Buninyong

Buninyong was settled long before Ballarat existed. In 1838 the Learmonth brothers established a sheep station near Buninyong; and the first huts in the historic village, 13 kilometres south of Ballarat, were built in 1841. An eating house was also established in 1841, the Crown Hotel was licensed in 1842, Australia's first inland doctor, Dr Power, arrived in 1844, and the first clergyman in the district arrived in 1847. Gold was discovered three kilometres from Buninyong in August 1851, and by 1871 the town had 20 hotels.

Today Buninyong features some splendid colonial architecture, including the Italianate town hall, circa 1857 library, former court house, Eagle Store, and former National Bank. Nearby Mount Buninyong, an extinct volcano, offers several walking tracks and great views across Ballarat. The Buninyong Farmer's Market, held every third Saturday of each month, gives visitors the opportunity to sample some of the region's fine local produce.

Buninyong's Old Cemetery

Thought to be established in 1839, Buninyong's Old Cemetery, the oldest in the goldfields region, is located behind a white picket fence just off the main road in central Buninyong. You'd never know the cemetery was there unless you knew where to look - no headstones remain and time has eroded all signs of any grave mounds. It is thought the first burial took place in this cemetery around 1837; unfortunately no records of who is buried here have survived.

The site was abandoned in the 1850s following the introduction of a new law which stated that cemeteries must be built at least one mile outside a township.

All trace of the existence of the pioneer men, women and children buried at Old Buninyong Cemetery are gone. However this resting place is kept sacred to their memories and will never be sold.