Maldon is a town steeped in history. The National Trust declared it Australia's first Notable Town in 1966. It once had quartz reefs that were among the world's richest, attracting a population which built grand houses and a very busy commercial centre.
the most intact historic streetscape in Victoria
- 2006 National Trust award for Maldon
Maldon (Population 1,500) is located 135km northwest of Melbourne in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields. The town is nestled on the slopes of Mt. Tarrangower in an agricultural, pastoral and mining district. It has retained an authentic pioneer-like appearance with history of the gold-mining era being preserved. Maldon was declared Australia's First Notable Town in 1966 by the National Trust.
The town itself was once a thriving metropolis. Maldon's reputation as a picturesque historic town, known for its intact 19th century commercial center is well established. One of the most important late 19th and early 20th century townscapes in Victoria, Maldon began as a gold rush town in 1854 with the discovery of alluvial gold at the base of Mt Tarrangower. It developed as an industrial mining town during the later years of the 1800s. As one of Victoria's richest quartz mining centers, various mines at various times recorded the highest returns in the State. Mining declined in the first years of the 20th century, the last mine of the era closed in 1926, and the town's population and fortunes similarly declined.
In 1853, Gold was discovered and extensive mining continued into the 1930's. There are plenty of ruins and remains of the old mining days. Visit to the town Information Centre and Museum to discover pictorial and other relics of the past. Take a tour of Carman's Tunnel, a self-guided tour of The Diggings Trail. Do the Town Walk, and see the monumental Beehive Chimney.
