Local Information

Tourist Information Centre

The Woodend Visitor Information Centre is located in High St (the old Calder Highway), beside the Five Mile Creek bridge, just north of the intersection with Forest St.

OPEN 9am to 5pm Tel: (03) 5427 2033. 

Woodend

Woodend is located in the Macedon Ranges on a bypass from the Calder Freeway. The area was home to five aboriginal tribes before being surveyed by Major Thomas Mitchell who first explored the area in 1836 on his journey through southern New South Wales and Victoria which opened it up to settlement. Mitchell is remembered in the Major Mitchell Lookout on nearby Mt. Macedon.

The discovery of gold in the area at Bendigo, Castlemaine and Ballarat created a constant flow of miners on their way to and from the diggings and the main street of Woodend flourished.  Pastoralists took up the fertile land around the township and in 1862 the railway created easy access to Melbourne.

Today Woodend is a popular holiday destination for people visiting the Macedon Ranges attracting visitors to local cafes, craft shops, gardens and state forests. 

Macedon Ranges Memorial Cross

The Mount Macedon War Memorial Cross Reserve is located 4km along Cameron Drive from the summit of Mount Macedon Road.The 21m high Memorial Cross is 800m from the car park. The structure was erected by a private citizen, Mr William Cameron, in the 1930s to commemorate those who died in World War I and to provide work for the unemployed in the depression. It is considered Victoria's most significant war memorial after the Shrine.

Today the reserve commemorates all those who served in wars and conflicts. Prety much a must see destination for any visitor to the Macedon Ranges. Whilst you are at the Memorial Cross dont forget to pop into the Top of the Range Tearooms Phone/Fax: (03) 5427 3466.

Hanging Rock Reserve

Ancient and intriguing, Hanging Rock has drawn many visitors into its twisting cracks and fissures. Steeped in aboriginal history, the rare volcanic formation has been a hide-out for the notorious bushranger Mad Dog Morgan, and the inspiration for Joan Lindsay's famous book, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Originally created by lava rising up through cracks in the earth's crust, the twisting cracks and fissures that lure visitors deep into the rock were actually the result of erosion. This unique formation is called mamelon and is only found in two other places in the world; Scandinavia and Ethiopia.

A reserve since 1886, the Rock provides a safe and natural habitat for an abundance of wildlife and native fauna. An exhilarating climb rewards intrepid explorers with magnificent views, and the chance to lose yourself in the mystery of the Rock.