Daylesford, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Daylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria
, Australia
. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne
, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range
. At the 2006 census
, Daylesford had a population of 3,073. The Midland Highway runs through the town.
The broader area around the town, including Hepburn Springs
to the north, is renowned for its natural spring mineral spa
s where visitors can sample the mineral water
. This together with its proximity to Melbourne make it a popular destination for tourists.
in areas now occupied by Lake Daylesford. The area was initially called Wombat Flat. In 1854 Government Surveyor Fraser laid out a town site of 80 square chains and called it 'Wombat'. However it is believed that in 1855 Governor Hotham
changed its name from Wombat to Daylesford after a town in Worcester, England. The Post Office opened on 1 February 1858. A Telegraph Office was opened in August 1859. The railway was opened on 17 March 1880.
Market gardening
was developed by Chinese immigrants who worked on the goldfields shortly after the town was founded, and a local flour mill was opened in the 1860s but closed down because the climate is too wet for effective grain production. Vegetable growing is still a significant industry, as the region has a good climate for the production of such vegetables as potatoes and is near enough to the large Melbourne market to provide a low-cost supply.
Due to it being located in mountains, formed by volcanic activity
about five million years ago, the region contains as much as 80% of all the mineral springs in Victoria. Not long after settlement Daylesford had been noted for these mineral springs
and from the 1880s to the 1920s the town was a major spa resort after the railway from Carlsruhe
reached the town in 1880. Four separate areas, Wombat Flat, Daylesford, Old Racecourse and Spring Creek were gradually amalgamated into the town of Daylesford-Hepburn Springs.
Daylesford is a unique gold town in that it did not wither away like so many others when the easy payable gold ran out. Many sawmills had been established to supply the mines and these created employment for the out of work miners. The Land Acts of the 1860s enabled cheap land to be taken up and many miners became farmers on small areas.
The boom times of the 1860s when many of the notable structures in the town were built, the Post Office, the hotels, the Courthouse and Lockup, the Gold Commissioner's residence and Police Barracks, and the churches, gave way to a slump which lasted until the advent of railways in the 1880s. Mineral water was, from the 1860s, of great interest to the Swiss Italian and English inhabitants and this led to the establishment of a bottling plant and a bathhouse.
Through the endeavours of Donald McLeod, a self educated man, who rose from being a miner to Town Clerk and in 1903 Minister for Mines in the Victorian Government, the Cornish Hill mines were deepened in the early 1900s and another boom period took place, which saw further development of the town. The Royal Hotel, the Commercial Hotel, the Belvedere, and other buildings in Vincent Street attest to this boom period, which was brought to a halt by the First World War.
The railways which brought tourists to the town was superseded by the car in the 1950s, and Daylesford once again entered a period of decline only truncated by a new interest in health and alternative lifestyle in the 1970s and 1980s.
Many groups from differing countries contributed to the early rise of Daylesford and Hepburn. The Irish
at Eganstown were prominent in many fields, and also the French
vintners at Glenlyon, the Germans at Rocky Lead the Italians
at Old Racecourse, and the English
, Scots, Welsh
and Cornish
in Daylesford itself. The now non-existent town of Dry Diggings was home to one of the largest groups of Welsh in Victoria and the congregation was large enough for them to have their own chapel, and for those who lived on the south side of Wombat Hill, a postal address of St Just would be enough to have mail delivered. St Just was a large town in Cornwall.
The Court House was a home away from home for the Irish as many of the early magistrates and lawyers were from the Emerald Isle. Joseph Henry Dunne, a lawyer, was one of the defense team at the Eureka riots trials, and magistrate James Daly, an Anglo-Irishman, was a gold warden in Ballarat
at the time of the Eureka stockade
.
Every St. Patricks Day and St Andrew's Day, the court would be closed to enable them to celebrate. One of the most prominent early councilors, George Jamison, was an American, as was the first Captain of the Fire Brigade, William Henshaw. Another prominent councilor was the Hungarian William Prohasky.
Although the Italians and Swiss in Spring Creek and Old Racecourse had an influence over their power base in the Yandoit-Franklin Road Board, the rise of Daylesford was driven entirely by men of English, Anglo-Irish, Cornish, Scottish and other origins.
Lake Daylesford, originally an idea by a Norwegian, Christian Christensen, to provide hydro-electric power to the town, was finally brought to fruition in 1929 by Councilor Trembath, a descendant of a Cornish miner.
The Gas Company, which was formed in 1862, was the work of Henry Courtis, a man who had supplied gas to Castlemaine, Ballarat and other towns; nothing now remains of the gas works except the tiny cottage of the manager off Raglan Street towards the hospital.
The hospital itself was an initiative by a group of two Englishmen, one Spaniard, a Dane, two Anglo-Irish, and a German Jew who first sat in committee in 1861. These men worked together amicably for a common cause until the hospital was opened in May 1862.
The spa resorts declined in the 1930s, but were redeveloped in the 1970s. Since then, Daylesford and all of the eastern Shire of Hepburn has become a major alternative lifestyle
centre, with such services as massage
s, reiki
, shiatsu
, acupuncture
, aromatherapy
, reflexology
, spiritual healing, and tarot reading being found.
The Daylesford Spa Country Railway
currently operates a Sunday tourist service to Musk and Bullarto along the line towards Carlsruhe.
With 65 mineral springs, the Daylesford-Hepburn Springs region accounts for more than 80 per cent of Australia’s known mineral water springs.. As a result, the region has a significant number of spa developments including Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
, Mineral Spa at Peppers Springs Retreat and Salus Spa, Lake House.
.
Daylesford is also home to the Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer Club, also known as the Saints or the Sainters. The Saints have won four league titles in their short 20 year history and have also won two cup finals.
The Daylesford Bowling Club, situated at the end of town on Camp St, offers lawn bowling for women and men during the spring, summer and autumn months.
At 616 metres above sea level, it has a cooler, wetter climate than Melbourne
. Summer (January–February) temperatures range from 10 to 37 °C (50 to 98.6 °F), while July temperatures are cold, ranging from about 1–2 °C (33.8–35.6 F) to 9 °C (48.2 °F). Annual precipitation, occasionally falling as snow
, averages about 870 mm (34.3 in) but has ranged from 445 mm (17.5 in) to over 1350 mm (53.1 in).
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Daylesford had a population of 3,073. The Midland Highway runs through the town.
The broader area around the town, including Hepburn Springs
Hepburn Springs, Victoria
Hepburn Springs is a resort town located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. It is in Victoria, 48 km northeast of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Hepburn Springs had a population of 601 and Hepburn had a population of 375. Total population of...
to the north, is renowned for its natural spring mineral spa
Mineral spa
Mineral spas are resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral spring locales.- Origins :Spas grew in reputation in the nineteenth century on into the late middle-twentieth century for their purported healing or healthful benefits to those wealthy enough to partake of their waters...
s where visitors can sample the mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
. This together with its proximity to Melbourne make it a popular destination for tourists.
History
Daylesford was founded in 1852 with the finding of alluvial goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in areas now occupied by Lake Daylesford. The area was initially called Wombat Flat. In 1854 Government Surveyor Fraser laid out a town site of 80 square chains and called it 'Wombat'. However it is believed that in 1855 Governor Hotham
Charles Hotham
Sir Charles Hotham, KCB, RN was Lieutenant-governor and, later, Governor of Victoria, Australia from 22 June 1854 to 10 November 1855.-Early life:...
changed its name from Wombat to Daylesford after a town in Worcester, England. The Post Office opened on 1 February 1858. A Telegraph Office was opened in August 1859. The railway was opened on 17 March 1880.
Market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
was developed by Chinese immigrants who worked on the goldfields shortly after the town was founded, and a local flour mill was opened in the 1860s but closed down because the climate is too wet for effective grain production. Vegetable growing is still a significant industry, as the region has a good climate for the production of such vegetables as potatoes and is near enough to the large Melbourne market to provide a low-cost supply.
Due to it being located in mountains, formed by volcanic activity
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
about five million years ago, the region contains as much as 80% of all the mineral springs in Victoria. Not long after settlement Daylesford had been noted for these mineral springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and from the 1880s to the 1920s the town was a major spa resort after the railway from Carlsruhe
Carlsruhe, Victoria
Carlsruhe is a small rural town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges between Woodend and Kyneton, alongside the old Calder Highway, although now bypassed bypassed by the Calder Freeway. It is approximately 50 minutes from both Melbourne and Bendigo...
reached the town in 1880. Four separate areas, Wombat Flat, Daylesford, Old Racecourse and Spring Creek were gradually amalgamated into the town of Daylesford-Hepburn Springs.
Daylesford is a unique gold town in that it did not wither away like so many others when the easy payable gold ran out. Many sawmills had been established to supply the mines and these created employment for the out of work miners. The Land Acts of the 1860s enabled cheap land to be taken up and many miners became farmers on small areas.
The boom times of the 1860s when many of the notable structures in the town were built, the Post Office, the hotels, the Courthouse and Lockup, the Gold Commissioner's residence and Police Barracks, and the churches, gave way to a slump which lasted until the advent of railways in the 1880s. Mineral water was, from the 1860s, of great interest to the Swiss Italian and English inhabitants and this led to the establishment of a bottling plant and a bathhouse.
The railways which brought tourists to the town was superseded by the car in the 1950s, and Daylesford once again entered a period of decline only truncated by a new interest in health and alternative lifestyle in the 1970s and 1980s.
Many groups from differing countries contributed to the early rise of Daylesford and Hepburn. The Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
at Eganstown were prominent in many fields, and also the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
vintners at Glenlyon, the Germans at Rocky Lead the Italians
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
at Old Racecourse, and the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Scots, Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
and Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
in Daylesford itself. The now non-existent town of Dry Diggings was home to one of the largest groups of Welsh in Victoria and the congregation was large enough for them to have their own chapel, and for those who lived on the south side of Wombat Hill, a postal address of St Just would be enough to have mail delivered. St Just was a large town in Cornwall.
The Court House was a home away from home for the Irish as many of the early magistrates and lawyers were from the Emerald Isle. Joseph Henry Dunne, a lawyer, was one of the defense team at the Eureka riots trials, and magistrate James Daly, an Anglo-Irishman, was a gold warden in Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
at the time of the Eureka stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
.
Every St. Patricks Day and St Andrew's Day, the court would be closed to enable them to celebrate. One of the most prominent early councilors, George Jamison, was an American, as was the first Captain of the Fire Brigade, William Henshaw. Another prominent councilor was the Hungarian William Prohasky.
Although the Italians and Swiss in Spring Creek and Old Racecourse had an influence over their power base in the Yandoit-Franklin Road Board, the rise of Daylesford was driven entirely by men of English, Anglo-Irish, Cornish, Scottish and other origins.
Lake Daylesford, originally an idea by a Norwegian, Christian Christensen, to provide hydro-electric power to the town, was finally brought to fruition in 1929 by Councilor Trembath, a descendant of a Cornish miner.
The Gas Company, which was formed in 1862, was the work of Henry Courtis, a man who had supplied gas to Castlemaine, Ballarat and other towns; nothing now remains of the gas works except the tiny cottage of the manager off Raglan Street towards the hospital.
The hospital itself was an initiative by a group of two Englishmen, one Spaniard, a Dane, two Anglo-Irish, and a German Jew who first sat in committee in 1861. These men worked together amicably for a common cause until the hospital was opened in May 1862.
The spa resorts declined in the 1930s, but were redeveloped in the 1970s. Since then, Daylesford and all of the eastern Shire of Hepburn has become a major alternative lifestyle
Alternative lifestyle
An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle generally perceived to be outside the cultural norm. Usually, but not always, it implies an affinity or identification within some matching subculture...
centre, with such services as massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
s, reiki
Reiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
, shiatsu
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is Japanese for "finger pressure;" it is a type of alternative medicine consisting of finger and palm pressure, stretches, and other massage techniques. There is no scientific evidence proving that shiatsu can treat any disease, but shiatsu practitioners promote it as a way to help people...
, acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
, aromatherapy
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health....
, reflexology
Reflexology
Reflexology, or zone therapy, is an alternative medicine involving the physical act of applying pressure to the feet, hands, or ears with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion...
, spiritual healing, and tarot reading being found.
Railway
The railway layout at Daylesford station was unusual in that the lines from Creswick and Carlsruhe both entered the station from the same end.The Daylesford Spa Country Railway
Daylesford Spa Country Railway
The Daylesford Spa Country Railway is a volunteer-operated broad gauge tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a section of the formerly disused and dismantled Daylesford line...
currently operates a Sunday tourist service to Musk and Bullarto along the line towards Carlsruhe.
Features
Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve
The Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve is a 30 hectare reserve near Hepburn Springs, Victoria, Australia. It contains several mineral springs that have been used for drinking and bathing since the 1860s.The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register...
, Mineral Spa at Peppers Springs Retreat and Salus Spa, Lake House.
Attractions
- The Daylesford Spa Country Railway hosts a collection of heritage Victorian Railways railmotors.
- Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.
- Sister George Productions unique textiles studios
- Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm
- The Convent GalleryConvent GalleryThe Convent Gallery is located in the Spa region of Daylesford, in Central Victoria, Australia.The Convent Gallery's origins date back to the 1860s gold rush, home to the Gold Commissioner, and then known as 'Blarney Castle'...
- The nearby Wombat State Forest has many walking tracks.
Events
- Boite Singers Festival, the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival of Fine Music
- Lavandula's Lavender Harvest Festival in mid-January, Autumn Harvest Festival in early May and La Primavera salute to our Swiss Italian heritage
- The ChillOut festival is held during the Labour DayLabour DayLabour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
long weekendLong weekendLong weekend is a term used in Western countries to denote a weekend that is at least three days long , due to a holiday falling on either the Friday or Monday....
in March each year and is the largest gay and lesbian festival in rural and regional Australia. - Daylesford Highland Gathering and the Swiss Italian Festa.
Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football LeagueCentral Highlands Football League
The Central Highlands Football League is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 15 grades.-History:...
.
Daylesford is also home to the Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer Club, also known as the Saints or the Sainters. The Saints have won four league titles in their short 20 year history and have also won two cup finals.
The Daylesford Bowling Club, situated at the end of town on Camp St, offers lawn bowling for women and men during the spring, summer and autumn months.
Climate
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Summer (January–February) temperatures range from 10 to 37 °C (50 to 98.6 °F), while July temperatures are cold, ranging from about 1–2 °C (33.8–35.6 F) to 9 °C (48.2 °F). Annual precipitation, occasionally falling as snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
, averages about 870 mm (34.3 in) but has ranged from 445 mm (17.5 in) to over 1350 mm (53.1 in).
External links
- Daylesford - Visit Victoria tourism website
- Daylesford Historical Society