Step back in time at one of Australia’s oldest and best-preserved heritage steam railways with a train ride on Puffing Billy, situated in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.
Victoria
Cattlemen's Huts, High Country- hand-built alpine heritage
J Ward, Ararat - compelling crime history
Best historical experiences in regional Victoria
From Sovereign Hill to Kryal Castle, these are the top historical experiences across regional Victoria including major hubs Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland and Yarra Valley.
Victorian towns preserve an extraordinary cross-section of Australian history. From alpine huts built by pioneering cattlemen to river paddlesteamers, goldrush streetscapes, heritage railways and colonial-era courts, regional Victoria offers plenty of immersive ways to experience life in earlier centuries.
Whether you're planning a short escape or a multi-day heritage loop, this guide explores the best historical experiences in regional Victoria and how to build them into a memorable, engaging itinerary.
Before heading on a road trip to regional Victoria, review your road safety checklist, pack your car safety kit, and ensure your Emergency Roadside Assistance subscription is up-to-date.
Regional Victoria's best historical experiences
Sovereign Hill, Ballarat - gold rush turned living museum
A visit to Sovereign Hill remains the definitive introduction to Victoria's 1850s gold rush around the Ballarat-Bendigo area.
The outdoor museum recreates 1850s Ballarat with remarkable fidelity: gravel roads lined with timber shops, miners panning the creek, blacksmiths working fiery forges, and horse-drawn coaches rattling along the street. Demonstrations, underground mine experiences and costumed interpreters make the living museum an award-winning attraction.
Must-do: Pan for real gold in the original diggings site and book the spectacular evening show if it's running during your visit.
Sovereign Hill in Ballarat gives you the opportunity to pan for real gold. Image: Visit Victoria
Central Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo - go underground
At Central Deborah Gold Mine (1939-1954), pop on a hard hat and descend 61 metres underground Bendigo to walk in the footsteps of past gold miners. You'll explore the hidden underground tunnels, experience the harsh conditions that miners faced in the gold rush era, discover how the mine's 929kg of gold was extracted, witness traditional mining equipment in action, and see gold in its natural state.
Above ground, restored machinery and interpretive displays round out the story of Bendigo's gold-industry evolution. Climb the 22 metre poppet head for a birds-eye view of Bendigo and make sure not to miss the Hand of Faith replica: a gold nugget weighing 27.2kg that was found near Bendigo.
Must-do: Book the Mine Experience or the more advanced Underground Adventure tour.
More: The ultimate travel guide to Victoria's Goldfields region
Cattlemen's Huts, High Country- hand-built alpine heritage
Australian poet Banjo Paterson's famous poem The Man from Snowy River (1890) immortalised the legendary cattlemen who lived across southern Australia's hinterland.
While they may look rustic or even quaint today, these huts were the difference between life and death for cattlemen and other bushies during their annual stock drives. Over 60 of the huts, built from 1889, survive today. Some families even lived in the huts for decades. Other huts were purpose-made for films, such as Craig's Hut for The Man from Snowy River (1982) and the Silver Brumby Hut for The Silver Brumby (1993).
Must-do: Book in a guided horseback tour to really experience the sentiment of the Cattlemen's Huts.
Wallace's Hut in Falls Creek is just one of many old alpine huts. Image: Visit Victoria
Old Gippstown, Moe - Gippsland's heritage township
Out in Moe, Gippsland, you can find Old Gippstown: a heritage township that portrays Gippsland's settlement era.
Old Gippstown is filled with authentic 1840s-1930s buildings, plus one of Australia's best collections of horse-drawn vehicles - including a World War I Mark VI Ambulance. Visit to see relics like Bushy Park Homestead, Calagero Log Cabin, Ashdale Farmhouse & Shearing Shed, and Rhoden's Halfway House: one of the few remaining Cobb & Co. Inns in existence.
Must-do: Allow at least two hours to walk the full site.
J Ward, Ararat - compelling crime history
J Ward was originally the Ararat County Gaol (1861–1886) for goldfields offenders, but later served as a maximum-security psychiatric facility to house the criminally insane (1887–1991). It's a compelling site to explore in the Grampians.
The stories you will hear by booking into a guided tour are horrifying: both the crimes committed and the barbarism that inmates were forced to endure. This imposing bluestone gaol includes gallows where murderers were hanged right in the middle of the ward, and the unmarked graves where the hanged were buried. You will also see the Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) rooms, the straitjackets that kept prisoners from self-mutilation, the dining hall where a 100-year-old inmate stabbed another inmate through the hand for wanting some bread, and many other onsite locations.
If you have time, head over to the Aradale Lunatic Asylum, where the non-criminal mentally ill were housed for 126 years (1867–1993).
Must-do: Take a day tour for context; if you enjoy darker history, consider one of the ghost tours.
Old Gippstown is a great place to see heritage buildings, tools and vehicles. Image: Everyday Nicky
Mont de Lancey, Yarra Valley - colonial homestead excellence
In the hills of the Yarra Valley's Wandin North, the beautiful brick homestead Mont De Lancey is one of the Yarra Valley's best-preserved pioneer properties.
Built in the 1880s by the pioneering Sebire family, the homestead precinct includes original furnishings, farm buildings, a blacksmith's forge, vintage tools and landscaped gardens. Volunteers provide detailed guided tours that explain Yarra Valley settlement and agricultural development. Mont de Lancey is also host to blacksmithing and woodturning courses, a machinery restoration society, and monthly country markets.
Must-do: Sign up for a yesteryear tour that highlights the difference between a modern home and the historic homestead.
Mont de Lancey is less than a 30-minute drive from the RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort: the ideal base for exploring Victoria's Yarra Valley.
The Convent Gallery, Daylesford - history, art and architecture
The Convent in Daylesford blends layered history with contemporary art. Now a renowned art gallery and luxury hotel, it was previously a private mansion, then a convent and boarding school.
The grand three-storey building was was originally home to Gold Warden and Magistrate James Daly, who had a house built high on Wombat Hill in 1862 to overlook Daylesford. In 1891 the property became the Holy Cross Convent of the Presentation Sisters: a teaching order of nuns that originated in Ireland. The convent-school lasted for 90 years, educating hundreds of children.
With dwindling nun and student numbers, art enthusiast Tina Banitska bought the property in 1988. She spent two years working with local heritage architect Vladimir Chernov to transform the old convent into the restored Convent Gallery, which opened on Easter Saturday 1991. Today, it houses galleries, a museum room, a chapel, gardens and a café, all set within beautifully restored architecture.
Must-do: Walk through the historic chapel, explore the curated art collections and take in the sweeping views across Daylesford.
Daylesford's Convent Gallery is less than 30 minutes drive from the RACV Goldfields Resort.
Daylesford Convent was once The Holy Cross Convent of the Presentation Sisters. Image: Visit Victoria
Old Beechworth Gaol, High Country - colonial justice
Are you a Ned Kelly buff? When you're next in Victoria's High Country, swing into Beechworth to visit the Old Beechworth Gaol.
This imposing prison (then HM Prison Beechworth) housed Ned Kelly twice, along with his mother Ellen, his brother Dan, and his compatriot Harry Power. Constructed in the 1860s with granite quarried onsite, the gold rush prison's cell blocks, observation hall, watchtowers, exercise yards, iron entrance gates, gaoler's quarters and more are all still intact.
Nearby, the Beechworth Historic Precinct includes the courthouse (site of pivotal Kelly-era hearings), the Burke Museum and several original government buildings.
Must-do: Join a guided gaol tour, then head to the courthouse to learn about the Kelly trials.
Kryal Castle, Ballarat: medieval history with theatrical flair
Just outside Ballarat, Kryal Castle is a portal back to medieval times, complete with jousting knights, spell-casting wizards and royal families.
Inside Kryal Castle's walls is a sprawling replica medieval village, a lavishly decorated castle, and a labyrinth. Kids will have a blast at Kryal as they watch live performances, explore medieval crafts, mazes and builings, and try their hand at archery and axe throwing. There's even a creepy Torture Museum to brave.
Must-do: Attend a jousting tournament to see mounted knights clash and compete.
Kryal Castle is sure to delight kids of all ages. Image: Visit Victoria
Port of Echuca, Murray River - steam power on the Murray
A trip to the Murray River isn't complete without taking the opportunity to ride on board an old-school paddlesteamer at the historic Echuca whard precinct, once Australia's busiest inland port.
Murray Paddlesteamers operates several beautifully restored vessels like the PS Emmylou, offering cruises ranging from one-hour river journeys to multi-day steam-powered experiences. Watch as the engineer stokes the steam engines with redgum wood, look out at the giant paddlewheels turning, and even try your hand at steering the boat in the wheelhouse.
Must-do: Book a paddlesteamer cruise to appreciate the role river transport played in shaping Victoria.
Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement - a complete heritage township
On a road trip from Melbourne to Mildura, make sure to visit Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement: one of Australia's most comprehensive open-air museums.
This town is full of professionally-restored artefacts from the settlement era: a print shop, woodturner, stereoscopic theatre, steam workshop and much more. Don't miss the PS Pyap, which was once used as a floating general store that visited small towns and farm stations along the lower Murray River.
There's even two award-winning, 360-degree light shows: Legends of the Mallee and Heartbeat of the Murray, which uncover the Mallee regions' and Murray River's Indigenous, colonial and wartime past.
Must-do: Book in to see the laser light spectacular running on the night of your visit.
Hop aboard a paddlesteamer at the Port of Echuca. Image: Visit Victoria
Puffing Billy Railway, Yarra Valley - heritage steam railway
Puffing Billy is Australia's most famous heritage railway, operating along an early-1900s mountain line through the forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges.
This beautifully preserved steam locomotive was originally built in 1900 to transport passengers, livestock, potatoes and timber to the small communities living in the Dandenong Ranges hills. The railway is run by over 300 volunteers and often hosts unique events. The open-sided carriages, steam locomotives and timber trestle bridges tell the story of early rural rail transport.
Must-do: Ride from Belgrave to Lakeside, where you can enjoy the lake, visitor centre and walking trails before returning by rail.
RACV Members save on Puffing Billy Railway tickets.
Walhalla, Gippsland - goldfields town frozen in time
Hidden in a steep valley in the Gippsland high country, Walhalla is one of Victoria's quirkiest small towns.
The Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine offers guided underground tours, while the restored main street, hillside cemetery and Walhalla Goldfields Railway create a vivid sense of a once-booming community now preserved in time.
Must-do: Ride the narrow-gauge railway, then take a guided mine tour for the full Walhalla experience.
