St Arnaud is an old gold mining town, surrounded by forest and hill country. Rich in history, the town is endowed with solid civic buildings, hotels and stores, famous for its cast iron lace work verandahs. St Arnaud is a service centre for the extensive mixed farming district and is renowned for it's fine merino sheep, golden grains, legumes and vineyards. History Gold was found at St Arnaud in the 1850's. The tent town was known as the New Bendigo diggings, but as it grew into a permanent township, was renamed St. Arnaud, after a French commander from the Crimean War, Jaques Le Roy de St.Arnaud. Quite a few streets around town are named after British military leaders involved in the same war. Things to Do and See A unique feature of the town is it's bushland setting, providing habitat for many native animals and plants, golden wattle, wild flowers, kangaroos and wallabies which are prevelant. Napier Street has a number of historic sites including the Queen Mary Gardens, the Shire Hall(1902), the Courthouse (1866), the Crown Lands Office (1876), the old post office (1866), now a bed and breakfast, and in Jennings Street the police lock-up (1862). Other Points of Interest Visit the Wax Gardens in October and see a pink carpet created by the fairy wax plant. See Ms Love's Cottage, the oldest house in St Arnaud, built in 1868 and now owned by the National Trust. The St Arnuad Historical Museum offers a fascinating window into the towns past. How to Get There St Arnaud is 250km north-west of Melbourne Melways Ref: 520 G8 Pop: 2650 Visitor Information St Arnaud Tourist Information Centre 4 Napier Street, Tel: (03) 5495 1268 Click Here to View Map Back to Top     St Arnaud is noted for it's heritage buildings. Wildflowers abound in the bush around the town.