Hiya Pals,

Castlemaine is a slow-paced lovely town in the middle of Mount Alexander Shire. You may hear it’s Victoria’s ‘Northcote’ with a vibrant music and arts scene.

We honour Castlemaine and the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. They are the traditional custodians of this land.

Failing to check the weather, I headed off to Castlemaine on the Vline in jeans and a long-sleeve cotton shirt when it was 30*.

If you would like to know “How to spend a day in Castlemaine” click ‘read more’

In this article, you’ll find: (click to be taken there)
The Basics: How to get there.
My Top Choices: What you should see.
What I did: My diary entry.
Other Recommendations What I missed

All my posts have a key:
⏰ Opening Hours. 📍Location 🕒Distance
💰Cost 🎫Ticket 📝 To note. 🎒What to bring.
♿ Accessibility 🎧 Sensory 🌱 Vegan / Veg Options.

THE BASICS

How to get to Castlemaine: From Melbourne.

🚃 Rail:

1h 46m | Melbourne – Swan Hill Via Bendigo.

From 31st March 2023 Vline is capped at $10 read here
– There is no Wifi on the Vline itself, your data may be patchy. Have something onboard such as podcasts and books.

🚗  DRIVE: 1 h 22 m 

Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre

⏰  9:00 am – 17:00
📍  44 Mostyn St, Castlemaine VIC 3450, Australia
💰  Free
♿ Yes – back of the building 🎧 -Not Loud.

Situated in a historic building, designed in 1861, the Visitor’s Centre acts as a gallery, local produce store and information hub.

Castlemaine Art Gallery

⏰  Thurs – Sat: 11:00 – 16:00 | Sun: 12:00 – 16:00 | Closed Mon-Wed.
📍 14 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine
💰 Free
♿ To the Art Gallery, not the museum. 🎧 -Not Loud.

Founded in 1913 the Castlemaine Art Gallery resides in a heritage-listed art deco building. It’s a small gallery featuring curated selected works. The lower floor holds a museum which shows “Welcome to country” for the area. They have a tiny gift store within the reception area.

The Mill Castlemaine

⏰  10:00 – 17:00
📍  1/9 Walker St, Castlemaine
💰 Free
♿ Yes – paved surfaces, wide doors and slight sloping rants.
🎧 – The Vintage stores are not too loud. The bars may have live music.

The working wool shed began in 1875 and ceased all operations around 1996. Left abandoned until the 2000’s – it is now a hub of vintage, food, drink and art.

Places to check: Vintage Bazaar, Shedshaker Brewing Company (non-alcoholic options), The Drying Shed Art Space.

WHAT I DID

When arriving at Castlemaine Station, my first objective was coffee and food. I originally wanted to go to the Theatre Royal – one of the oldest operating theatres in the Southern Hemisphere. I didn’t realize the cafe didn’t open until 4 pm. I headed for Moxie Café down the street for my usual order of an oat latte and avocado toast. My read was The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Once fueled, I browsed the aisles of Stoneman’s BookRoom before doing the same for Merchants of Mostyn which is a weird, spooky, wonderful giftorium (in the best way). I picked up a few goodies such as candles, a sticker, and a card.

There are a range of thrift stores and consignment stores in Castlemaine. I checked out Mutual Muse, The Salvation Army and Vinnies.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

• A Town Walk in Historic Castlemaine : A walk around the historic buildings of Castlemaine.
• Buda Historic Home & Garden – you can view a blog post here.
• The Bromley Collection Museum @ The Old Castlemaine Gaol. You can read more info here.
• Castlemaine Botanical Gardens
• Campbells Creek Plantation –In Summer and if driving, it’s a perfect spot for a few small walks and a dip.

Have you been to Castlemaine? What did you think/do/see?
As always, st

Travelled: February 2024.