Smythesdale and Scarsdale
Gold was discovered at Smythesdale, 19 kilometres south-west of Ballarat, in 1853. Today the small town features the historic Court House Hotel, built in 1859, and Police Camp Historic Precinct which includes an old bluestone police station lock-up and historic court house. Nearby Scarsdale, four kilometres away, features a circa 1861 hotel and old town hall.
Relics of Smythesdale's gold-mining history can be found at the Jubilee Mine Historic Reserve, 11 kilometres south of town on Jubilee Road. It is one of Victoria's best preserved gold mining sites. Relics include old cyanide vats, mullock heaps, brick walls, and water races rusting in the silence of the bush.
Did You Know?
Smythesdale is the birthplace of Arthur Alfred Lynch, a polymath who was trained in engineering and medicine, wrote poetry, was a Member of the British Parliament and fought against the British in the Second Boer War.