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Where are Victoria's Original Bluestone Buildings?

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by Jo Ferguson (subscribe)
I am a freelance writer, editor and photographer.You can view my hubgarden Photo Wow Factor at photowowfactor.hubgarden.com/ See my photos at www.redbubble.com/people/photojojo or on my website at joferguson.weebly.com/
Published May 19th 2014
bluestone, church, kyneton, historic, heritage, building
Church of England Kyneton


Our heritage buildings and historic architecture are not only beautiful to look at but tell a fascinating story about a bygone era.

One unassuming town in country Victoria boasts one of the best collections of original bluestone buildings still intact.

kyneton museum, bluestone, buildings, history, heritage, gold rush,
Kyneton Museum


I am talking about Kyneton in the state's northern central region. Kyneton is 86km from Melbourne and an easy 90 minutes drive along the Calder Freeway. It is a perfect day trip or weekend getaway location with its reputation for fine dining and fascinating crafty and antique shops.

If history is more your style then you will be thrilled by Kyneton's wonderfully preserved past.

Grand Church Architecture
Grand Church Architecture


Kyneton became a thriving hub during Victoria's gold rush era as it was the perfect halfway stopover for intrepid miners on their way to the Bendigo goldfields. There was a need to build a sizeable town quickly and affordably. Bluestone was a solid building material that could be mined in large quantities from the local area and so many of Kyneton's original buildings were constructed from this material.

The bluestone was a popular building material elsewhere in the state and was shipped to Melbourne to create our famous inner suburban cobblestone streets and the old Pentridge Prison to name a few examples.

kyneton, bluestone, building, railway station, historic, heritage, gold rush,
Kyneton Railway Station


When visiting Kyneton you can walk around the town and find a beautiful collection of these bluestone architectural forms hidden down almost every street. It is fascinating to see the different architectural styles that were produced from this one material.

Some really nice examples to look out for include the Kyneton Railway station building, Kyneton Primary School, the original Bank of New South Wales building, now Kyneton Museum, the Royal George Hotel, as well as several local churches and cottages. A single story bluestone building on the corner of Piper and Ebden streets was Kyneton's oldest, built in 1850 and originally an Anglican rectory.

oldest, building, kyneton, cottage, anglican rectory, historic, bluestone, heritage,
Kyneton's Oldest Bluestone Building


Next time you decide to explore Kyneton, see how many other bluestone buildings you can find.

To learn more about the history and attractions of Kyneton visit the kyneton homepage. www.kyneton.org.au


kyneton, bluestone, building, primary school, original, historic, heritage,
Kyneton Primary School


So over to you now, whereelse in Victoria can you find original bluestone buildings?
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What gorgeous old buildings... you are making me seriously home sick for Victoria.
by Tracie Louise (score: 2|123) 3307 days ago
Well done on your 3rd placing.
by Bastion Harrison (score: 4|12640) 3300 days ago
Another great article, Jo! Very interesting :)
by Fiona Anderson (score: 3|1108) 3304 days ago
I really like the brickwork of these buildings.
by Bastion Harrison (score: 4|12640) 3306 days ago
I grew up in an old bluestone house near Maryborough. It was an amazing place to spend my childhood in and with our friends we played many games of hide and seek and climbed up to the roof where there is a viewing area. We also had fabulous tennis parties and our birthdays too.My parents still live there today and I love going home when I can. It's cold in winter but wonderfully cool during hot summer days
by kirsten baz (score: 1|49) 3303 days ago
Westgarthtown at Thomastown. My ancestors built a bluestone farmhouse there which is still standing and classified. It is Christian & Sophia Ziebell's property.
Link -http://www.westgarthtown.org.au/sites/
Really interesting to look over and see what life was like for them back then.
by kates (score: 0|3) 3301 days ago
the ist pic is not the church of england, its the catholic one
by girop (score: 0|2) 3224 days ago
not church of england kyneton. should be our lady of the rosary church
by noel. (score: 0|2) 2149 days ago
The picture identified as Kyneton's oldest bluestone building (which the article says is the Church of England Old Rectory) is in fact the residence of the adjoining Willis Mill: the Old Rectory is diagonally opposite.
by info (score: 0|2) 2045 days ago
The picture identified as Kyneton's oldest bluestone building (which the article says is the Church of England Old Rectory) is in fact the residence of the adjoining Willis Mill: the Old Rectory is diagonally opposite.
by info (score: 0|2) 2045 days ago

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