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Castlemaine Market - Castlemaine Historic Area

Location 44 Mostyn Street,, CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450 - Property No B0310 File Number B0310 Level National

[1/1] B0310 Market Building Mostyn

Statement of Significance

Castlemaine Market is a brick market building erected to the designs of Town Surveyor William Beynon Downes in 1861-62. Symmetrical in elevation, the main facade features a tuscan portico with rising sun motif, statue of Ceres, round headed entrance and roundels. Two towers with copola crowned, open top storey, terminate the side wings, which are 'arcaded' and capped by a cornice.
Castlemaine Market is one of the most distinctive classical revival buildings in Australia, is an example of a rare building type and one of the most important such buildings in the country and is a landmark in the historic townscape of the former gold-mining centre. The Castlemaine Market also has historical associations and is illustrative of the period when the temporary town became an established and permanent settlement.
Castlemaine Market was acquired by the National Trust of Australia (Vic) in 1967 in a deteriorated state and subsequently restored.
Classified: 11/12/1958

Part of Castlemaine Historic Area B4894
Castlemaine grew as a result of the discovery of gold along Forest Creek in July, 1851. By December of that year the population on the field was greater than that of Melbourne. In 1852 Mr Templeton surveyed the township of Castlemaine and in 1853 the first auction of the town site was held.
The Castlemaine goldfield was allegedly the richest alluvial goldfield in the world. Such was the prosperity of the diggers that the townsfolk were optimistically expectant of Castlemaine becoming Victoria's second city. The prosperity of the diggers and the optimistic townsfolk is reflected in the high number of imposing buildings erected in the first few years of the town's life. However, the rich alluvial diggers were worked out within 15-20 years. From the 1870's the town's population began to drift away, but they left behind a rich legacy of the town's former prosperity in the form of its buildings.
Within the Castlemaine Historic Area may be found many items of significance. These range from intact nineteenth century streetscapes composed of imposing public buildings to simple miner's cottages. Within the historic area there are a number of identifiable component areas, each telling an important part of the history of Castlemaine. In addition, there are many other items of significance outside of these areas, but still within the historic area. These include the former steam flourmill, the Church of England, the Congregational Church and Forest and Barkers Creeks.
Despite the town's topographical confinements to the valley of the two creeks, the wide streets and large buildings convey an atmosphere of grand spaciousness in this central Victorian goldfields town.
Classified: 'State' 01/12/1982