GOLDFIELDS, VICTORIA
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Destination Statistics (2019)
Residents: 500,000 Domestic Daytrip Visitors: 7.7 Million Domestic Overnight Visitors: 3.3 Million International Visitors: 104,000 
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Australia’s Central Victorian Goldfields is an exceptional cultural landscape located around 120 km northwest of Melbourne in the state of Victoria. It covers an area of about 40,000 square kilometres (17% of Victoria) with a population of about half a million people, embracing over 40 historic cities, towns, settlements and rural landscapes including parts or all of thirteen local government areas.
It comprises a series of cultural landscapes, rural and urban, that exemplify the goldrush phenomenon in all its technological, social and environmental character and consequences. Moreover, it represents one of the most significant and sensational goldrushes the world has ever witnessed. Transient camps of unknown gold-seekers were succeeded by a mosaic of rural gold towns, and the mining centres of Bendigo and Ballarat. Distinguished by new grid-plans, wide boulevards, and a proliferation of archetypal goldrush public buildings, these instant cities in grand Victorian colonial style survive among the finest and most architecturally-notable historic gold cities in the world. Stark contrast is provided by the Aboriginal peoples’ traditional lands upon which the gold was found. With deep reverence for their country, and no ready utilisation for gold, the goldrush led to devastating impacts. For them, the goldrush was the precursor for ‘a world turned upside down’. A familiar goldrush trait. (Source: Goldfields World Heritage Bid). |
Streetscapes of Ballarat
Source: Timothy Webster Photography
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Indigenous hand stencils, stick figures and depictions of animal tracks feature prominently at Manja Shelter, western Gariwerd.
Source: Timothy Webster Photography
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Planet Happiness signed an agreement with the Goldfields' 13 regional councils in March 2021 to measure resident well-being as a part of their COVID recovery strategy.
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