September 12-13, 2014
My last blog, Sketches of Castlemaine One, promised further sketches detailing more of the town and its environs. And this is it.
Our route here was the same as last time, except that we were very careful not to miss the exit from the Westgate Freeway onto the Bolte Bridge; and so we arrived in just under two hours from leaving home. It was cold, particularly as we came through the vicinity of Mt Macedon, with the odd shower, but otherwise a very straightforward and pleasant journey. On arrival at Castlemaine, I thought I knew exactly where to go to our accommodation, and I was nearly right! But I turned right into the street, rather than turning left, and consequently had a scenic detour to find our address. The accommodation, Maggies Place, is very nicely designed and constructed, and served our purpose very well. Built to accommodate six, by arrangement with the owners we managed to accommodate a seventh, with very little difficulty. There is a very nice rectangular lounge, with an open wood-burning fire, a gas heater, and a very high cathedral ceiling. The furnishings are comfortable, but we could have wished for a small table on which to place my glass of scotch. Windows in two walls provide lovely views across to the town, and to the old gaol.
The rest of Maggies Place comprises three generous bedrooms, two bathrooms, a well-appointed kitchen (but no steamer nor balloon whisk) with nice views whilst you are preparing food or doing the dishes; and a nice dining area. It is surrounded by a ‘bushy’ garden, beautifully constructed timber decks and perfectly laid Castlemaine slate patios. It is all very nice, but some might think the carpets and internal paintwork have reached the stage in their lives when they need replacing.
We did not visit the town on this first day, other than to find a pharmacy in search of replacement medication for one of our number who had forgotten to bring essential supplies. The trip was very successful, and the Amcal Pharmacy is to be congratulated and thanked for their wonderful assistance, including a phone call to the pharmacy back home in Camberwell for additional essential details relating to dosages.
Whilst we enjoyed the warmth of the open fire throughout the evening, we did find our bedroom a tad cold in the small hours; but it had dropped to near freezing under the moon-lit cloudless skies. Friday dawned with a beautiful clear blue sky and bright sun. A hasty, simple breakfast and we all walked into town to explore the areas we had not visited on the previous trip. For some, that included the Information Centre, which had an exhibition of works by local artists.
For others, it was a walk to the Mt Arapiles Bookshop in search of another lost Dickensian volume. Unfortunately Andy was not in the shop, and thus it was closed until Saturday, so a return will be necessary. We all met at Run Rabbit Run for coffee, which was excellent, and served by very friendly staff. The building housing this café was once a funeral parlour, but was reconstructed during the 1980’s, and no one could tell us whether the rather unusual architectural features were in fact original, or part of the reconstruction. But it matters little, as it is the coffee that is important! From there, we all made the pilgrimage to the Restorer’s Barn, a trove of old fixtures, fittings and hand tools; and other interesting items too many and varied to mention. One could spend a deal of time in this emporium, and a deal of money if one were to be restoring an old house.
Following that Aladdin’s cave, we again split, some to find a micro-brewery (which, as it happened is not yet in existence!). But on the way, we did find a wonderful cheese shop, which included Compté, D’Affinois and some Scottish cheddar in its range as well as some of the best Australian cheeses. One could sense the cholesterol levels rising with every deep breath! There was also a collection of different hams and terrines, all too appetisingly attractive to miss; and a remarkable selection of Opinel knives.
The streetscapes are very interesting, with many substantial buildings dating from the 1860s. In the centre of town, the IGA supermarket is accommodated in what was the original High School, and has a very impressive façade.
It also has some very unusual trees along the west wall, under which one imagines generations of school children have taken shade from the sun. As is usual in these small country towns once wealthy with gold, the banks are still today housed in very impressive and substantial buildings; and it is nice to wander along the streets in the shade of the wrought-iron lace-work verandas that are a feature of many old buildings.
Dinner had been arranged and a table booked at the Naam Pla Thai Kitchen to accommodate the seven which comprised our party. An early start was necessary, as the popularity of this place means they need to run two sittings to meet the demand. Whilst we do not usually dine so early, we were relaxed about it, as we could repair to Maggies Place and relax beside the fire for the evening. The quality of the food was excellent, very reasonably priced, and it was very plain to see why it is so popular with locals and visitors alike. It is to be highly recommended, but we do suggest you make a booking in advance.
Saturday morning was much the same as Friday as far as the weather was concerned. So it was an ideal morning to walk to the old gaol. It is built with an outer wall of warm red bricks, having straight sides forming half an octagon, with guard turrets on each corner. It is not exactly Vauban (see earlier blogs on travels in France for more on Vauban), but it is a building which is pleasing to the eye, but which probably brought terror to the hearts and souls of its inmates in days gone by.
It is now privately owned, and the current owners are deriving some income from letting out some spaces to accommodate activities such as the local community radio station, a pilates group, kick-boxing classes and the like. We were very fortunate that one of the owners was in attendance and invited us to have a look around the interior, as it is not open to the general public; but they have every intention of obtaining appropriate permits to do so. The main cell block, built of the beautiful local Harcourt granite, was being set up to accommodate a wedding reception for this evening, and one wonders what the old inmates would have thought of the luxury of the entertainments that were to take place.
The cells are incredibly small with miniature barred windows which admit very little light. The exercise yards were not much bigger in area than the cells, and it would have been a pretty gruesome place to spend a few years at His or Her Majesty’s Pleasure, waiting to be hanged at the neck etc. Between 1865 and 1878, a total of ten men were hanged for their crimes. Until the recent change of ownership, ghost walks were a popular tourist attraction, and the old gaol is claimed to have a very high level of paranormal activity flowing from the restless souls of those executed and buried within its walls.
We then drove to the once thriving gold-mining town of Maldon, which is now a sleepy tourist village, very pleasant to a flâneur such as myself. Rummaging through a few bric-a-brac shops and quaint old-fashioned general stores, was a relaxing way of working up a hunger and thirst before settling into a very nice ‘beer-garden’ for lunch.
Like Castlemaine, wrought-iron lace-work verandas are a feature of the main street, and most of the buildings date from the 1860’s. The staff of every shop we entered, whether paid or volunteers, were very cheery and helpful, just as their counterparts were in Castlemaine.
On the return to Castlemaine, we made a very brief stop to visit the ruins of the old Gower school, before returning to Maggies Place for dinner and to once more while away the evening in front of the fire.
More on Castlemaine in the next post.
Slingsby's Miscellany 