9 things to do in Castlemaine
Discover priceless and timeless treasures in a heritage Victorian town.
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Originally known as Forrest Creek, gold was discovered in 1851 at present-day Castlemaine, 130km northwest of Melbourne. At that time it was the richest shallow alluvial goldfield in the world. Many of its grand buildings and pubs were built in the first 10 years of the rush and have changed surprisingly little since. The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park is full of relics and ruins, including old mines and engine houses, Pennyweight Flat children’s cemetery, ingenious water races and the pyramid stone supports of the 22m-high Garfield Water Wheel, the largest built in Victoria. The area is one of the best surviving examples of a 19th-century gold rush and is being examined for World Heritage status. Many of the historical sites are within walking distance of the town centre; heritage trail maps are available from the visitor information centre in the historic market building in Mostyn Street; bendigoregion.com.au.
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There’s no indoor seating, or outdoor seating either unless you count the upturned milkcrates in the carpark. But Johnny Baker’s drive-in pastry shop in a former drive-through bottle shop behind an old pub and beside the iron foundry produces what could be the best croissants, pains aux raisins and fruit flans this side of Paris. And decent coffee plus baguettes and pies (try the cheese and cauliflower tart) that have a cult following with locals; johnnybaker.com.au.
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Just around the corner from Johnny Baker’s, Castlemaine Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest and prettiest such spreads in Victoria. Looking for things to do in Castlemaine? Then this could be for you. Developed in 1860 in part by botanist Baron von Mueller (of Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens fame), many of the majestic trees, including a massive oak planted in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, are listed by the National Trust. It’s a shady oasis in summer and particularly photogenic in autumn and spring. A stroll around the ornamental lake takes about 20 minutes, if you don’t get distracted by the ducks; parks.vic.gov.au.
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There’s a cafe on practically every corner in Castlemaine, so competition for the perfect coffee is fierce, but those in the know head to the Tortoise Espresso window beneath the iron lace veranda of what was once a very grand hotel on the corner of Barker and Templeton streets and ask for a cup of “off menu” reserve. There are no disposable takeaways, so pull up a stool and perch at the bench. This tortoise takes its time, but the coffee is well worth waiting for. Instagram: @tortoise.espresso.
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The goldfields have long been a haven for artists and writers; ask the staff at Stoneman’s Bookroom to show you the shelf showcasing the work of local authors and you’ll be pointed towards the biggest table in the shop, groaning beneath the work of, among others, Robyn Davidson, Raimond Gaita, two-time Miles Franklin winner Alex Miller, Carmel Bird, Cate Kennedy and Robyn Annear. It’s just one of several stops on the unofficial Castlemaine bookshop trail, including rare and antiquarian book specialist Mount of Alex; the Book Heaven, a rambling Aladdin’s cave of more than 100,000 pre-loved books where everything is always half-price; and the Soldier and Scholar, where you can find just about any second-hand book you’ve ever wanted, but it pays to know what you’re looking for before you venture inside. Ask for a map at the Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre at 44 Mostyn Street (in the circa 1862 Market Building).
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Books aren’t the only second-hand gems on offer in Castlemaine. The once derelict woollen mill opposite the Botanic Gardens has been remade into an arts hub, where the focus is on handmade and remade. Here you’ll find artists in residence, printmakers, painters, furniture craftspeople and restorers, jewellery artisans, even a knife maker. It’s also home to the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar, where hundreds of stalls sell repurposed and second-hand goods in such varied abundance that the sign over the door promises “You’ll find what you’re not looking for”; castlemainebazaar.com.au.
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The Mill Castlemaine is also home to a range of artisan food producers, including a smallgoods maker, a brewery, cellar door, cheese school, chocolatier and ice creamery. If you’re here on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday and wondering about things to do in Castlemaine, line up at the window of Sprout Bakery for a toastie made from wood-fired smoked Oakwood ham, Long Paddock cheese and Sprout’s superb sourdough. Don’t miss micro-roastery Coffee Basics — Das Kaffeehaus, also part of the mill complex, which is about as close to Vienna as you’d expect to get in Victoria, with Austrian beer and wines, worsts, schnitzels, sauerkraut, strudels and tortes, and a truly impressive chandelier.
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A ride on the authentically restored steam train that chugs between Castlemaine and Maldon on the Victorian Goldfields Railway, one of the first train lines built in the state, is a trip back in time in more ways than one and one of the best things to do in Castlemaine. The first in Australia to be declared a Notable Town by the National Trust, Maldon’s crooked streetscape is a living relic of those goldrush days, but now boasting great food, wine and shopping. The Ales on Rails ride includes half a dozen locally made craft beers, as well as lunch at the historic Kangaroo Hotel in Maldon. For those who have always dreamt of commanding a train, full-day Steam Driver Experiences are available.
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Theatre Royal is the oldest continuously operating theatre on the Australian mainland and has always been a crowd-pleaser. In 1856, the infamous dancer and courtesan (and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria), Lola Montez, so enthralled the gold-diggers of Castlemaine with her scandalous spider dance that they showered her with gold nuggets. More than a century and a half later, the theatre’s still drawing crowds with big-name music acts, arthouse films and mainstream blockbuster movies, which can be watched curled up on one of the theatre’s two-seater couches. There’s a new brewery in the back garden, a proper Neapolitan-style pizza bar in the foyer (named Lola, of course) and a row of Parisian-style tables on the footpath, usually occupied by locals quaffing local wine; theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au.
This story was originally published in January 2021 and has since been updated with new information.
