By Marjie Courtis
This article was first published by Seniors in Melbourne on their website in March 2026. There is a link to the original version of the article in Chiltern Fast Facts, at the end of the article.
Lake Anderson Caravan Park provided the backdrop for my February visit to Chiltern. It was my second visit in three months, because this former Goldfields town has me hooked. The tranquil view from my cabin verandah was well oaked and the oaks healthily acorned! Perhaps there’s a tree change coming!
I like the quiet way Chiltern demonstrates its natural and human heritage. There are the verandahed goldrush-era streetscapes of Conness and Main, the steepled churches, old bank buildings and the surrounding ironbark forests of Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park. And there’s a potent sense of pride in its residents.
The National Trust of Australia has three properties here. There are plaques explaining the history on many buildings, and many old vestiges of the gold mining era remain. Its yarn bombers like to show off its history and background for special events. The Chiltern Information Centre offers an understated, friendly overview of what’s on offer.
There are a number of famed residents who called Chiltern home. There’s Henry Handel Richardson, most renowned for her novel The Getting of Wisdom; Sir John McEwen who was an Australian Prime Minister for 22 days after Harold Holt drowned, and Barrie Cassidy of the ABC, whose book Private Bill, describes his father’s war experiences, and Barrie’s own childhood in Chiltern. In those days, the Hume Highway ran through the town and crossing Conness Street was a bold exercise for young kids.
7 Things To Do in Chiltern, Victoria
1. Walk the walks: From streetscapes to summit views
Walks are there aplenty, regardless of your walking prowess. Your first steps can be taken on the main streets, where you can follow the obvious streetscapes. Don’t just peek inside. Strike up a conversation. You’ll feel welcome.
The tourist office will furnish you with information about walks that are a step ahead, with options like the Sir John McEwen Walk, the Yellow-footed Antechinus Walking Track, the bird trails and more ambitious trails in Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park.
But even in the National Park there are easy options. Drive out of town and climb 300 metres to the summit of Mount Pilot, stroll around the abandoned Magenta Mine area or visit Woolshed Falls. Be surprised to learn about the amount of gold extracted. I felt the sense of miners not long gone.
And near Lake Anderson, right in town, a mullock heap remains from the gold rush era. The Yeddonba Aboriginal Cultural Site walk gives you more ancient history. Though the ochre rock art is faded, there was a spiritual quality about this location.
2. Visit National Trust sites
I first visited Lake View House just after I’d read The Fortunes of Richard Mahony by Henry Handel Richardson. It was like stepping back into the pages of the book, as she’d translated her life there into fiction. She seemed alive there!
Dow’s Pharmacy, also operated by the National Trust of Australia, provides an uncanny throwback to the sixties, as the pharmacy was vacated for twenty years with all its stock in place. The Federal Standard Printing Works, open less frequently, operated for 110 years in Chiltern.
3. Go a-twittering
You can take birdwatching to a whole new level in Chiltern. The Chiltern Information Centre provides an excellent guide to the Bird Trails of Chiltern, and Ironbark Bird Tours offers paid tours.
The most famous feathered resident is the endangered Regent Honeyeater. You’ll see it featured on a toilet block mural by artist Kirrily Anderson, in sculpted metalwork at the caravan park, on numerous artworks and items for sale in the shopping strips, and on many brochures and signs.
Alas, Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park has earned a reputation as Regent Honeyeater “central”, but conditions recently haven’t been so good. Happily, one individual, Yellow-Yellow-Red-Metal, named after the colours of the four bands on his legs for tracking purposes, is reputedly still seen around.
Image Marjie Courtis
Image Marjie Courtis
4. Make it a base for regional forays
While the Telegraph Hotel and Ironbark Fish and Chips will more than subdue a large appetite, for that gourmet meal you may want to venture to Rutherglen or Beechworth. Conveniently, Chiltern is between them both. Heritage and wines complement their offerings.
That’s not to say that you can’t be self-sufficient with food in Chiltern. Even the Chiltern Bakery makes good coffee. The ambience is more striking at Posh Plonk on Main, which is also a wine bar and restaurant, but open for dinner only once a week.
Chiltern is also on the north–south axis between Wangaratta and Wodonga, offering more regional forays.
Image Marjie Courtis
5. Attend an event
For a town with a population of only 1,500 residents, Chiltern has a surprising number of public events. In March, there’s the Chiltern Festival and the Chiltern Rodeo. April brings the Chiltern Cancer Cruise. Chiltern will participate in the Australian Heritage Festival from 18 April to 18 May.
For cyclists, August brings the Beechworth Granite Classic, October an Antiques Fair and November a Back to the 50’s Festival.
And often, the Chiltern Yarn Bombers decorate bollards and buildings with their crochet and knitting works. Try Easter, Christmas or Anzac Day.
6. Get into the arts
You can appreciate art by visiting shops and galleries in Chiltern. Nat Ord (photographer and creator), Kirrily Anderson (artist and muralist), Lisa Bishop (painter) and Melanie Regli (chain mail jeweller) are all represented on Conness Street, though you may need an appointment to visit them.
But you can participate too. Nat Ord provides photography tours and spoon-making workshops, and the Yarn Bombers will teach you how to crochet and knit, if you choose the right time to visit.
7. Just relax
I know that a train trip from Southern Cross Station would have been even more relaxing than driving up. If I’d packed just a tad more lightly, I could easily have walked from the station to the caravan park, the motel or many B&Bs.
It’s a town and area where it pays to sit and reflect. I’ve breathed in gently, listened to the wind in the trees or the twittering birds, and appreciated the intervening silences. Even a coffee on the main street at the bakery or Lulu & Didge is tranquil.
Chiltern fast facts
- Getting there: It’s one kilometre from the Hume Freeway between Wangaratta and Wodonga. A V/Line train from Southern Cross station takes approximately 3 hours each way and runs, three or four times a day.
- Overnight: Most recently I stayed in a cabin at Lake Anderson Caravan Park and prior to that at The Old Chiltern Bank. There’s also the Lydoun Motel, Mortimer’s Lodge and several other Bed and Breakfasts.
- More information: Chiltern Information Centre
- Check for opening hours and days before heading to a particular place In Chiltern.
- You can view the original version of the article at the link provided..
