Hepburn Springs is a
resort town
A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...
located in the middle of the largest concentration of
mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage un ...
s in Australia, situated in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, 48 km northeast of
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria.
Within mo ...
. In the , Hepburn had a population of 631,
and Hepburn Springs had a population of 368. The total population of Hepburn Springs was 928. The town is named after
Captain John Hepburn, who was an early
squatter
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not Land ownership and tenure, own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estima ...
in central Victoria. The traditional owners of the land are the
Dja Dja Wurrung
The Djadjawurrung or Dja Dja Wurrung, also known as the Djaara or Jajowrong people and Loddon River tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people who are the traditional owners of lands including the water catchment areas of the Loddon and Avoca ...
.
Hepburn and Hepburn Springs are twin towns that are often grouped together under the Hepburn Springs name. Hepburn Springs was originally known as "Spring Creek" and Hepburn as "Old Racecourse". Old Racecourse is the location of the recreation reserve, and "New Racecourse" is otherwise known as Victoria Park in nearby Daylesford. Both Hepburn and Hepburn Springs were located on the
Jim Crow Diggings, and the towns were populated by miners in the 1850s, predominantly from England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France. The Hepburn Post Office opened on January 1, 1854 and closed in 1964. Later, the Hepburn Springs Post Office opened on October 1, 1908.
Today, the village is known as a
spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...
. Visitors can sample the local
mineral water
Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent).
Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...
s, and explore other local amenities.
Hepburn Springs' buildings are dominated by Edwardian architecture, unlike the Victorian architecture present in nearby
Daylesford. This is due to the devastation of the 1906 bushfire, which destroyed most buildings in the settlement.
Hepburn Springs is located in the
Wombat State Forest
The Wombat State Forest (locally: Bullarook) is located west of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, between Woodend, Victoria, Woodend and Daylesford, Victoria, Daylesford, at the Great Dividing Range. The forest is approximat ...
between the former volcanoes of Mt. Franklin and Wombat Hill. The prevalence of mineral water in the area is related to the distance from the
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...
and the volcanic nature of the geology.
Mineral Springs
In 1864, its citizens met at the Savoia Hotel and petitioned the government to protect the mineral springs from mining
– the water was rated above gold and the Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve was created in 1865. Many of its residents came from 'spa' areas in Italy, Germany, and England and appreciated its value. A bathhouse was created in the 1890s and has been remodelled several times. The latest remodelling opened in 2008. Several springs exist in the main reserve: Soda, Sulphur, Pavilion, Locarno and Wyuna. Golden Spring, Hendersons and Lithia Spring are located in the vicinity.
Swiss and Italian Influence
The influence of the
Swiss Italians of Australia
Swiss Italians of Australia are the Italian-speaking Swiss who settled in Australia during the 1850s and 1860s and their descendants who identified as such.
The Swiss immigrants were from the canton of Ticino and the southern part of Graubünd ...
- Italian-speaking Swiss from the cantons of Ticino and Grison and the northern Italians - is still present in the township through the names of its residents, the names of its springs (Locarno) and buildings (Savoia Hotel, Parma House, Perinis, Bellinzona), and the annual Swiss-Italian Festa.
The heart of the Italian-speaking community was the area around the Savoia (Spring Creek) Hotel and the Macaroni Factory. The Savoia is named after the royal family of unified Italy. An Italian reading library was located at the hotel, and pasta was made opposite in Lucini's Macaroni Factory which was also home to the Democratic Club. Lucini's moved from Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in 1865, where they had set up the first pasta factory in Australia in 1864. Vanzetta's bakery supplied bread and Crippa, Perini and the Gervasonis (Yandoit Creek) produced wine.
Renowned landscape artist
Victor Zelman lived at Zelman Cottage in Hepburn Springs. It contains a frieze in the main living area of the 360-degree ridgeline view from the cottage.
A local delicacy is bullboar which is a sausage made from beef, pork, garlic and spices. In 2005, Daylesford Secondary College participated in ABC's Young Gourmets by making bullboars from the Gervasoni and Sartori recipes. It gained media attention over the fate of the pig used. The Bullboar has been named an endangered recipe by the
Slow Food Movement.
A book on the Swiss Italians in the region entitled ''Bullboar Macaroni and Mineral Water'' by Clare Gervasoni details the influence of the Swiss Italians on Hepburn Springs.
In 2007, the Melbourne Immigration Museum featured a display entitled "''Wine Water and Stone"'' reflecting the Swiss and Italian heritage of the area.
Heritage listed sites

Hepburn Springs has 7 sites on the
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. ...
:
Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve including the bathhouse and the pavilion;
Hepburn Pool which was named Victoria's Favourite Built Place in 2004 Parma House; Blowhole Gold Diversion Tunnel where Chinese miners diverted the Jim Crow Creek; Former Macaroni Factory which is still owned by the descendants of the Lucini family; Jim Crow Creek Gold Mining Diversion Sluice and Breakneck Gorge Puddling Site which is located near the Blowhole.
The Hepburn Planning Scheme also lists a number of sites of local heritage significance including the Savoia Hotel, Wyuna, Mooltan, the Grande, the Palais, Dudley House, Mineral Springs Hotel and the Breakneck Gorge culvert.
Entertainment
The Palais is a well-known and popular bar and music venue which regularly attracts national and international acts including
Paul Kelly,
Mark Seymour
Mark Jeremy Seymour (born 26 July 1956) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors from 1981 until 1998. Seymour has carved a solo career, releasing his debut solo alb ...
and
Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole (born 31 January 1961) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was lead vocalist of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989 and subsequently worked solo.
Early life
Cole was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. He ...
. The Palais was a popular dance venue in the 1920s
–1950s and has a sprung wooden floor which is good for dancing.
The Laurie Sullivan Reserve is a popular place for walking amongst the trees planted by Laurie Sullivan, many of which are now memorials to local stalwarts who were instrumental in the development and management of the reserve.
The area is well known for its health, well-being and food. Several day spas utilising mineral water are located in the township as well a wide range of restaurants, cafe, hotels, guest houses and accommodation options.
The town is surrounded by the Hepburn Regional Park where it is possible to conduct short or long bushwalks, along old gold mining water sluices and peppered by mineral springs.
Playgrounds are found at the Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve and at the Laurie Sullivan Recreation Reserve. Barbecue facilities are located at the Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve and the Hepburn Pool.
Sport
The local
Australian Rules
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
Football team is the Hepburn Burras who play at the Laurie Sullivan Recreation Reserve in 20th St, competing in the
Central Highlands Football League
The Central Highlands Football Netball League is an Australian Rules Football & Netball League in the Ballarat, Victoria, Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18, Under 15 and Under 12 grades.
History
;Central Highla ...
.
In summer the Hepburn Cricket team also play at the reserve. Hepburn football and cricket clubs have been successful clubs in the early twenty-first century.
Golfers play at the course of the Hepburn Springs Golf Club on Golf Links Road.
Notable people
*
Lisa Gervasoni – Artist and planner
*
Robert Walls
Robert Walls (21 July 1950 – 15 May 2025) was an Australian rules footballer who represented and in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s.
In a playing career that spanned three decades, Walls played a combined 2 ...
– AFL coach and player
*
Victor Zelman – Artist
*
Richard Pleasance
Richard Arnold Pleasance is an Australian rock musician and producer. He was a founding member of Boom Crash Opera on guitar, bass guitar, vocals and as a songwriter in 1985; they released three albums before Pleasance left in 1992. Their hit Au ...
– Musician
Notes
;Notes
* Daylesford Advocate, Mercury, Express, Mercury-Express. 1859-1870 Data extracted and interpreted by Les Pitt-Daylesford
Bibliography
* Clare Gervasoni, ''Bullboar Macaroni and Mineral Water: Spa Country's Swiss & Italian Story'' 2005
External links
Information Centre/ Official regional government tourism site.Hepburn Springs- Official state government tourism site.
{{authority control
Towns in Victoria (state)
Springs of Australia
Tourist attractions in Victoria (state)
Spa towns in Australia