I thoroughly enjoy taking the train to Melbourne, either via Ballarat or Castlemaine. Last week I took two grandchildren through Castlemaine (return trip was $9.20, unbelievable), stopping at stations along the way, Malmsbury, Kyneton, Woodend Macedon etc. I took notice of the station buildings: brick, wood, bluestone, granite. If I was generous my description of each would be modest, the major regional cities, Ballarat and Bendigo, their stations uninspiring! When compared to ‘our Station’, that can only be described as magnificent.
As Mark Twain remarked, “a railway station with a town attached”. This leads me to the Station’s importance to our economic future. The current bid to have the Central Victorian Goldfields listed as a World Heritage Site will see an influx of national and international visitors to this region, estimated to attract two million visitors, adding $400 million to the regional economy over ten years. For us to benefit from this we must be proactive and promote the many attractions of our Shire.
To begin, we have three things that no-one else can lay claim to 1) we are called Central Goldfields Shire, 2) the largest nugget of gold ever found in the world, the ‘Welcome Stranger’ was found at Moliagul, and we have the incomparable Railway Station. Our champion on the bid taskforce Cr. Chris Meddows-Taylor will leave no stone unturned to ensure the interests of Central Goldfields Shire are front and centre, but it is up to the community to commit ongoing support.
