Macedon

At the base of Mount Macedon’s southern slopes is the pretty village of Macedon, with streets softened by established trees and a quiet town centre with all the facilities you would expect of a country village - a bakery, newsagency and post office.

What you may not expect is the casually stylish Sitka Foodstore and Café or the newly refurbished Clock and Beaver Wine Bar and Restaurant. During the week, and even more on weekends, these popular establishments hum with happy diners and are worth the detour into town.

The village of Macedon was originally known as Middle Gully, and sprang up when gold was discovered in 1851 at Castlemaine and Bendigo. The fledgling township provided inns, beer houses, coffee tents, blacksmiths' forges and stores to supply the needs of the weary travellers heading north to try their luck at the gold fields. In one week in 1851, over one ton of gold was conveyed through Macedon on route to Melbourne. The construction of the railway in 1861 brought many workers and their families to the district. At the villages of Lower Macedon and Upper Macedon, churches and schools were built to meet the needs of the growing communities.

In later years, many wealthy business men purchased substantial areas of land on which to build large homes at Upper Macedon. This they did to take advantage of the pure mountain air and to escape the hot summers of Melbourne. But with the development and increasing popularity of the motor car, the Melbourne wealthy were able to travel greater distances than Mount Macedon, so many of the homes were converted to guest houses with the residents of Macedon providing the gardeners, caretakers and domestic workers. This whole area then developed a reputation as a popular tourist destination which is still firmly established today.

A must drive in Macedon is Honour Avenue which leads to Mount Macedon Road. The spectacular avenue of oaks honours the 154 men and women of Macedon and Mount Macedon who enlisted for service during the Great War 1914 – 1918.