Tour of the Castlemaine Government Camp

A unique opportunity to explore the original buildings and landscape of the Castlemaine Government Camp, where official government in the district began in 1851, and to be guided through the history and changing roles of the military, police and volunteers in goldfields administration and protection.

Buildings remaining in the Government Camp precinct from the gold rush era include the Court House, Military Quarters, the Powder Magazine, and houses then occupied by Sheriff Coles, Gold Commissioner John Bull, Police Superintendent Robert O'Hara Burke, Chinese interpreter Ah Coy, and the Powder Magazine Keeper. Original River Red Gums, including Howe's Survey Tree which predates the gold rush, and Grey Box are scattered through the precinct and the original Military Parade Ground, subsequently gazetted as a public recreation reserve in 1895, is ringed by formal plantings of English oaks and elms.

Visitors will have the unique opportunity to see inside some of the original buildings and to be guided through the precinct by local history advocates. Discover an historic landscape of buildings, trees, views, creeks and natural unmade roads walking distance from Castlemaine's CBD. From this place the Victorian goldrush was administered.