©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Goldfields & the

Includes  Why Go? ...... 203 History, nature and culture combine spectacularly in Victo- ...... 211 ria’s regional heart. For a brief time in the mid-19th century, Goldfields Towns . . .217 more than a third of the world’s gold came out of The Grampians. . . 225 and, today, the spoils of all that precious metal can be seen in the grand regional cities of Bendigo and Ballarat, and the Grampians National charming towns of Castlemaine, Kyneton and Maldon. This Park (Gariwerd). . . 225 is a fantastic region for touring, with a range of contrast- Northwest of the ing landscapes, from pretty countryside and green forests, Grampians...... 231 red earth and granite country, to farmland, orchards and Mt Arapiles State wineries. Park ...... 232 Further west, there’s a different type of history to expe- Little Desert National rience at Grampians National Park, one of Victoria’s great Park & Around . . . 233 natural wonders. Some 80% of Victoria’s Aboriginal rock-art sites are found here, and the majestic ranges are an adven- turer’s paradise, lording it over the idyllic Wartook Valley Best Places to Eat and the towns of and Dunkeld. ¨¨Royal Mail Hotel (p230) ¨¨Public Inn (p221) ¨¨Mason’s of Bendigo (p215) When to Go ¨¨Mr Carsisi (p218) Ballarat °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm ¨¨Catfish (p209) 40/104 12/300

30/86 8/200 Best Places to 20/68 10/50 Sleep 4/100 ¨¨The Schaller Studio (p214) 0/32 ¨ -10/14 0 ¨D’Altons Resort (p229) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Little Desert Nature Lodge (p234) Easter Join the Mar–May Autumn Sep–Nov When dragon procession colours, hiking the wildflowers ¨¨The Newnorthern (p221) at the Bendigo and wine tour- bloom in Grampi- ¨¨Flop House (p217) Easter Festival. ing without the ans National Park. crowds.

203 Goldfields & the Grampians BSiBALLAallaghtsrRatAT

------Y 40

Es R GALLE MUSEUM RDENS GA 9.30am- On the F h

www.made.

03-5337 1107; 03-5337 F

%

; www.balgal.com;

1800 287 113; 1800 287 adult/child/family $12/8/35; adult/child/family %

sunrise-sunset) 206p (Map

;

10am-5pm, tour 2pm) tour 10am-5pm, h

h 03-5320 5858; 03-5320

adult/child $12.90/6.80; adult/child

%

; Map p206 , which sits on a mullock heap fromheap mullock a which sits on ,

Standing on the site of the Eureka 102 Stawell St; Stawell 102 Art Gallery Ballarat of

Your ticket the nearby gets into also you Your bus 21 from get take here from town, To ) cafe is worth Saltbush Kitchen (p208 Its 10.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-3.30pm an old mine. There are imaginative, modern Therean old mine. are imaginative, all the old min and samples from displays western side of the lake, Ballarat’s beautiful Ballarat’s side of the lake, western planted in first and serene gardens were 1858. Stroll through the 40 hectares of im & Sun) Rebellion, this fine museum opened in May opened in May museum Rebellion, this fine establishedalready has and as one itself 2013 the Eure Taking top attractions. of Ballarat’s maculately maintained rose gardens, wide the Visit and colourful conservatory. lawns Gordon of poet Adam Lindsay orcottage a Avenue, Ministers’ walk along the Prime val is a blockbuster event.val Museum Gold www.sovereignhill.com.au/gold-museum-ballarat; St; Bradshaw nuggets, as gold well ing areas, as coins and Rebellion. on the Eureka a display Station. Ballarat o (Map p206 ka Rebellion as its starting point – pride of preservedthe to goes place theof remnants original and multimedia displays the events muse of 1854 – the re-create that um then broadens out to discuss democracy and beyondin of through a series interactive exhibits. flavours. to sample indigenous at eating Gardens Botanic Pde; (Wendouree tablished in 1884 and moved to its currenttablished in 1884 and moved in 1890, the Artlocation Gallery Ballarat of is the oldestgalleryprovincial in Australia. The architectural wonderful houses a gem collection of early colonial paintings, com bined with modern art, from with works artistsnoted Australian Tom (including Drysdale,Roberts, Russell Sir Sidney Nolan, Williams and Howard Fred Albert Tucker, Arkley) along with contemporary works. There 2pm daily. are free guided tours at Museum Australian of at Eureka Democracy (MADE; h so check in advance; bookings are essential. are bookings in advance; so check 208) festi (p Wonderlights its Winter July, In org; 5.30pm) Lydiard St Nth; Lydiard ------03- % Blood

; C SITE RIC HISTO , a dramatica , www.sovereign show only adult/ only show

adult/child/family adult/child/family

(Map p206

10am-5pm, until 5.30pm during until 5.30pm 10am-5pm, 03-5337 1100; 03-5337 h

You’ll need to set least aside at You’ll % Bradshaw St; Bradshaw www.sovereignhill.com.au/sound-light-

;

Bradshaw St, Sovereign Hill; Sovereign St, Bradshaw Sights

Sovereign Hill Sovereign The main street is a living history here mu BALLARAT POP 93,501 daylight saving) daylight simulation of the Eureka Stockade battle. of the Eureka Stockade battle. simulation but times vary shows nightly, There are two seum, with people performingpeople with seum, chorestheir dressed in costumes time; check the of the and demonstra schedule for daily parades night for opens again at Hill tions. Sovereign show, sound-and-light the impressive hill.com.au; ill ticket $113.50/56.30/298) Hill ticket ereign o (Map p206 1 luvial goldfields were the tip of the golden were luvial goldfields iceberg, and when deep shaftmines were sunk they struck rich quartz incredibly reefs. miners 1854 the Eureka Rebellion pitted In at and put Ballarat against the government the forefront of miners’ rights. mentum to the central Victorian rushmentum to the central gold in Clunes, months earlier had begun two that thousands of diggers flooded in, forming a al and huts. Ballarat’s town of tents shanty History The was known to the local area around here meaning as ‘Ballarat’, population indigenous was discovered When gold ‘resting place’. here in August 1851, giving irresistible mo chitecture, art galleries and microbreweries. visit in the winter months – up if you Rug chilly. is renowned for being Ballarat pied, including grand gold-mining-era ar gold-mining-era grand pied, including Ballarat was built on gold and it’s easy to easy and it’s gold on built was Ballarat grand in the those days proceeds of see the Victorian-era architecture the city around here iscentre. The biggest single attraction village gold-mining re-created the fabulous, more in plenty there’s but Hill, Sovereign at occu you to keep city this busy provincial child/family $59.50/31.80/162, combined with Sov combined $59.50/31.80/162, child/family show; $54/24.50/136; 5337 1199; 5337 half a day to visit this fascinating re-creation fascinating this visit to day a half 1860s township. gold-mining of Ballarat’s The and era site was mined in the gold-rush much of the equipment is original, as is the in themine shaft. panning for gold Kids love pour and the hourly gold stream,watching exploring lolly shop. the old-style on the Southern Cross