Daylesford - Wombat Hill Walk
A 6km, 1.5 hour walk covering the Wombat Hill area of Daylesford.
Map of Wombat Hill Walk Route
From the Daylesford Information Centre, walk towards Hepburn Springs, past the Daylesford Post Office (1858), to Central Springs Road. Turn right at the roundabout and walk up Central Springs Road, crossing Duke Street, to Camp Street. Turn right and follow this road to the next intersection (Stanbridge Street). Turn left and after about 50m turn right into Argus Street. Continue on to Orford Street (not signed) and the Cornish Hill lookout. (1)
After checking out the information board and the wonderful views of Daylesford and the Wombat State Forest, return to the road and the walking track starts about 50m to your right. You have now entered the Cornish Hill Reserve. (2) This area was heavily mined between 1852 and the 1950's and was central to the development of Daylesford. It is now a Crown Land Reserve managed by a Community Committee of Management.
Follow the walking track, keeping to the left of the shipping container, for about 325m to a yellow sign and a track leading downhill on your right. Take this track and continue on for about 350m to a "Y" intersection. Take the track on the left, past the pump station, to Stanhope Street. Continue uphill to the next intersection. Turn right into Grant Street and then sharp left back into Stanhope Street. Continue up-hill, cross the first and second intersections and enter the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.
These heritage listed gardens were developed from around 1865 and are spectacularly sited on an extinct volcanic cone.
Follow the bitumen road to your right and into the Tower Car park. (3) Walk up to the Pioneers' Memorial Tower (1957) (4) and, if you are game, climb its narrow staircase. Continue on the pathway through the gardens to Wombat Hill House. (5) Pause here for a coffee or more.
On leaving the cafe, turn to your right and enter the Scenic Drive. Continue on this track for about 700m until again reaching the entrance to the Tower Car Park. Take the lesser track on your left and follow this until it intersects with the Scenic Drive. You will now see a bitumen path on your right leading down to a road. Take this path and turn right at the road and follow it to Hill Street.
On your right is the beautiful Convent Gallery. (6) This 19th century mansion was built in the 1860's as a private home and, from the 1880's until 1973, was a Convent and Girls' Boarding School. In 1988 it was purchased and redeveloped into an award winning art gallery.
Turn left and follow Hill Street to Camp Street where you again turn left and then proceed past the former Police Precinct (7) which includes the old courthouse (1862), police quarters (1858) and lock up (1862). Check out the Information Board.
Cross over Camp Street and into Albert Street and walk down to Vincent Street and back to the Information Centre.
Location
98 Vincent Street, Daylesford 3460 Map
