreciate. A couple of food vendors to grab a bite to eat and a coffee stall. A great place to sit down and people watch as well as getting some essentials for home. Worth a visit.

Expedition Pass is a scenic reservoir in Golden Point, just a few kilometres from Chewton and Castlemaine. This reservoir is fantastic for swimming, fishing, bushwalking, canoeing and birdwatching. There are no facilities on site, so bring along a picnic blanket and enjoy a swim and a peaceful picnic lunch by the water. A gravel parking area sits alongside Golden Point Road where a clearing in the reeds slopes down towards the water. The water is shallow close to the shore and gets steadily deeper as you walk out. Numerous large stones are scattered along the shore which make great seats. An information sign provides information about the reservoir's history, the plants you will find in the area, and the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park.

Visitors can enjoy a lovely walk followed by a picnic under the oaks in this beautiful setting. Back in 1900, the Lands Department cleared 20 acres at Picnic Gully and planted a variety of oaks, mostly Valonia Oaks. The venture was aimed at providing acorns in large quantities for the local tanning industry. Although the Valonia Oaks are mostly gone, some of the other oaks became well established, thriving to this day. Harcourt’s Oak Forest is a charming area appropriate for camping, picnics and an occasional Easter Egg Hunt. It is situated near the trailhead of the La Larr Ba Gauwa mountain bike park.

Spend an afternoon of relaxation at the beautiful Vaughan Springs, a scenic destination for swimming, bushwalking and picnics. Sample the mineral water and stroll along the Loddon River, all to the peaceful sound of birds singing in the trees. The scenic park features several free electric barbecues, picnic tables, a gazebo, a giant slide, mineral spring taps, swimming spots, a few great trees for kids to climb, scenic walks, a miniature railway track within a fenced area (great for little kids to check out, not functional though), toilets and plenty of educational signs. Formerly a large gold rush town called "The Junction", Vaughan Springs was once a favoured alluvial gold and market gardening area for Chinese miners. Be sure to check out the historic Vaughan Chinese Cemetery, which is located alongside the entrance to Vaughan Springs. There is a giant slide here great for kids.

Whether you are after a treasure for yourself or an utterly unique gift, you’ll find the very best art and design talent in the region, along with sumptuous take away stalls, quality coffee and many friendly, welcoming folk, making this market a must-see for any visitor to the area. Showcasing established and emerging artists, designers and craftspeople, the Castlemaine Artists’ Market offers everything from handcrafted leather goods, to exquisite silver jewellery, slick screen-printed products, to earthy ceramics, designer clothing, to timber home wares, and much, much more presented to you by the makers themselves. See you there!

Buda is an authentic goldfields villa house and garden located in Castlemaine Central Victoria. Named after Budapest by its Hungarian owner, Ernest Leviny, it was home to the creative Leviny family for 118 years and houses their significant intact collection of furniture, art works and personal belongings. Come to Buda and enjoy walking through the historic house where you will be transported to another era, in this Museums Australia accredited museum. Wander three acres of heritage garden featuring original plantings and structures, including the bird aviary, tennis pavilion and grape pergola, along with many original garden ornaments created by the Leviny family members.

The lavender is in full bloom from mid Summer. The best month to view the lavender is in January during its peak. The lavender is still on display into Autumn. During the warmer months you can watch as the gardeners harvest the crop by hand using a half moon sickle. It is then hung up to dry under the shade of the veranda's. You may also catch a glimpse of us distilling the lavender into oil and infused water, ready to be used in our aromatherapy products. Besides the lavender, the farm also stretches out for 100 acres of gardens and country landscapes. Accompanied by historic buildings dating back to the 1850's, a variety of matured trees, garden beds, flowers, a flowing creek depending on the time of year and plenty of space to lay out the picnic rug!

The philosophy of "The Bress Life" is based on the fundamentals behind life's simple pleasures - and learning to both appreciate and enjoy them.The origin for the name of our wine business is a respectful nod to the famous chickens of France, ‘Poulet de Bresse’ and what they represent - artisan production using traditional, age-old methods. Bress was initially established as a sustainable winery, vineyard, cider orchard, kitchen and market garden, run using the biodynamic farming practices developed in the 1920s by Rudolph Steiner, producing its own compost and mulching to build up organic matter in the soil, retain soil moisture and improve soil vitality and plant health.

We use only the finest Belgian couverture chocolate in all our products. Our chocolate is produced in Belgium by Callebaut, one of the leaders in chocolate manufacturing relied on by chefs and chocolatiers the world over. Callebaut is still one of the rare chocolate makers to select, roast and grind cacao beans themselves, creating their own exclusive cocoa mass - the most important ingredient for couverture chocolate. They select only the best varieties of cocoa bean, which is roasted in their entire shell to protect the most delicate aromas and yield a more intense, more complex and deeper cocoa flavour. In January 2011 Callebaut launched their certified Fair Trade couverture chocolate. We of course snapped up the first supply that shipped to Australia and have proudly used it ever since.

Linking the great goldfields cities of Ballarat and Bendigo, the Goldfields Track is a one of kind. It’s 210km pathway takes bushwalkers and mountain bikers through some of the most interesting and diverse scenery and Central Victoria’s treasures – from diverse forests and spectacular views to the artefacts and cultural heritage of the greatest gold rush that the world has ever seen. You’ll travel through, or very close to some of the most picturesque and hospitable villages in the state and be able to enjoy the spoils of all that they have to offer.

Founded by Mark Anstey in the year 2000, and built by hand from re-purposed materials, first and foremost, Lot19 is a place for artists. This multi-faceted space is filled with kilns, pottery wheels, printing presses, green spaces, metalwork zones, large scale fabrication utilities, woodworking sheds, easels, and tools of every type. With 20 artists in studios residencies, over 60 beginner-to-established members regularly accessing the open-access clay and printmaker workshops, this dynamic site is integral to the long-term viability of regional arts practices. Artists’ skills, imaginations and courage are let loose is this safe and cross-collaborative testing-site. Lot19’s considered and balanced programming appeals to all-ages, all-abilities, and diverse backgrounds. Lot19 specifically seeks presentations for-and-by youth and children, disability and other artists, international and philosophical thinkers, and Australian Indigenous practitioners.

You know with most waterfalls you need to stand at a distance and view the beauty from afar? Well this amazing spot is like an interactive waterfall! The water rushes over these rocks and cascades down them into pools and further along the Coliban River. So you can literally touch and walk around the flowing water. The huge, majestic, moss-covered rocks are great to explore and climb on, and in the summer you will find people taking a dip in the pools. Now, we must mention that you need to be careful. There is rushing water that dips down into crevices, and the water can get deep in parts, so just be careful and enjoy this natural beauty!

There are several beautiful waterfalls throughout the Victorian Goldfields to explore, if you know where to look! Check out the Waterfalls category in advanced search to find them all.We have assembled a huge collection of historical gold maps for the Victorian and New South Wales Goldfields. All are free to view online, just click the link on our home page.The Victorian Goldfields has lots of stunning rocky outcrops to explore. Notable examples throughout the region include the popular Melville Caves, Mount Korong, Rock of Ages, Dog Rocks, Sisters Rocks, and The Cascades. Lone graves are a fascinating feature of the Victorian Goldfields, and along with the region's historical cemeteries they provide an interesting glimpse into the past. Some lone graves exist because the burial predated the establishment of a local cemetery, others are left behind after cemetery relocation, others simply lie outside the boundary of nearby cemeteries.