Castlemaine is a name which is probably familiar to most Australians even though relatively few may have visited the former goldmining settlement. The reason being that the town was the original home of Castlemaine XXXX.

In fact, it is a town with an interesting history and a number of attractions, including some fine heritage buildings along its wide streets, a very good botanic garden (it is one of the state's oldest) and numerous outstanding private gardens which are revealed biennially during the Festival of Gardens. It also has a surprisingly high profile for the arts, being home to a number of artists and boasting one of Victoria's best provincial art galleries.

Castlemaine is located amidst low red hills at the confluence of Barkers, Campbells and Forest Creeks. Once a goldmining settlement, it is now a substantial industrial centre in a fruit-growing and farming area. The present population is about 7600.