Hepburn Shire

We acknowledge that we are on traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung. We offer our respect to the Elders of these traditional lands, and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples past and present.
The Shire of Hepburn is the ‘Spa Capital of Australia’. It is renowned for indulgence, relaxation and its spectacular heritage buildings, parks, reserves and native forests. Located in central Victoria and ideally situated within easy access to Melbourne, Ballarat and Bendigo it is a great place to visit, live and work.
Click here to download a Victorian Electoral Commission map of the Hepburn Shire
REMPLAN
Are you interested to learn more about what makes our Shire’s economy tick? We are giving the community access to an online resource we have purchased to understand our economy and to support our grant applications. The interactive website provides detailed insights into our region’s economy and the industries and people that drive it eg. the economic impacts of major projects, business investments, events and festivals.

Clunes
And let your imagination run wild. This is where Victorian gold rush fever sparked in 1851, making Australia (for a short time) the richest country in the world. Evidence of those boomtown days remain in the picturesque streets and beautifully preserved architecture of this charming little town which is considered the best collection of 19th Century buildings in Australia. A leisurely 40-minute drive from Daylesford or 75 minutes from West Gate Bridge seems fleeting to travel back in time over 150 years.
But it’s not just history buffs that crave Clunes. Literature lovers flock here each May for the largest book event in regional Australia and year-round for its status as one of only 15 internationally recognised Booktowns in the world. Of course, you don’t get to be as pretty or as authentic as Clunes without also attracting attention from Hollywood.

Creswick
Famous as the birthplace of some very famous Australian sons, Prime Minister John Curtin and artist Norman Lindsay, Creswick is as beautiful as it is historic. Meandering its elegantly curved main street lined with shady plane trees and grand buildings it’s easy to picture what life must have been like when this was a bustling gold boomtown during the 1850s. Thanks to the work of forestry pioneer John La Gerche, Creswick is also the birthplace of reforestation – and today, much of La Gerche’s work can be enjoyed in and around the town including majestic local street plantings and a lakeside walking trail highlighting his work.
Delve further into local art and history at the Creswick Museum, where Lindsay family works are always on display.

Daylesford
Mention the word ‘Daylesford’ to people who’ve been there and you’re likely to notice a dreamy, faraway look in their eyes. That’s the remembrance of time spent in one of Victoria’s most romantic and relaxing towns, a place seemingly uniquely designed to heal what ails you. Whether it’s physical sustenance at one of Daylesford’s award-winning eateries, or spiritual nourishment in world-famous mineral springs and spa resorts, you’ll leave Daylesford planning your next return.
Natural attractions abound in Daylesford, from the stately gardens of Wombat Hill Botanical Park, to the superb serenity of Lake Daylesford, to the rugged terrain and trails of Hepburn Regional Park. If fossicking about in boutiques and galleries and Sunday markets is more your thing, Daylesford has plenty to occupy the most discerning of treasure hunters; while a slew of local festivals throughout the year showcase the region’s charm in all its many colours.

Hepburn Springs
Hepburn Springs: it’s a little bit of Locarno in the land Down Under. Not only was it founded by Swiss-Italian immigrants, but like that famous Swiss spa town, Hepburn sits smack in the middle of the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country. There’s no better place to rest, rejuvenate, and relax. Unwind in a local spa, ‘take the waters’, or give your weary muscles over to the hands of some of Australia’s best healers and massage therapists.

Trentham
Cool country. Spud country. For a tiny town, Trentham packs a punch. Not just what it is famous for – but for its lesser known gems too.
A quaint village retaining many historical buildings and a charming streetscape also boasts drop-dead pretty botanical gardens and shady tree-lined streets (not to mention the main street has even featured in several movies, but Trentham is too modest to boast of such things).
Situated half way between Woodend and Daylesford and located high on the Great Dividing Range, Trentham’s soil is fabulous for growing some of the country’s best spuds along with a veritable cornucopia of seasonal produce. From chestnuts and cherries, to heirloom fruits and olives, there isn’t much that won’t flourish in this rich volcanic dirt.