Built around the delightful Wombat Hill in Victoria's central highlands, just
over an hour by car from Melbourne, Daylesford has become a popular destination
for daytrippers and weekend visitors. Together with the twin town Hepburn
Springs, it is probably best known for its natural mineral springs and
some historic guest-houses and Bed and Breakfast places built to accommodate
those lured to the area by the springs. However, Daylesford also enjoys
a reputation as a goldfields town and much has been made in recent times
of the Swiss-Italian migrants who pioneered European settlement in the
area during the gold rush in the 1850s. As befits its name, Daylesford
has a very English 'feel' to it while Hepburn Springs displays more of
its Swiss-Italian heritage.
