Maldon
Proud of its historic past but also a thoroughly modern community; Maldon is a uniquely preserved gold mining town and a well-serviced, functional place to live.
Named as Australia's first Notable town by the National Trust in 1966 the central streetscapes of Maldon have been lovingly and meticulously preserved. Solid stone buildings, original shop fronts and period homes make you feel like you've travelled back in time to the region's gold rush days. Look behind and you'll find modern businesses and homes brought well and truly into contemporary times.
With a population of just under 1,500 Maldon is home to active local sporting clubs, a popular primary school and kindergarten, shops, services and a hospital. With many small-scale farms surrounding the town, visiting farm gates and cellar doors is a popular weekend activity as is a trip to the monthly Maldon Market.
Surrounded by forests and relics of the gold mining era the area is a great place for walking and exploring with the top of Anzac Hill and Mount Tarrengower offering spectacular panoramic views. The Mount is also well known for the annual Historic Hill Climb when vintage cars and bikes wind their way to its peak. The Victorian Goldfields Steam Railway operates between Maldon and Castlemaine and the town's annual Easter Fair is one of the oldest in Australia.
For those who love the water, nearby Lake Cairn Curran is popular for everything from fishing and camping to water skiing and has its own busy sailing club.
Getting around
Maldon is under 15 minutes drive from Castlemaine, roughly 30 minutes from Bendigo and just over an hours drive from Melbourne on the Calder Freeway. Train services to Bendigo and Melbourne operate regularly from the Castlemaine railway station.
School buses operate and transport students to Castlemaine and Maryborough.
Services
Maldon is connected to the NBN, electricity and town water. Natural gas was connected in March 2018.
Median house price
Median sales price for a house in Maldon is $627,500*
Median rent for a house in Maldon is $480 per week*
Property
Maldon has shown consistently good growth over the last few years and demand from both local buyers and people seeking a more relaxed life in the country continues to be strong.
The impact of the gold rush can be seen in the properties available, which include historic miners cottages and more lavish Boom Time homes. Victorian and Edwardian properties are also available along with more contemporary dwellings. The opening of new housing estates means affordable house and land packages are now on offer close to the centre of town.
Rental accommodation is available but as a high percentage of homes are owner occupied this can be more difficult to secure.
* www.realestate.com.au updated 24th November 2021
