Castlemaine is a former gold mining town located about 120 km northwest of Melbourne, in the Shire of Mount Alexander, in central Victoria. Castlemaine lay at the heart of one of the richest alluvial gold fields and at its peak one convoy alone, carried about 3 tons of gold to Melbourne. Although the Ballarat and Bendigo gold fields eventually yielded more gold, it was mostly in quartz reefs and was much harder to extract. Castlemaine developed as a town during the gold rush days.
Castlemaine is located about 40 km from the major regional centre of Bendigo, which provides a wide range of entertanment venue to boost those of Castelemain and Maldon. Tourists enjoy visiting Castlemaine for its heritage streets with god-rush era buildings, the Old Castlemaine Gaol, the famous Castlemaine
Botanical Gardens, the wonderful and fascinating array of museums, galleries craft shops and antique stores, the local boutique wineries and the historic gold mines, diggings and ruins that are dotted throughout the area. You can learn all about the gold mining era by visiting the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. For bushwalking, nature appreciation and delightful scenery take a driving tour along the Kalimna Tourist Road. Castlemaine lies at the heart of a rich farming and grazing area with fruit-growing one of the main activities. Local activities and attractions include: # Mount Alexander Diggings and heritage trail # The renowned Gold Interpretive Centre # The Buda Garden and Historic Home # The Castlemaine Museum and Art Gallery # Enjoy Wining and Dining at one of many fabulous
local restaurants and cafes # Taste the boutique wines at the local vineyards # Browse through many local craft stores and antique shops # The Restorers Barn.