Hepburn Springs Natural Mineral Springs
Indulge Your Senses
This historic village, (more popularly know as the ‘Spa Town),
Hepburn Springs is certainly one of the most vibrant places that spa
goers enjoy visiting year round. Ideally located between the former
volcanoes of Wombat Hill and Mt Franklin, in the Wombat State Forest,
the Reserve is picturesque and incredibly unique. Renowned for its
natural mineral spring waters, Hepburn Springs is centrally located
within the biggest concentration of mineral springs in Australia.
Situated over 600 metres above sea level approximately 115km
north-west of Melbourne, Hepburn Springs is surrounded by mountain
scenery, majestic forestry, fabulous waterfalls, a number of parks and a
relaxing environment.
Originally discovered as a gold town, thousands of diggers arrived a
year after Jim Crow Diggings began to accumulate gold around 1851.
During the peak gold rush period, the influence of the many Italians and
Swiss settlers began springing up everywhere. Especially profound in the
gardens and architectural style of the buildings, the town had a
distinctive European feel to it.
The natural mineral springs were discovered in the gold mining rush
of the 1850’s. Even though the mullock heaps from the mining stymied the
flow of some of the springs, a committee was formed in 1868 to clear up
the sites.
Combining the natural beauty of the picturesque setting with the
attraction of the Natural Mineral Spring Waters, the multiple waterfalls
and clean mountain air, it did not take long before the area became a
well-known spa resort community.
During the early 1880’s the local residents provided guest
accommodations until luxury hotels, bungalows and bathhouses began to
emerge to service the fashionable clientele as the area continued to
grow. Slowly Orchestras, formal dinners, theaters and ballrooms were
added to amuse and entertain the visitors.
The Great Depression of the 1920’s and 1930’s had serious
consequences for the spa and retreat lovers, however, in the 1980’s
interest took hold again and the local waters, springs and luxury hotels
have been revived.
Many places that offer accommodations today are small bed &
breakfasts, cottages owned by locals and used specifically for visitors,
and of course the luxury hotels and resorts that once thrived now do so
again. Offering incredible day spas, exquisite cuisine, excellent wine
choices and natural mineral baths – the spa resort qualities of days
gone by have again returned to Hepburn Springs.
With less than one-thousand year round residents in the villages of
Hepburn and Hepburn Springs, the village has maintained its unique
position with the wealthy and privileged as “the place to go” for the
extraordinary spa experience of a lifetime.
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