The Wombat Botanic Gardens are an enduring favourite for Daylesford locals and visitors.
Perched on the summit of Wombat Hill, an extinct volcano whose summit is close to 700m above sea level. The gardens cover 10ha, encircled by a carriage drive running under an avenue of elms, part of the original 1880s design. At the top of the hill, Daylesford’s water supply sits in a covered reservoir, the overflow from the original water still designed to flow through a lush fern garden. In spring, carpets of bluebells cover the lawns under the cedars and elms. The glasshouse contains a much-coveted begonia collection that flowers later in summer and autumn. Nearby, in a 1940s house, is Wombat Hill House Café, scion of the iconic Lake House, offering excellent tea, coffee, and light meals. The pinnacle of the gardens is Pioneer Memorial Tower, a 1930s concrete tower that soars high above the trees and offers superb views of the surrounding forest, and the town of Daylesford itself.
