Buninyong
Buninyong is famous because gold was discovered there in 1851, several weeks before it was discovered in Ballarat. The small town was first settled in 1838, and many of its historic buildings have been restored as tourist attractions. Nearby Mount Buninyong has a magnificent view of the region, with lots of walking tracks and good fishing.
Several places in Central Victoria claim to be Victoria’s first inland town, including Buninyong. No one really knows for sure today, so the competition still goes on.
Many of the towns in the region sprang up either at places where gold was discovered, or close to the different goldfields to provide goods and services to the miners. Horses were the main form of transport back then, so towns were usually built within a day’s ride of each other.
Today the goldfields region is a major tourist area. Visitors come from around the world and try their luck at searching for tiny pieces of gold that can still be found.
Case Notes - Life on the goldfields
Case Notes - Children of the goldfields
Case Notes - Chinese immigrants on the goldfields
