Castlemaine, city in southeastern Australia, in the state of Victoria, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Melbourne. Formerly known as Forest Creek and then Mount Alexander, Castlemaine was the scene of one of Australia's earliest gold rushes. Gold was discovered in Specimen Valley in 1851 and 30,000 diggers flocked to the site. The bounty, however, was short lived; the supply of gold was exhausted by the 1880s. Light industry, the market trade from dairying, and fruit and vegetable growing are the bases of Castlemaine's contemporary economy. The city has an art gallery and botanical gardens. The architecture in Castlemaine is unusual. Its market hall, built in 1861, is a replica of a Greek temple. Population (1996) 6,690.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Castlemaine Information info
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