Top Towns for 2022: Experience the timeless beauty of Bendigo

Laura WatersBy Laura Waters
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Victoria’s fourth largest city is one classy dame, Laura Waters explores why this appears at no.23 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

History meets modernity

Ornate Alexandra Fountain stands proud in the middle of Pall Mall as cars loop around it. Wide streets are lined with Victorian-era architecture, and hectares of lush parkland are dotted with trees that are almost as old.

Like an aristocratic lady, Bendigo has the kind of timeless beauty that isn’t flashy or try-hard. Her history stretches back to 1851 when the discovery of gold made her (for a while) the richest town in the world.

Architecture in Bendigo
Bendigo is a timeless beauty. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I’ll admit that it’s often one thing that lures me here initially. Bendigo Art Gallery has made a name for itself internationally, hosting absurdly impressive exhibitions for a regional town – Princess Charlene of Monaco visited to open Grace Kelly: Style Icon; Priscilla Presley to open Elvis: Direct from Graceland. But there is so much more to Bendigo than this much-lauded gallery.

Exterior of Bendigo Art Gallery
Art is a big part of Bendigo. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wine, dine and fine art

Bendigo has an enticing mix of good food, wine and shopping, laced with a hefty dose of history. On View Street, wine bars, restaurants and theatres reside inside heritage beauties such as a grand bank, a red-brick schoolhouse and an 1898 fire station.

Boutique shops in Bendigo are refreshingly different. A five-minute walk away, Chancery Lane has an entirely contrasting vibe with restaurants spilling out onto a narrow laneway colourful with graffiti.

The vibrancy continues in the murals and street art found up Dimples Lane. Stories of the Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples are shared through Djaara Lights, an installation featuring neon artworks and augmented reality around Oscars Walk and the Bath Lane Precinct.

Exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.
Bendigo Art Gallery has made a name for itself internationally. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Golden town highlights

I like that plenty of Bendigo is walkable. From Melbourne, it’s two hours by train (only minutes slower than driving) and, once there, the historic Bendigo Tramways run the length of town.

A 45-minute round trip pauses at many of Bendigo’s biggest draws: Central Deborah Gold Mine, where you can descend 61 metres to subterranean tunnels from which 929 kilograms of gold was extracted; peaceful Lake Weerona, popular with joggers and walkers; Bendigo Joss House Temple and Golden Dragon Museum, which are both a reflection of the time when a fifth of the population were Chinese miners and merchants.

You can venture beyond the city centre to visit Bendigo Pottery, Australia’s oldest working pottery (since the 1850s), or the 48-metre-high Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, an ambitious Buddhist complex that’s constantly evolving. And then there are the dozens of surrounding wineries, renowned for their bold reds. Whatever draws you to this old gold town, you’ll leave richer for it.

Aprons at Bendigo Pottery.
Bendigo Pottery is Australia’s oldest working pottery. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Explore more of Bendigo in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Laura Waters
Laura is a Melbourne-based writer, speaker and author with a passion for adventures in the great outdoors. Her memoir ‘Bewildered’, about hiking the length of New Zealand, won Best Travel Book at the 2021 ASTW Awards and she has also penned the popular Ultimate Walks & Hikes Australia.
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The Gold Rush town that’s become Victoria’s best country escape for foodies

    Jocelyn PrideBy Jocelyn Pride
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    The well-preserved Gold Rush town where an idyllic country vibe meets the best of city living.

    Cafe culture

    ‘Slow down’ is the mantra of Tortoise Espresso , and it’s apt for anyone visiting town. This local coffee hangout was the brainchild of Lloyd Meadows, who at 16 started it as a hole in the wall of an old pub. Five years on, it graces a fine shopfront with a menu of around 60 different coffees. Other one-off centrally located daytime cafes, such as Saffs, Togs, Saint Florian and Lazy Bones, are tucked into historic buildings and serve creative menus featuring local produce. A personal favourite is Origini, where chef Luca Sartori brings a taste of northern Italy to his rustic restaurant. For the best banh mi outside Vietnam head to Super Hero, and the pastries at Johnny Baker are legendary.

    the Saint Florian Cafe, Castlemaine
    Saint Florian is one of many businesses tucked away in a historic building. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    On the town’s fringe you’ll find some treasured cafes: Blackbird. Grist, Doveton Corner Store, and the cosy Aitken’s Corner. The Mill precinct also brings another dimension to Castlemaine. Located directly opposite the beautiful Botanical Gardens, this once-derelict woollen mill is a hive of creativity and collaboration. Retaining an industrial feel, it is home to a myriad of 44 unique businesses, galleries and studios that stretch over the three-hectare site.

    Brilliant brews, bars and food

    diners at The Mill, Castlemaine
    The Mill is home to many local businesses. (Image: Visit Victoria/Michelle Jarni)

    The Mill is also home to one of Castlemaine’s bespoke breweries, Shedshaker Brewing Company and Taproom. Within the sensitively restored walls of the oldest part of the building (circa 1875), small-batch, handcrafted beer features alongside fine wholesome food and live music.

    A more recent newcomer to the brewing scene is Love Shack . Starting small as a laneway pop-up in 2021, visionaries Conna Mallett and Harry Cox were armed with a Melbourne beer culture pedigree, which helped them create a great new ‘pub’ that feels as though it’s been there since the 1850s. Other atmospheric bars and restaurants are dotted around town – Grafting Cellars for local wines by the pour; buzzy Mostyn Street Cellars; Table Records plays vinyl on weekends; and the quirky Maurocco bar is not to be missed.

    food and drinks at Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro, Castlemaine
    The nostalgic Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro serves comfort food. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    For food you’ll write home about, the hatted Bar Midland serves exquisite dishes from Victorian-only produce. The freshly renovated Wild is located in the original firestation, Voor Ouker specialises in Indonesian/Dutch fusion, and the Railway Hotel oozes English pub charm.

    the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
    Theatre Royal is the longest continually operating theatre on the mainland. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Much-loved Teatro Regio, found in the magnificent Theatre Royal , is the go-to for pizzas with a twist. As mainland Australia’s longest continually running theatre, this grand dame is also one of more than a dozen performance spaces that add to a rich and diverse entertainment and festival scene.

    pizza at Theatre Royal
    Dine before a show at Theatre Royal. (Image: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)

    Quirky country stays

    Quirky, authentic and perfectly located, the Midland Hotel is a private hotel that dates back to 1879. Each of the nine rooms at the Northern Arts Hotel is different and named in honour of an Australian artist. Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation also has a range of properties to suit all types of travellers.