Walhalla

Walhalla is a preserved gold-mining historic township in the Baw Baw Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, set in a steep valley along Stringers Creek. Founded in 1863 after a gold discovery, it became one of Victoria's richest goldfields. Today it is notable for its intact 19th-century buildings, the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway and its mountain bushland setting.

Visitors can expect a small historic mountain town with restored weatherboard and stone buildings along a single main street in a narrow forested valley. Explore heritage sites including the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, Walhalla Goldfields Railway station, Walhalla Museum, historic churches, cemetery and cricket ground. Surroundings include Stringers Creek, steep bushland walks and relics of mining infrastructure. Guided mine tours and heritage railway rides are available.

Founded in 1863 after prospector Edward (Ned) Stringer discovered alluvial gold at Stringers Creek, Walhalla (originally Stringer's Creek) became one of Victoria's richest goldfields. The Long Tunnel Extended Mine operated from 1865 to 1914 and produced over 13 tonnes of gold, the most productive in Victoria. At its peak in the 1870s the town had over 4,000 residents, with hotels, churches and a railway. After the mine closed in 1914 the population declined sharply, leaving a well-preserved gold-rush townscape now listed for its heritage value.

Walhalla is a significant example of Victoria's 19th-century gold rush heritage, illustrating mining community life, architecture and technology of the era. It preserves colonial-era buildings, mining relics and cultural landscapes valued for heritage tourism and education, and is managed as a historic township reflecting Gippsland's gold-mining history.