Gold In The Hills

There’s so much to do, so close to Melbourne, that many
conference delegates will need a holiday to recover.

Follow this link to conference & meeting venues in >> Macedon Ranges, Victoria >> Goldfields, Victoria.

The Central Highlands district is primarily known for its rich gold strikes that occurred in the early 1850s. The settlements that grew around the goldfields prospered quickly and the good fortunes that prevail in towns like Bendigo and Ballarat are still vibrant today.

The Doherty Ballarat Lodge plans a new state-of-the-art convention centre which will make it the largest in central Victoria. It is expected that the 1,000 square metre centre will open in March 2005 and seat 800 people for conferences and 680 for banquets. It will also complement its existing 15 meeting rooms. An additional 15 suite-style guestrooms are also planned, which will increase the total to 86 guestrooms and suites.

Craigs Royal Hotel at Ballarat has recently completed a major refurbishment. Built in 1853, it has hosted such illustrious guests as Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, Mark Twain and Nellie Melba. Craigs has 5 conference rooms, ranging from the Grand Dining Room for 180 people theatre style down to the Bluestone Cellar for 20 theatre style.

Sovereign Hill is the region’s premier tourist attraction and one perfectly suited to conferences and special events. Covering some 25 hectares, Sovereign Hill has more than 60 buildings, all historically accurate for the 1850s. With a range of venues suitable for small to medium meetings, it can also arrange special after hours tours – cocktails far underground in Sovereign Hill’s Quartz Mine, costumed group photos and much more.

Sovereign Hill now has something entirely different for groups. Narmbool is a 2,000 hectare sheep property near Elaine, just 20 minutes from Ballarat. The Garden Room restaurant is an elegant space with French doors opening onto an expansive terrace overlooking picturesque gardens. It seats around 130 people.