Clunes

It is easy to see why Clunes often serves as a location for movies or TV series, with perhaps the most popular and recent film being Ned Kelly starring Heath Ledger. Clunes has also taken on new forms of tourism based development with the expansion of guesthouse and bed and breakfast accommodation, fine dining and tourist attractions.

Nestled in a picturesque valley, Clunes is just over 20 minutes drive from Ballarat or one and a half hours drive from Melbourne and boasts many community facilities including: a town hall, library, kindergarten, senior citizens centre, community house, museums, caravan park, fire brigade, schools, health services, churches and recreation and sporting facilities.

History

Clunes is recognised as the first gold town in Victoria. It is where the first payable gold deposit in Victoria was first made. In 1851 the confirmation of this find started the rush to the rich deposits at Clunes and what was to become the famous Ballarat goldfields. Clunes is the most original and intact of Victoria gold towns, still reflecting the charm and richness of architecture of an era where gold created some men and broke others.

The magnificent period primary school building reflects the days when over 1600 children attended school in the bustling gold town. The site of the first gold find eventually became the Port Phillip Mine, one of the world’s most important and innovative Deep Lead Quartz mines and the fourth richest in Victoria.The remains of this mine site form an imposing escarpment on the north edge of the town, and an adjacent lookout provides a view of the creek and buildings in the tranquil valley.

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