Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park

Take a trip back in time to the Victorian Goldrush at Castlemaine Diggings Heritage. Explore abandoned mines and settlements among shady Box-Ironbark woodlands.

The discovery of gold in July 1851 lured tens of thousands of migrants to the Castlemaine area. Between 1851 and 1854 it was the world’s richest shallow alluvial goldfield. By 1852, the population on the Castlemaine Diggings was 40-60,000.

Today, the Castlemaine Diggings harbours fascinating tales of the area’s golden past. Much of the gold-rush character has been retained. From the remains of house sites and puddling machines, to the gold mines and gullies that yielded fortunes