Welcome.
Chewton is a former gold mining town, an hour north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Approximately 400 people call Chewton home. Heritage is both natural with its box ironbark forests and cultural with a European led gold rush.

Chewton is integral to the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park.

Chewton, Central Victoria can be accessed by leaving the Calder Highway at the Castlemaine turn off. Access by train is via Castlemaine Station.

Chewton is linked to Castlemaine by commuter track for walking or cycling along historic Forest Creek.

The Leanganook Walking Track links Castlemaine to Bendigo. This track follows Forest Creek from Castlemaine to Chewton then turns north to Mount Alexander and Bendigo.
Historic & Cultural Overview.
Chewton is part of Jaara country. Traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, one of five language tribes make up the Kulin nation, now known as Central Victoria.
Gold discovered in 1851 changed Chewton forever. The Forest Creek diggings became the world’s richest shallow alluvial goldfield. The attraction of gold at Forest Creek led to the world's largest migration in the 19th Century.

15th December 1851. The Monster Meeting attracted over 12,000 diggers protesting the increased mining licence fee. Predating the Red Ribbon Rebellion in Bendigo (1853) and Eureka in Ballarat (1854) was a key step towards democracy in the State of Victoria.

Chewton’s rapid growth didn’t allow for town planning like nearby Castlemaine. The rolling goldfields track became the Pyrenees Highway and many historic buildings still remain.

Gold mining changed both landscape and reduced surface soil. The need for timber for both mining and boilers of emerging industries decimated native vegetation. This scarred legacy is evident today.

Despite this legacy, the countryside produces beautiful wild flowers. Chewton comes alive in Spring, touring around the Specimen Hill or Fryers Ridge Road areas, are truly rewarding.
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