Daylesford

Daylesford is a historic spa town in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, about 115 kilometres northwest of Melbourne in the Central Highlands. Known as the spa capital of Australia, it sits amid rolling hills and holds the country's largest concentration of natural mineral springs. Established during the 1850s gold rush with strong Swiss-Italian heritage, it is notable for Lake Daylesford, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, wellness retreats, galleries and food and wine culture.

Visitors can expect a compact country town centre with heritage buildings, cafes, restaurants, galleries and boutique shops set among forested hills and mineral springs. Key areas to explore include Lake Daylesford for walking and picnics, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens for views and gardens, Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve for tasting and collecting mineral water, and the Convent Gallery. The surrounding area offers spa and wellness centres, bushwalking tracks in Hepburn Regional Park, markets and cellar doors.

Established in the early 1850s during the Victorian gold rush, originally known as Wombat, Daylesford grew as a gold-mining centre with significant Swiss-Italian settlement. Mineral springs were identified in the 1850s and developed from the 1860s, leading to the establishment of Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. The town retains gold-era heritage buildings, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens established in the 1860s, and a legacy of Swiss-Italian culture.

Recognised as the spa capital of Australia with the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country. Known for wellness culture, Swiss-Italian heritage celebrated through food, festivals and historic sites, and a contemporary arts, food and wine community centred on galleries, markets and local produce.