Newstead
Newstead sits on the banks of the Loddon River, north-central Victoria's largest, which begins in Trentham and winds its way north to join the Murray River. The Loddon is a popular spot for fishing and swimming and feeds nearby Lake Cairn Curran, well known for boating, water skiing and sailing.
Flanked by the smaller centres of Green Gully, Sandon, Strangways, Welshmans Reef and Clydesdale, Newstead is surrounded by farmland producing crops as diverse as sheep, emus, wine and organic produce. While it's not known for gold like its neighbours, mining is still a part of its history. It was a safe spot for miners to cross the river on their way to the Castlemaine and Mount Alexander diggings; someone clever opened a hotel and the township was born.
With a population of about 800, Newstead today is a town with a strong sense of community and an independent spirit. In the picturesque main street there are two pubs, the iconic local butchers, a supermarket, bakery, cafes and motels, a community centre, antique and collectibles shops.
Wander a little further and you'll find artists studios, bed and breakfasts and small vineyards. There's also a thriving local primary school, kindergarten, several busy sporting facilities, a community garden and community-run swimming pool. Throughout the year the small town swells with visitors to festivals and events celebrating everything from folk music to street rods.
Passionate about the environment, locals have recently set themselves an ambitious goal to run the town on 100 per cent locally generated renewable energy.
Getting around
Newstead is an easy 15 minute drive from Castlemaine, 45 minutes from Bendigo and about 1.5 hours from Melbourne.
The town is serviced by two V/Line coach lines, one between Castlemaine and Maryborough and the other, Mildura to Ballarat (via Bendigo). The train to Melbourne is a short drive away in Castlemaine.
School buses operate and transport students to Castlemaine and Maryborough.
Services
Newstead is connected to the NBN. Town water, electricity and natural gas are all connected.
In 2015, the government awarded a $200,000 grant to Newstead 2021, a local community group, to transition their town to 100 per cent renewable energy. Visit www.renewablenewstead.com.au for more details.
Median house price
The median sale price for a house in Newstead is $532,000*.
Property
The local market has continued to rise in recent years, thanks to plenty of demand from both local buyers and people seeking a more relaxed life in the country.
New homes are in short supply and tend to be owner built. Land sales within the township are rare but large blocks and small acreage properties within easy access of town are frequently available.
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
