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Info centre volunteers tour Hepburn Bathhouse
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Another tough breed are the volunteers behind the information desk of the Daylesford Regional Vistor Information Centre and those in Trentham, Creswick and Clunes, some of whom, pictured above outside the Pavilion Cafe, recently took part in a familiarisation tour of the bathhouse. More helpers are always appreciated, and they don’t need extensive local Simon DiCato, the acting building and services manager at the bathhouse, has knowledge, says visitor services co-ordinator Ellie Beer, “just a passion for the region”. done a fair amount of study into the history of the Hepburn Springs facilities and says that, as an example, in 1910 as many as 12,000 “private baths” were administered Volunteers receive training and then are asked to commit to working a regular shift, from as little as two hours each fortnight, she says. there. In directing visitors to the Hepburn Bathhouse, information centre volunteers If that was an average year, then, the past 100-plus years would have seen a lot of might point out that it is a key component of the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, soaking being done - hundreds of thousands of bathers, Simon reckons. a 30-hectare slice of the Hepburn Regional Park. It re-opened in 2008, costing more Our region has changed markedly in that time. Gold and timber came and went, than $10 million, and is the latest in a long line of facilities - Simon says there may farming became a mainstay, but because of our renowned mineral springs, tourism have been as many as five on the site over the past 150 years. has been an important part of the local economy throughout the decades. In any community, change can cause all kinds of divisions, and ours is no According to some sources, more than 80 per cent of Australia’s known mineral different. The creation of the contemporary bathhouse was challenging on many water springs are found here, and they’ve attracted visitors to the region pretty much levels, from disputes over the design to problems with funding. To the credit of all from the time of settlement. involved - the state government, the shire council and the local people - the job got Indeed, there is ample evidence that Aboriginal people recognised properties in done and the results are nothing short of excellent. the mineral waters here going back thousands of years. Along with the main pools, there is a range of private baths and treatment Simon says the bathhouse has always filled its pools with water pumped from the facilities. Prices are variable but most days the main features of the bathhouse are same springs, bubbling up from deep underground - even during drought years the available to locals at good discounts. water arrives. Along with locals, the bathhouse welcomes guests from all over the world. The The primary minerals present are iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulphur key to enjoying all it has to offer, Simon says, is to respect that it is a “communal and silica. In some of the baths, extra salts are added. The water is heated to varying space”. It caters for families and for those looking for a more contemplative or degrees but back in the day, he says, bathers took the waters cold - they bred folks exclusive experience. “We aim not to be restrictive,” he says. tough back then.
T’S been many years since Daylesford and Hepburn Springs were listed among the locales seeking recognition as Tidy Towns, but we would surely be among the cleanest people on the planet, if the number of visitors to the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is anything to go by.
Words: Jeff Glorfeld | Image: Kyle Barnes