Maryborough

Overview

Centrally located in the heart of Victoria, between Ballarat and Bendigo, Maryborough is surrounded by a Box Ironbark forest. It has in recent times become a major retail centre, with significant development occurring.

The Civic Square, known as McLandress Square, is surrounded by one of Australia's most significant clusters of public buildings.   It features the Courthouse, Post Office, Town Hall and Fire Station.

History

The area was originally inhabited by the Dja Dja Wurrung people. The first Europeans to settle were the Simson brothers, who established a sheep station, known as Charlotte Plains, in 1840. Gold was discovered at White Hill, 4 kilometres north of Maryborough, in 1854, leading to prospectors rushing to the area. At its peak, Maryborough had a population of up to 50,000.

The settlement was originally known as Simsons, but later changed to Maryborough by the gold commissioner James Daly, after his Irish birthplace. One of Victoria's earliest newspapers, The Maryborough Advertiser, was established in 1854. Land sales commenced in 1856, and Maryborough became the administrative and commercial centre of the area. The town became a borough in 1857.

The last gold mine in Maryborough closed in 1918. In 1924 the Maryborough Knitting Mills opened, which established the town as a centre for the wool industry. Maryborough became a city in 1961.

Places of interest

Historic Railway Station
Civic Square
Princes Park
Bristol Hill
Central Goldfields Art Gallery
Philips Gardens
Paddys Ranges State Park

Accommodation

Maryborough offers an excellent range of accommodation from motels to hotels, cottages, guest houses to bed and breakfast lodgings.

Further information can be found on the Visit Maryborough website http://www.visitmaryborough.com.au

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