Explore Daylesford

Daylesford ~ Victoria

Daylesford is a picturesque tourist town surrounded by rolling hills, mineral springs and lush forests. It is known as the Spa Capital of Australia due to the remarkable amount of natural mineral springs in the Daylesford–Hepburn Springs region. It is located 114 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and 46 kilometres north-east of Ballarat.

When we visited Daylesford, we wandered around the town centre, enjoyed coffee at Cliffy’s Emporium and explored Lake Daylesford. We visited the Amazing Mill Market, the Convent Gallery and saw Sailors Falls. We also discovered Lavandula Lavender Farm, the Wombat Hills Botanic Gardens and tasted the mineral waters at Hepburn Springs.

Daylesford Town Centre

Vincent Street is the main street in Daylesford’s town centre, and it has many elegant 19th-century buildings that were built during the gold rush era in the 1850s. Today, these historic façades house cafés, boutiques, galleries and other interesting shops to browse in.

The impressive Town Hall was built in two stages in the early 1880’s and the ground floor originally housed a library and a reading room. 

The Daylesford Post Office at 86 Vincent Street was built in 1867 in an Italianate design with a clock tower and balustraded parapet. 

Vincent Street has a relaxed atmosphere with a great selection of bookstores, old pubs, and vintage stores, it's the perfect place to spend a few hours exploring.

Cliffy’s Emporium

Cliffy’s Emporium is located at 30 Raglan Street and is open daily until 3.00 pm.

Back in the 1950s, Cliffy Hauser’s general store in Daylesford was packed with produce, groceries and farm supplies. More than 60 years later, Cliffy’s Emporium is a much-loved café where locals and visitors enjoy great coffee, rustic timber counters, fresh local produce and cosy seating.

Cliffy’s celebrates the region’s best food, and the menu features an abundance of fresh local produce, and the store is full of jams, preserves and lovely kitchenware and gifts. We enjoyed delicious coffee and cakes seated outside under the grapevines.

Lake Daylesford

Lake Daylesford is a stunning man-made lake in the heart of Daylesford. This area was originally the site of gold diggings during the early 1950s gold rush. It then became a Chinese settlement with several market gardens along the creek flats.

The ornamental lake was created in 1929 when a dam was built across Wombat Creek. Now it is a popular recreational area, with cafes, BBQs, playgrounds and picnic tables. 

A 2.8-kilometre walking track encircles the lake, offering stunning views, and takes approximately an hour to complete.

There is a colourful Chinese Pavilion and information boards by the lake explaining the history of the Chinese people in Daylesford.

The Amazing Mill Markets

The Amazing Mill Markets are located at 105 Central Springs Road in Daylesford and are open daily from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. In this huge undercover market, you will find a fantastic variety of vintage furniture, records, vintage clothing, books, fine china, glassware, industrial items, jewellery and antiques.

As we wandered around, we saw lots of stalls with homewares, pottery, garden ornaments, memorabilia, retro collectables and everything in between.

The Amazing Mill Markets is the kind of place where you can easily lose track of time browsing for that one-of-a-kind piece or simply enjoying the nostalgia.

The Convent Daylesford

The Convent in Daylesford is one of Australia’s most beautiful art galleries, and is open from Thursday to Monday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

This iconic 19th-century building, nestled on the crest of Wombat Hill, has four levels, with seven gallery spaces, a museum, chapel, gift shop, cafe, bar and function rooms, all incorporating art, history and culture.

After viewing inside the Convent, we enjoyed wandering through the six acres of fragrant and beautifully groomed gardens.

Sailors Falls

Sailors Falls is a beautiful twin waterfall located 6 kilometres from Daylesford on the Ballan-Daylesford Road. There is plenty of parking, and it’s a short walk to the lookout to see the waterfall.

Sailors Falls is formed by Sailors Creek cascading over the rocky outcrop and dropping into the lush, fern-lined gully below. The water then meanders through a series of rock pools before continuing through the Hepburn Regional Park.

Sailors Falls is thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush.

Near the carpark is a picnic area with mineral spring taps, undercover tables, toilets, and interesting information displays about the history of this area. 

Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm

The Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm is 9 kilometres north of Daylesford, in the rolling farmlands of Shepherds Flat. This 100-acre property is home to beautifully restored historic stone buildings, including the original farmhouse, barn and dairy, and has a charming blend of European character and country tranquillity.

A small gate fee applies to enjoy the property, with all contributions going towards feeding the animals and preserving the gardens and heritage buildings.

We enjoyed wandering through the beautiful, classic European-designed gardens and seeing the farm animals. The lavender fields are at their peak from January into early autumn.

In the farm shop, there are more than 100 handcrafted aromatherapy and lavender-based products made right on site.  You can also enjoy coffee or lunch at Maria’s Trattoria, which serves seasonal lunches, wood-fired pizzas and sweet treats.

Wombat Hills Botanic Gardens

Next, we headed to the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, which are perched on top of an extinct volcano. These lovely gardens were established in the 1860s and have winding paths, towering trees, and colourful flower beds. 

In the centre of the gardens is the Wombat Hill House Cafe, where you can enjoy coffee or light lunches.

After wandering around the gardens, we climbed up the Pioneer Memorial Tower. This huge concrete tower was built in the 1930s, and at the top you can enjoy great views of the botanical gardens and the surrounding forest.

Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve

The Daylesford and Hepburn Springs area is home to over 80% of Victoria's Mineral Springs, which are famous for their stunning natural settings and healing waters. 

The Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve was created in 1865 and was Australia’s first Mineral Reserve, and it houses the historic Bathhouse and Pavilion buildings.

The original Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa was established in 1895; today, this stunning 19th-century building is the Hepburn Pavilion Cafe. The cafe is open daily from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm for coffee, sweets, brunch and lunch.

You can still enjoy the therapeutic benefits of mineral bathing at the new grand Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa at the entrance to the Mineral Springs Reserve in Hepburn Springs.

The Hepburn Springs Mineral Reserve is home to several historic mineral pumps, each offering its own unique taste of the region’s naturally carbonated waters. As we wandered through the leafy reserve, we tried the water at the Locarno, Soda and Sulphur pumps.  They draw water from underground aquifers with slightly different mineral compositions. Some springs are crisp and lightly sparkling, others have a stronger mineral flavour, and a few carry subtle sulphur notes that reflect their natural origins. 

This lovely reserve also has BBQs, picnic areas, walking trails, playgrounds and lovely shady grassy areas.