Melbourne was founded in 1835 when settler John Batman declared at a point on the northern bank of the Yarra River (at the end of where William Street is now) would be "the place for a village" In 1837, surveyor Robert Hoddle designed Melbourne's central grid pattern which was aligned with the Yarra River and consisted of main thoroughfares 30 metres wide with narrower east-west service lanes

The gold rush of the 1850s saw many thousands of Chinese arrive in Bendigo Within ten years the Chinese miners and merchants made up 20% of the Bendigo population

Spend some time along Adelaide's gorgeous coastline Relax in the village atmosphere of our beachside suburbs

Warrnambool is home to many shipwrecks, a historic boathouse, a recreated maritime village and was Victoria’s most active port in the 1880s A mysterious shipwreck buried deep beneath the sand dunes on Warrnambool’s outskirts is just one of the intriguing tales that contribute to the city’s unique history

As rain water passes through the atmosphere, it absorbs carbon dioxide and becomes mildly acidic Limestone, when saturated under water, is slowly dissolved by the acidic solution causing cracks and fissures which gradually enlarge into caves

Bacchus Marsh is located mid-way between Melbourne and Ballarat, in a rich and fertile valley that consists of orchards, market gardens and pastoral fields The town has a long history, dating back to just before gold was discovered in nearby Ballarat during the mid 1850s

Ballarat is Victoria's third largest city, located just over an hour by road or rail west of Melbourne Ballarat has enjoyed a rich and prosperous heritage thanks to the Gold Rush which began in 1851

The town of Maldon is located in a historical gold mining region between the larger centres of Castlemaine and Bendigo Maldon has been perfectly preserved since its mining days and is Australia's First Notable Town - classified by the National Trust in 1966

Castlemaine is a former gold mining town, located between the cities of Ballarat and Bendigo and situated in a valley at the junction of three creeks Years after prosperous gold mining days passed, Castlemaine established itself as a town with a thriving agricultural, arts and tourism industry

Located mid-way between Ballarat and Ararat, historic Beaufort is situated in a rich pastoral district Gold was first discovered around Beaufort in 1852 which saw the town's population rise dramatically, however it was short-lived with most of the alluvial gold gone around 10 years later