Clunes: Gold Rush History and Booktown Culture

Clunes combines gold rush history with book culture. It is one of only 15 internationally recognised Booktowns. Its museum, walking tours and recurring events offer different ways to help you choose when to visit.

Gold Rush History at the Museum and in the Townscape

The Clunes Museum is housed in the former warehouse of building contractors Nichol and Wallace; the building dates from around 1860. In the Gold Room, the museum displays artefacts relating to the discovery of gold. The Sir John Longstaff Kitchen recreates a typical kitchen from a miner’s cottage in the 19th century. The Gold Room thus displays objects relating to the discovery of gold, while the Kitchen conveys everyday life at the time through a recreated living space. The former warehouse provides the architectural context; the exhibits complement it with the story of gold discovery and a miner’s kitchen.

Fraser Street is also part of the historic townscape, with particularly well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture. Walking tours of Clunes take in landmarks such as the former London Chartered Bank Building, built in 1871, and the Italianate Post Office, dating from 1878. The museum’s warehouse dates from around 1860; the three construction dates therefore form a chronological sequence ending in 1878. The street architecture and the named buildings offer different ways of looking at the town: a preserved streetscape on the one hand and individual historic buildings on the other.

Experience Clunes as a Booktown

Clunes’ status as a Booktown is evident in more than just the name. The annual Clunes Booktown Festival takes place on the third weekend in March and features book browsing, talks about books, and opportunities to meet authors. As programme details may change, check the exact festival dates and programme before travelling. The Italianate Post Office is also connected with books: it currently houses a second-hand bookshop. The festival is a scheduled event with several types of activities, while the bookshop, as the current use of a historic building, offers its own connection to Clunes’ book culture.

Markets and Other Travel Dates

The events calendar also includes two monthly markets and an agricultural show. The Clunes Farmers’ Market and the Clunes Makers’ Market both take place on the second Sunday of each month. The Clunes Agricultural Show takes place on the third Saturday in November. Check the specific dates for the markets and show before travelling so you can plan your trip around the event you want to attend.

The festival and markets follow different schedules: the festival takes place on a weekend in March, the two markets on the second Sunday of the month, and the show on the third Saturday in November. If a particular event is important to you, check its date against your preferred travel dates before choosing a hotel.

Discover more destinations: Winton North, Willaura, Wye River, Black Rock, Timboon, Bonnie Doon, Kangaroo Flat, Humevale.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.