Historic Chewton

Chewton, Victoria, Australia. Nov. 2008. Ajr

Yesterday I drove 40km north to Castlemaine, stopping at Chewton, the tiny village just before Castlemaine. It's filled with the cutest little old buildings - leftovers from the 1850s gold mining era. Gold was discovered at Forest Creek in 1851 and people poured in from around the world. The little Town Hall was built in 1858; the miners' cottage pictured is circa 1860s and is one of several still standing. In nearby Castlemaine, the architecture is even more interesting - a mix of miners' cottages and huge, extravagant brick and wooden mansions. It was 35-degrees there yesterday, the skies were impossibly blue and I spent five hours roaming about with my camera. www.chewton.net