Smeaton
Smeaton was such a boom town in the
1860s: it ran to eight hotels, a four-storey bluestone flour mill,
a butter factory and several banks.
Today, it offers tantalising hints of
its thriving past and surrounding the town, huge mullock heaps are
all that remain of a once flourishing mining industry.
But some things never change; the
town's social nucleus is still the Cumberland Hotel, established in
1860. Smeaton is an easy 31 kilometres drive north of Ballarat.
Imagine the look on your child's face
when they catch their first trout. At Tuki there are six ponds you can fish from that
are heavily stocked so you are guaranteed to catch a trout. There
is assistance available for those new to fishing. A fter you have
caught your trout it will be cleaned and packaged for you to take
home or you can have it cooked in the onsite restaurant, which won
the casual dining category of the 2012 Golden Plate Awards for the
Ballarta & Daylesford region. Tuki is located just north of
Ballarat near Smeaton.
Fancy a picnic by a trickling creek
next to a hundred year old mill? Andersons Mill sits in a picture-postcard
setting on the banks of Birch's Creek at Smeaton. Classified by the
National Trust, it's a magnificent five-storey bluestone building
featuring a grand iron water wheel standing today much like it was
over a hundred years ago. It's the perfect place for a picnic.
Andersons Mill is open on the first
Sunday of each month from 12 noon until 4 pm (entry and guide by
donation), and a fabulous family festival is held here in April
each year. The mill grounds may be enjoyed at any time.
Smeaton House
One of the state's earliest substantial homesteads, this
two-storey stuccoed brick Regency mansion was built in 1849-50 for
the settlement's founder, John Hepburn. He now lies in the small
private family cemetery nearby that is fenced and surrounded by
trees. Smeaton House is privately owned but can plainly be seen
from the roadside without intruding upon the privacy of the
proprietors.