Castlemaine - Forest Creek Gold Diggings
Discover how generations of miners won gold from Forest Creek on this 400m circuit self-guided walk with interpretive signs. The walk is on a well-marked gravel path which is relatively flat and has one slightly steeper section.
The landscape shows the environmental impacts of various types of alluvial gold mining, including shaft sinking, tunnelling and hydraulic sluicing.
The walk is ideal for families, including people with restricted mobility, there is one short section along the gravel path where assistance may be required. There are picnic tables and a large, unfurnished shelter suitable for groups near the carpark.
Access is via a 300m detour off the (4) Pennyweight Flat Cemetery Walk, (7) Forest Creek Trail or Goldfields Track (walking and biking). Parking is available off Prendergast Street.
From the Garfield Water Wheel Trailhead, follow the Goldfields Track towards Castlemaine, turning south (left) at Farran Street and crossing the Pyrenees Highway (2.7km one-way).
Forest Creek Gold Diggings Map
Forest Creek Gold Diggings Walk is labelled (8) on the map.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs must be kept on a lead and under control at all times. Please collect and remove your dog's droppings for the sake of other visitors and to avoid stress to native animals.
Please note that the Nimrod Reef Mine and Welsh Village is a designated Special Protection Area due to its historic significance, so the (6) Welsh Village Walk is not marked or signed through that area. Dogs and bikes are prohibited.
Safety:
The Castlemaine Diggings are a heavily mined landscape and contain a variety of ongoing hazards, including uneven and unstable ground, mineshafts, open cuts, quarries, and mine tailings. For your own safety, please stay on mapped tracks and supervise children. Comply with local signs and do not climb over or around barriers and fences or on the stone foundations of the water wheel.
Location
168 Duke Street, Castlemaine 3450 Map
Web Links
→ Forest Creek Heritage Notes (PDF)
