Steiglitz

Steiglitz is an old gold mining town located in the rugged Brisbane Ranges about an hours drive west of Melbourne between Geelong and Ballarat.

In the 1860s and 1890s it was a busy goldmining township with hotels, shops, churches and a population of over 1000. At the height of the 1860s gold rush, Steiglitz township had more than 1500 residents, four hotels, a newspaper, a variety of shops and even an undertaker.

Following the decline of the gold rush in the late 1870s the population of the town declined. The last gold mine in the town closed in 1941 and the population is now only a few families. The Steiglitz Post Office's history closely follows the town's history: it opened on 15 March 1856 and closed in 1966.

Now most of the town and its surroundings are included in the 469 hectare Steiglitz Historic Park, declared in 1979.

Steiglitz Court House has images of Steiglitz in its boom years - old photographs, maps and relics of the gold years. The book Steiglitz - Memories of Gold, an illustrated history, can be purchased here. For further information, please contact us.

Steiglitz Court House came under National Parks Service management in 1977 and Steiglitz Historic Park, taking in Crown land in and around the township, was proclaimed in 1979. The National Parks Service is now Parks Victoria.

The cemetery on the Maude-Steiglitz Road is worth a visit if you're interested in history. Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, possums and a wide variety of birds including Wedge-tailed Eagles and Crimson Rosellas can be seen around the Park. Plant species found around Steiglitz Historic Park include Brown Stringybarks (Eucalyptus baxteri), Grass-trees (Xanthorrhoea australis), Brisbane Ranges Grevillea (Grevillea steiglitziana) and Common Rice-flower (Pimelea humilis).