The streets of Kyneton, less than one hour from Melbourne Airport, are lined with fine old Victorian-era shops and hotels, legacies of the great gold rush of the mid-nineteenth-century. In Kyneton’s Piper Street the vision, the drive and the creativity of a handful of people has created a dining and shopping strip as alluring as any in the metropolis.

From pizzeria with pizzazz to fine dining, Piper Street has enough to keep gourmands, as well as shoppers, strolling up and down its time-worm flagstones all day. The grand old Royal George Hotel, a legacy of the coaching days, offers a sophistication seldom seen beyond city limits.

September 2012. Back to Kyneton on a blustery Spring day, this time to take in the monthly Saturday Makers' Market (i.e. farmers' market) staged on the grounds of St Paul's, one of several grand bluestone churches. Daffodils in full bloom provide the inspiration for a seasonal festival. Spent too much on local wines, breads, cheeses and chutneys, most produced in the surrounding Macedon Ranges district. Some Piper Street businesses have folded their tents, although many familiar names remain.

June 2021. Malmsbury and Taradale are two historic gold mining townships within easy reach of Kyneton, each now reduced to mere hamlets.

April 2022. Macedon and Woodend, plus a little to the east Lancefield and the nearby townships, all now benefit from a revival as desirable 'tree change' destinations for pandemic-weary city-dwellers.

These images were taken with Nikon D300 and D200 using RAW format, and are available for licensing.