Rail trip: going in circles?
Sep. 17th, 2010 07:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xenithThe other end of the steam train trip is Castlemaine.
I'm going to cheat here, and use some paragraphs from eGold, the Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia.
The Mount Alexander diggings were located in the central goldfields region of Victoria, in and around the present day city of Castlemaine. The site of one of the earliest significant alluvial gold rushes that occurred in Australia during the mid-nineteenth century, they have been called the world’s greatest shallow alluvial goldfield.
Following the gold discoveries of 1851, Castlemaine’s population grew rapidly and it became a town on 1 November 1853. It is the key settlement of the Mount Alexander diggings and, at its peak, had approximately 35,000 inhabitants. Along with the other major goldfields cities of Ballarat and Bendigo, Castlemaine briefly rivalled Melbourne as Victoria’s principal population centre. From
The current population is about 7000 people. Like any good goldcity town, the significant buildings -- public buldings, hotels, big houses -- where built to show off the town's wealth. The clock tower is on the post office (built 1873-4). Further along is the town hall.
Town Hall Built on the former site of the Castlemaine Municipal Chambers which was destroyed by fire in 1862. A competition was held to design a new building. From
Beside that, the former School of Mines (1889).
The school was built at a time when interest in applied science was high and its establishment also reflected the strong tradition of Mechanics' Institutes and mining schools many British migrants had brought to Victoria.
Schools of mines were particularly popular in Victorian gold mining towns such as Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. The greatest enrolments were however in non-mining subjects as the school attempted to meet local demands and the needs of other industries. At the time it was opened the new building contained a laboratory, assay and balance rooms, art rooms, lecture hall, museum Library and offices. Classes were also held in telegraphy. ... The building was originally symmetrical about the front entrance and urns were located on the parapet. A further three bays were added in 1928, disrupting the symmetry. From
*grumbles at stupid weather ruining photos*
Some gorgeous church buildings in this town.
One place that has seen better days. Formely Beck's Imperial Hotel, built 1861. That verandah is apparently a later addition.
This is an interesting shop.
It sells all sorts of interesting things, as you might expect
but it has lots of them.
Architecturally, a bit different, the Art Gallery & Museum, built 1930.
The Castlemaine Market originally contained 22 shops for the sale of local fresh foods and products. It was one of three market buildings arranged geometrically around an arcaded water tank built over the town well in Market Square. .... The two earliest red brick market buildings, known as East and West Markets, were erected in 1858 to the design of Edmund Spencer, the town surveyor. In 1861/2 an imposing North Market, the present Classical Revival building, was designed by the town surveyor, William Beynon Downe. The inspiration for the design has been attributed to works by British classical architect and surveyor general, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1732) and Charles Fowler (1791-1867), noted for his mid 19th classical styled market designs in England.
During successive decades Market Square was beautified but the First World War brought a change in economic and social direction to the town. The East and West Market buildings were demolished in 1918 and 1919, respectively, to make way for a new high school, now recycled as part of Coles supermarket. From
In the memorial park, I found these guns which are bigger than the ones usually seen in memorial parks, so I had a Helpful Bystander stand next to them for scale.
There's something odd about a rather plain water trough beside an elaborate drinking fountain. Or maybe it's just me :)
The Patterson Memorial Drinking Fountain was built in 1897 to commemorate Sir James Patterson, Member of Parliament for Castlemaine from 1870 to 1895 and Premier of Victoria from 1893 to 1894. From
We only spent about an hour here, but there's a lot more to see including this so I wouldn't mind going back one day to spend more time there. *sigh* I could say that about every place I went to on this trip, and last year's too. Isn't the point of visiting places to think that you've been there and done that?
So back to the trains.
Across the road from the railway station
Originating from a single storey shop and dining room built for William Kort in 1879, this parapeted, two storey and stuccoed brick building became the Castlemaine Coffee Palace after substantial extensions by builder Frank Corbel of Castlemaine in 1890. [And Midland Private Hotel c. 1940] ... Historically, the second stage of its development was in parallel with many other coffee palaces and large hotels built near railway stations in the late 19th century. In this case complementing a notable railway station yard precinct. From
The railway station building.
The Bendigo line was surveyed in 1855-1856, reached Sunbury by c 1859, Kyneton and Malmsbury by c 1861 and was finally completed to Bendigo in October 1862, by which time the Castlemaine station had been completed. From
We've been here before, twice.
I'm going to cheat here, and use some paragraphs from eGold, the Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia.
The Mount Alexander diggings were located in the central goldfields region of Victoria, in and around the present day city of Castlemaine. The site of one of the earliest significant alluvial gold rushes that occurred in Australia during the mid-nineteenth century, they have been called the world’s greatest shallow alluvial goldfield.
Following the gold discoveries of 1851, Castlemaine’s population grew rapidly and it became a town on 1 November 1853. It is the key settlement of the Mount Alexander diggings and, at its peak, had approximately 35,000 inhabitants. Along with the other major goldfields cities of Ballarat and Bendigo, Castlemaine briefly rivalled Melbourne as Victoria’s principal population centre. From
The current population is about 7000 people. Like any good gold
Town Hall Built on the former site of the Castlemaine Municipal Chambers which was destroyed by fire in 1862. A competition was held to design a new building. From
Beside that, the former School of Mines (1889).
The school was built at a time when interest in applied science was high and its establishment also reflected the strong tradition of Mechanics' Institutes and mining schools many British migrants had brought to Victoria.
Schools of mines were particularly popular in Victorian gold mining towns such as Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. The greatest enrolments were however in non-mining subjects as the school attempted to meet local demands and the needs of other industries. At the time it was opened the new building contained a laboratory, assay and balance rooms, art rooms, lecture hall, museum Library and offices. Classes were also held in telegraphy. ... The building was originally symmetrical about the front entrance and urns were located on the parapet. A further three bays were added in 1928, disrupting the symmetry. From
*grumbles at stupid weather ruining photos*
Some gorgeous church buildings in this town.
One place that has seen better days. Formely Beck's Imperial Hotel, built 1861. That verandah is apparently a later addition.
This is an interesting shop.
It sells all sorts of interesting things, as you might expect
but it has lots of them.
Architecturally, a bit different, the Art Gallery & Museum, built 1930.
The Castlemaine Market originally contained 22 shops for the sale of local fresh foods and products. It was one of three market buildings arranged geometrically around an arcaded water tank built over the town well in Market Square. .... The two earliest red brick market buildings, known as East and West Markets, were erected in 1858 to the design of Edmund Spencer, the town surveyor. In 1861/2 an imposing North Market, the present Classical Revival building, was designed by the town surveyor, William Beynon Downe. The inspiration for the design has been attributed to works by British classical architect and surveyor general, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1732) and Charles Fowler (1791-1867), noted for his mid 19th classical styled market designs in England.
During successive decades Market Square was beautified but the First World War brought a change in economic and social direction to the town. The East and West Market buildings were demolished in 1918 and 1919, respectively, to make way for a new high school, now recycled as part of Coles supermarket. From
In the memorial park, I found these guns which are bigger than the ones usually seen in memorial parks, so I had a Helpful Bystander stand next to them for scale.
There's something odd about a rather plain water trough beside an elaborate drinking fountain. Or maybe it's just me :)
The Patterson Memorial Drinking Fountain was built in 1897 to commemorate Sir James Patterson, Member of Parliament for Castlemaine from 1870 to 1895 and Premier of Victoria from 1893 to 1894. From
We only spent about an hour here, but there's a lot more to see including this so I wouldn't mind going back one day to spend more time there. *sigh* I could say that about every place I went to on this trip, and last year's too. Isn't the point of visiting places to think that you've been there and done that?
So back to the trains.
Across the road from the railway station
Originating from a single storey shop and dining room built for William Kort in 1879, this parapeted, two storey and stuccoed brick building became the Castlemaine Coffee Palace after substantial extensions by builder Frank Corbel of Castlemaine in 1890. [And Midland Private Hotel c. 1940] ... Historically, the second stage of its development was in parallel with many other coffee palaces and large hotels built near railway stations in the late 19th century. In this case complementing a notable railway station yard precinct. From
The railway station building.
The Bendigo line was surveyed in 1855-1856, reached Sunbury by c 1859, Kyneton and Malmsbury by c 1861 and was finally completed to Bendigo in October 1862, by which time the Castlemaine station had been completed. From
We've been here before, twice.
