Historic Villages
Buninyong
Smeaton
Blampied
Clunes
Creswick
Talbot
Smythesdale and Scarsdale
Learmonth
Golden Plains
Central Goldfields
Pyrenees
Walking Trails
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Historic Villages

Ballarat and its Historic Villages

Ballarat is the perfect base to tour the surrounding region.

This history-packed route includes all the important heritage sites, towns and villages of the region. Follow the route out of Ballarat to neighboring Creswick, then on to Daylesford - Victoria's spa centre and site of historic gold rushes of the mid 19th century.

Continue on to the galleries and gardens of Castelmaine, the legendary antique stores of Maldon and explore the Mount Alexander Diggings. The Goldfields Touring Route incorporates 33 heritage sites around Maryborough, Bridgewater, Dunolly, St Arnaud and Carisbrook as well as Castlemaine, Clunes and Bendigo.

Buninyong

Buninyong

Amazing as it seems, Buninyong was settled long before Ballarat was even thought of!

Smeaton

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.

Blampied

Blampied

Blampied is a tiny hamlet set in rolling countryside on the Ballarat-Daylesford Road.

Clunes

Clunes

Australia's most original 19th century town, Clunes, boasts more than fifty buildings of historical significance.

Creswick

Creswick

Take a town walking tour of Creswick, 18 kilometres north of Ballarat, and discover gold all over again in the form of its historic buildings and old goldmining sites.

Talbot

Talbot

You'd never believe the sleepy hamlet of Talbot, 40 minutes drive north-west of Ballarat, was once a chaos of gold diggers, dozens of stores and businesses, and 100 pubs and grog shanties.

Smythesdale and Scarsdale

Smythesdale and Scarsdale

Gold was discovered at Smythesdale, 19 kilometres south-west of Ballarat, in 1853.

Learmonth

Learmonth

21 kilometres northwest of Ballarat lies this small hamlet on the shores of Lake Learmonth.

Golden Plains

Golden Plains

Golden Plains, just south of Ballarat, is renowned for its award winning wines of the Moorabool Valley, iconic festivals, breathtaking natural beauty and open spaces.

Central Goldfields

Central Goldfields

In Central Goldfields Shire, you can discover the history of the early goldfields while immersing yourself in the charm of provincial Victoria.

Pyrenees

Pyrenees

The Pyrenees foothills and ranges create a remarkable diversity of microclimates that provide a wealth of variety for winemakers.

Walking Trails

Walking Trails

Ballarat and its historic villages have some amazing walking trails to follow. Which one will you choose?

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