Buninyong retiree John Emery. PICTURE: LACHLAN BENCE.
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IT could perhaps be argued that without Buninyong, there would be no Ballarat.
The town's blacksmith Thomas Hiscock unearthed gold in August of 1851 and sparked one of the biggest gold rushes the world had ever seen.
From that gold rush, Ballarat was born.
Despite the boom at Ballarat just 11km away, Buninyong has always managed to retain it's distinctive village character.
Former president of the Buninyong progress association and long time resident John Emery said the community was proud of what Buninyong had become.
"We came here 12 years ago because it's such a lovely small village, it's got a lot of character and lovely people," he said.
"It's a beautiful town, we've got a lovely mountain and we're arm's length from Ballarat."
Mr Emery said the quiet character of Buninyong was being retained despite strong population growth.
"The school now has over 600 primary school kids...that means more housing, smaller blocks and bigger houses, so a change in character for the village," he said.
"We're not a suburb of Ballarat...we're just arm's length. We're close enough but far enough away."
Mr Emery said as a retired person, Buninyong was ideal but plenty of young families were also calling Buninyong home.
The Basics
Municipality: City of Ballarat
Population: 3244
First settled: 1839
Main industries: Tourism, farming
Claim to fame: Buninyong was the first inland settlement in Victoria (then the Port Phillip District of NSW). It's also believed Buninyong's blacksmith Thomas Hiscock discovered gold in August of 1851, which sparked the gold rush with gave birth to Ballarat.
Five fast facts:
1. Buninyong's oldest existing church building, St Peter and Paul's, was originally named St Nicholas Catholic Church. It's foundation stone was laid in 1853.
2. The Buninyong Town Hall, a Victorian-Italianate style building constructed in 1886, cost just $2600.
3. The name Buninyong comes from an Aboriginal word 'Buninyouang', said to mean 'man lying on his back with his knees raised' - in reference to the shape of Mount Buninyong.
4. The Buninyong Botanic Gardens are 151 years old. They are among the oldest gardens in Victoria.
5. In 1871 there were 2281 people and 20 hotels at Buninyong.
Five things to do:
1. Visit the Botanic Gardens. Perfect in all seasons, the gardens are a great place for a picnic, walk or even a wedding. They're found on the corner of Scott and Inglis Streets, Buninyong.
2. Play a round at the Buninyong Golf Club. This 18 hole wonderland features sprawling fairways and well-maintained greens. You might even have a few echidnas and koalas to play alongside. The club is at 613 Learmonth Street.
3. No visit to Buninyong would be complete without a trip to Mt Buninyong itself. The extinct volcanic mountain is 745 metres above sea level and offers a number of great walking tracks.
4. The Buninyong Good Life Festival replaced the former Gold King Festival and is held in October every year. The festival showcases the best Buninyong has to offer and celebrates the region's colour and variety. Keep an eye on The Courier for updates on next year's event.
5. The Buninyong Farmer's Market is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month. The region's best fresh produce, fine food and wine on display.
