Talbot
Former goldmining town with historic buildings
Talbot is a tiny former goldmining town located off the beaten track 159 km north-west of Melbourne, midway between Clunes and Maryborough.

The first European settler in the area was Alexander McCallum who established a pastoral property in 1839 which he called 'Dunach Forrest'. The nearby towns of Amherst and Daisy Hill developed on the 'Glenmona' run which was in existence by 1840. It is said that a shepherd discovered gold at Daisy Hill (7 km north of Talbot) in 1848 but the first rush to the district did not occur until 1852. The township of Daisy Hill emerged in the 1850s due to its location on the main route from Adelaide to the goldfields around Castlemaine.

2 km south of Daisy Hill, and 5 km north of Talbot, is an intersection where the east-west road joining Amherst and Craigie meets the north-south road from Maryborough to Talbot. At this junction the Emu Inn emerged after the 'Emu rush' of the mid-1850s.

Gold was first found at Back Creek in 1854 and a settlement began to emerge on the diggings which was also known as Back Creek. After the 'Scandinavian' rush of 1859 a survey was carried out. After a visit by the governor of Victoria in 1861 the name of the settlement was changed in honour of an English peer named Talbot.

There were initially 15 000 people on the field with five banks, possibly 49 drinking establishments, a brewery, and numerous stores and businesses scattered along six streets. The population dropped to 3000 or 4000 by the mid-1860s by which time more substantial brick and bluestone structures had begun to replace the canvas and timber. At that time there were 16 hotels, a courthouse, a town hall, soap and candle factories, flour mills, a theatre and a gas works. Cohn Brothers soft-drink manufacturers of Bendigo was founded at Talbot in 1861.

By the end of the century mining had declined and the population was down to 1300. There was a brief revival from 1934 to 1940 when one of the old mines was reopened. Today, Talbot is a little off the beaten track and so its streets seem rather empty and deserted.

The Talbot Yabbie Cup Festival is the major annual event.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
There is no official tourist information outlet in Talbot. However, the owners of the General Store in Scandinavian Crescent, Betty and Lenny Fleming, are a wealth of local knowledge and could help with most inquiries, tel: (03) 5463 2302.

Aboriginal Sites
Not far from town are some Aboriginal drinking wells and a birthing tree - a large hollowed gum tree where Aboriginal women bore their young. Ask for directions at the general store in Scandinavian Crescent.

Arts and Historical Museum
The former Primitive Methodist Church (1870) is now a local history museum, open on Sundays from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by appointment. There is a very small admission fee. It contains relics of the goldmining era from the 1850s to the 1900s. The historical society is also in the process of converting a former school building into an educational museum. They can supply you with a brochure outlining a walk of the town's historic buildings, tel: (03) 5463 2578.

Historic Buildings
The town's historic buildings include the railway station, the town hall, the former Union Hotel, St Michael's Anglican Church, the former flour mill, the fire brigade engine house, the post office, Soldiers Memorial Park and the remains of the gas works at the back of the present bowling green. The former courthouse (1866) is located opposite the Court House Hotel (1860). The former Bull and Mouth Hotel, in Ballarat St, is an 1860s bluestone structure which has been converted into a restaurant. A brochure outlining a walk of the town's historic buildings can be obtained from the museum, if it's open.

Near Talbot are the sites of two 19th-century schools. The Stoney Creek school relic is especially noteworthy but a guide is needed, tel: (1800) 356 511.

Amherst
Amherst, 5 km north-west of Talbot, was situated in the middle of a gold belt 11 km long and 1.5 km wide. It was surveyed in 1855 and soon boasted seven general stores, an inn, various tradesmen's enterprises and a hospital. Church Hill, the State School and the cemetery are worth a visit if you're passing through. Although it is now virtually deserted the grid layout of a goldfields town is evident and early mine workings can be seen in the surrounding forests.

Tullaroop Reservoir
Tullaroop Reservoir is a good spot for fishing and picnicking located 16 km north-east via Majorca. There are picnic facilities along the northern shore.

Fell's Gully
Fell's Gully is an attractive spot outside of town full of birds and native orchids. It is a pleasant prospect for bushwalking or a scenic drive. The route takes you by some 19th-century culvert bridges built for Cobb & Co coaches. For directions inquire at the general store in Scandinavian Crescent. They can also direct you to a large outcrop of quartz reef.

	Hotels
	Court House Hotel/Motel Camp St Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2267 Rating: ***
	Talbot Hotel/Motel Camp St Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2204
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Chesterfield House Garden Villas 2 Ballarat St North Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2363 Email: tiffmia@iprimus.com.au Rating: ***
	Chinese Garden Cottage Amherst Winery, Talbot-Avoca Rd Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2105 Facsimile: (03) 5463 2091 Email: amherstwinery@origin.net.au Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Cherokee Park Exotic Getaway Cottage 50 Whittles Rd Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2301
	Restaurants
	Court House Hotel/Motel Camp St Talbot VIC 3371 Telephone: (03) 5463 2267