Learmonth St shops in autumn

Buninyong's Historic Buildings

Buninyong has a wonderful legacy of 19th century buildings, some surviving from the early gold-rush era.

2018 renovations to an historic wooden shop in Learmonth Street revealed a shingled roof below the iron. The store was built in 1853 as part of John Adams' store and bakery and is a notable survivor from the early goldrush era.

Buninyong streetscape
Wooden shingles on the old roof are briefly exposed in February 2018
Crown Hotel

Crown Hotel being repainted, November 2008.

One of the few survivors from Buninyong's industrial past is the two-storey bluestone remnant of the Buninyong Brewery which can be seen up close when strolling around the Gong.

The existing Crown Hotel, which replaced an earlier building burnt down in 1884, is the only remaining pub however the structures of the Eagle, and the Railway Hotels still stand, now converted to other purposes.

Four churches from the 1850's and 1860's are prominent in the township, three with active congregations. They are quite distinct in their styles, the Catholic Church notable for its very modern addition to the original church of the 1850's.

Several heritage-listed public buildings, including the original Police Court and Warden's office, the later Town Hall and Court House in Learmonth Street, and the old Free Library, plus a number of largely intact houses and shops from the 1850's to the 1890's, also contribute to Buninyong's historic built environment.

Buninyong Historic Buildings Plaques Project

Early in 2013 the Buninyong & District Historical Society, in association with the Buninyong & District Community Association, attached a series of plaques to historic buildings in Buninyong outlining their historical significance. Some of the plaques have QR (quick response) codes to allow people with smartphones to link to more detailed histories of the various buidings. The project was funded by the Buninyong Community Bank.
For the full list of plaques with their accompanying captions, visit the Historical Society's website

old Boninyong marketRemember this? The south-east corner of Eyre and Warrenheip Streets in the late 1970's, before the Bank and new Post Office were built. (Photo by Michael Whiteside)

stablesThe old wooden Police Stables from the original Buninyong Police Station before they were shifted closer to the Police residence when the new Police Station was built in 2010. They can still be glimpsed from the rear of the Town Hall.

These stables (above), are left from the days when Buninyong housed a Mounted Policeman. They are of particular historic interest as Buninyong held the last of Victoria's 211 Mounted Stations. As many older residents will recall, the Buninyong Mounted Station did not close until 1965, and the policeman mounted on his horse was a familiar sight in our streets. The former Police Paddock where the horses were kept is opposite the Uniting Church in Scott Street and was sold for housing in 1991.


Walks around Buninyong

Two excellent booklets with maps of walks around the township are available from the Buninyong Information Centre:

buninyong heritage walks

Buninyong Heritage Walks
($5.00), published by the Buninyong
& District Historical Association,
with detailed annotations.

2021 Buninyong Visitor Guide
Buninyong Visitor Guide