Victorian town Castlemaine country’s hot spot for generosity

WE’RE a nation of givers when it comes to charitable appeals, so which Victorian suburb or town has topped the list as Australia’s most charitable?

Albie Henderson shook tins for the Salvos in the nation’s most charitable town, Castlemaine. Picture: Rob Leeson

VICTORIAN goldfields town Castlemaine is the country’s hot spot for generosity after topping a list for donations to charity.

The town’s 9984 residents donated, on average, 0.36 per cent of their taxable income to charity in the year to February.

The research shows that while people living in Middle Park, in Melbourne’s south, gave more in dollar terms, Castlemaine residents dished out a higher proportion of their income.

The National Australia Bank’s Charitable Giving Index also revealed overall charitable donations rose by 6.5 per cent nationwide with the average donor giving $348 to charity — a $12 rise on a year earlier.

Castlemaine resident Sarah Henderson, whose son Albie shook a Salvos tin on ANZAC Day, said that the town was close knit.

“Castlemaine is a very friendly town, the community is pretty close because everyone seems to cross each others’ paths,” she said.

“Everyone is very aware of their neighbours and their work colleagues. There’s at least five charity shops in town.”

Ms Henderson said that she donated baby blankets and children’s clothes to a charity shop yesterday.

“I figure a lot of the stuff has been given to us so it’s good to pass it on.”

NAB chief economist Alan Oster said it was heartening that Australians gave more to charity despite tough economic conditions.

“With overall anxiety levels easing, consumers appear to have responded positively in their charitable spending behaviours with fewer consumers cutting back on their charitable spending this past year,” Mr Oster said.

The report said the 20 postcodes where donors gave the most had an average taxable income of $120,000 — more than double the national average.

The average Middle Park residents gave $327, ahead of those from the Sydney suburb of Mosman ($295) and Hunters Hill ($279).