Clunes brings together buildings and collection items from the Gold Rush era with a distinctive book culture. This gives you several ways to plan your visit: explore the town’s history through its museum and architecture, or plan your stay around a festival or market day. Events follow different schedules—monthly, in November or in March—and you can match them to your travel dates.
Gold Rush History at the Museum
The Clunes Museum is housed in a former warehouse belonging to builders Nichol and Wallace, dating to around 1860. The Gold Room displays artefacts relating to the discovery of gold. The Sir John Longstaff Kitchen recreates a typical kitchen from a 19th-century miner’s cottage. In this way, the museum connects the building’s history with gold artefacts and a reconstructed domestic space. The exhibits have different focuses: the Gold Room looks at the discovery of gold, while the kitchen presents a specific reconstruction of a miner’s home.
Historic Buildings and Gold Rush Architecture
The architecture beyond the museum also offers a way to explore the town’s history. Fraser Street in Clunes features particularly well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture. A walk through Clunes takes you to the former London Chartered Bank Building, built in 1871, and the Italianate Post Office, dating from 1878. Fraser Street gives you a view of a historic streetscape, while the construction dates place the two individual buildings in their historical context. The Post Office now houses a second-hand bookshop. If you plan to visit the shop, check in advance whether it is still operating there.
Booktown and Events
Clunes is one of only 15 internationally recognised Booktowns. The annual Clunes Booktown Festival takes place on the third weekend in March and features book browsing, author talks and opportunities to meet writers. Browse books at your own pace, or enjoy talks and author encounters as other event options. If you’re travelling for a particular talk or meeting, check the programme as well as the weekend dates, as programme details may change.
The markets and the Clunes Agricultural Show also offer fixed dates to help you plan your trip. The Clunes Farmers’ Market and the Clunes Makers’ Market are held on the second Sunday of each month. The Clunes Agricultural Show takes place on the third Saturday in November. Unlike the Show’s single November date and the Booktown Festival’s March weekend, the markets offer several opportunities throughout the year. Check the specific event dates before you travel.
Discover more destinations: Nyah West, North Geelong, Stawell, Beechworth, Mount Buller, Wesburn, Lara, Milawa.
For the broader travel guide: Victoria.
