LOCATIONS

MARYBOROUGH

Major rural Centre of the Goldfields area of Central Victoria. Population approx 8000 and located around 2 hours of Melbourne, 1 hour Bendigo and 45 min Ballarat. The town has all services you would expect for a rural Centre including healthcare, education and employment. There are all major supermarkets and exceptional cafes restaurants and retail stores. Maryborough has some beautiful buildings with history including our beautiful Railways station and recreation area to picnic with the family. Most things that you need you can get within the area, always prompting shopping locally.MARYBOROUGH, VICTORIA

Rich in History and Opportunity...

A testament to a rich past shows in the region’s grand buildings, historic cottages, and gracious homes. Today, many a visitor comes to walk in the footsteps of the prospectors of the goldmining era.Maryborough has a splendid cluster of heritage buildings centred around the Maryborough Civic Centre. The elegant architecture of The Court House, Town Hall, Post Office and Old Fire Station display the fine workmanship of a bygone era.Today’s visitors come for many reasons: to wander through the lovely box-ironbark forests with its wildflowers, birds and superb display of Wattle in the spring, to research family history, to visit nearby wineries or explore markets, galleries and museums.The Central Goldfields Art Gallery, now housed in the former fire station building and the fine architecture of the Bull and Mouth Hotel in the main street, are a must-see on any heritage inspired walk.Maryborough’s art trail starts with the changing exhibitions shown at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery. The Gallery rotates local and contemporary artists from the Goldfields region, and covers a wide range of styles. The Gallery Collection includes work by renowned and local artists.No visit is complete without seeing the award winning, historic Maryborough Railway Station dating back to the 1890s. Mark Twain remarked when visiting "You can put the whole population of Maryborough into it with a sofa a piece and have room for more". The station is reported to have the longest platform in country Victoria. Admire the highly polished timber ceiling and beautiful tessellated floor in the main entrance. ( From visitmaryborough.com.au)

DUNOLLY

For many years has been referred to as the town of the Gold & Grain, due to being the Centre of the most successful alluvial gold area where prospectors make it a destination in search of the beautiful local Gold.

The community has a population of around 700 and is located aprox 20 minutes from Maryborough 2 hours Melbourne and 45 min to Bendigo.

Primary school, Kindergarten, Bakery, Cafes, old wares, Caravan park, hotel, mechanic, Galleries, supermarket and many more. Sporting facilities include Golf, bowls, swimming, tennis, archery, cricket, football and netball.

During the gold rush, Dunolly and the surrounding district discovered more gold nuggets than anywhere else in Australia and became known as the “Golden Triangle”. Gold found in the area included the largest gold nugget in the world, the 69 kilogram “Welcome Stranger”, which was found in nearby Moliagul. See a replica of the famous nugget at the Goldfields Historical and Arts Museum.

Today Dunolly’s attractive main street is lined with kurrajongs and gold rush architecture. Stroll along Broadway, visit the museum and search for family history or visit the historic Court House and Town Hall.

Get on your bike and ride the Dunolly Cycle Tracks: a series of signed forest roads and tracks of varying length between 14 and 47 kilometres. As well as Dunolly, routes pass through the old gold towns of Tarnagulla, Bealiba, Waanyarra, Betley and Goldsborough.

(Taken from visitmaryborough.com.au)

TALBOT

Small township around 10 minutes from Maryborough and 40 mins from Ballarat.

Surrounded by farms and acreage properties and recently most well known for the home of the Talbot Farmers market. Local primary school, cafe, hotel and post office along with sporting facilities including swimming pool football, netball , golf and tennis. Train station Ballarat Maryborough line taking passengers.

Once you know where to look, Talbot will provide you with plenty of surprises. The railway station gallery offers memorabilia, artwork and an array of succulents at its adjoining nursery. The Corridor Art Gallery showcases paintings, drawing and prints by budding local artists. In the antiquarian bookstore you may find that hard to get volume. The Talbot Museum houses the Edwards collection of photographs, documents and letters, plus trade and lifestyle material from an early settler, watchmaker and jeweller, JB Edwards and his descendants.

AVOCA

Avoca the heart of the Pyrenees Ranges of Victoria.

Around 20 minutes to Maryborough, 40 mins to Ballarat. The destination for those looking for award wining wines and experiences including the Avoca races annually. The town stands in the gently undulating basin of the Avoca River, which rises in the Pyrenees Ranges to the west. To the south, the region is bounded by low hills of the Great Dividing Range; eastwards, the basin ends in a dry forested rise; to the north the Avoca River runs slowly through the plains of the Wimmera before joining Lake Bael Bael and the lake and swamps just south of the Murray. The town and river were named after Avoca, the village and River Avoca in County Wicklow, Ireland.

The region takes in an area of about 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi), and includes the towns of Redbank, Natte Yallock, Rathscar, Bung Bong, Lamplough, Amphitheatre, Percydale, Moonambel, and Warrenmang (but unfortunately this winery had a fire May 2019 at the restaurant). A few miles to the northeast, bare paddocks mark the site of Homebush, once a flourishing mining village. (Taken from wikipedia)

Avoca has many small businesses servicing the local community including 2 pubs, several cafes, a chemist, convenience store, a butcher, a supermarket, its own newspaper (Pyrenees Advocate) and a community bank. Since the 1970s, the wine industry has grown to be one of the most significant economic drivers and the sector is now the largest employer in the region and has increased tourism.

The community has a great school, kindergarten, medical facilities, retail and accommodation, Many sporting facilities and community groups. Restaurants, cafes and gift shops. And the Avoca Community bank that gives back to the local communities through profit share.

CARISBROOK

Carisbrook is the closest township to Maryborough, around 10 minutes, and even has a bike/ walking track.

Carisbrook has town sports and includes the district trotting track for harness racing. The population of around 400, popular primary school, and a selection of shops.

Mainly a residential town with farms surrounding.

The deep creek has a lovely walking track and have heard from locals there are platypus in the creek.

You can get an understanding of how the locals lived from Junction Lodge, a two-story, bluestone homestead, complete with stables, barn, smithy, kitchen, and workers’ quarters on Camp Street. A few kilometers south of town the Tullaroop Reservoir, and, back toward Castlemaine, the big Cairn Curran Reservoir offers camping and fishing opportunities. Many picturesque picnic spots beckon you to relax with a hamper or barbecue. For example, along Deep Creek at Bucknall Reserve, a quiet shady location can be enjoyed. Take a stroll along with one of the Deep Creek walking tracks, the landscapes and birdlife make excellent photographic opportunities.

Carisbrook is the birthplace of Tilly Aston, born in 1873. Tilly, despite the loss of her sight at an early age, became an accomplished writer, poet, musician, and teacher. She initiated the Braille Library and the Association for the Advancement for the Blind in Victoria (now Vision Australia).