Hepburn and Hepburn Springs are twin towns which are often badged
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
Victoria Park in nearby Daylesford. Both Hepburn and Hepburn Springs
were located on the Jim Crow Diggings and the towns were settled by
miners in the 1850s, predominantly from China, England, Ireland,
Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. The Hepburn Post Office opened
on 1 January 1854 and closed in 1964. Later, the Hepburn Springs Post
Office opened on 1 October 1908
Today the village is known as a
tourist destination spa town where visitors can sample the local mineral
waters, and has spa and massage retreats, three cafes, six restaurants,
four food takeaway venues, two pubs, a live music venue, three bars, a
general store, shops and galleries.
Hepburn Springs is predominantly
Edwardian architecture unlike the Victorian architecture of 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 between former volcanoes - Mt
Franklin and Wombat Hill. The prevalence of mineral water in the area is
related to the distance from the great dividing range and the volcanic
nature of the geology
