An exciting series of lectures, workshops & field visits.
16 to 18 May 2025 in Castlemaine, Victoria
An exciting series of lectures, workshops & field visits.
16 to 18 May 2025 in Castlemaine, Victoria
The Event
The Alchemy of Gold - The Golden Transformation of Victoria
May 16 - May 18, 2025
The Alchemy of Gold is a special forum which brings together experts, historians and the community to explore how the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850s reshaped the state.
From a small colony, Victoria was transformed into an economic powerhouse, with gold influencing not just the economy but also environmental, social, and political landscapes.
Part of the National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival, The Alchemy of Gold is a series of lectures, workshops and field visits which will take place in and around Castlemaine from 16 to 18 May 2025
This unique forum will delve into four key themes:
Environmental: The gold rush left a lasting mark on Victoria’s landscape, transforming the land through mining and infrastructure development, while also sparking early conversations on conservation.
Economic: Gold propelled Victoria to become one of the wealthiest regions in the world, with booming industries, new towns and cities, and growing international connections.
Social: The rush brought people from all over the globe, leading to a culturally diverse society that shaped Victoria’s identity today.
Political: The movement of people and wealth during the gold rush led to significant political reforms, including the introduction of democratic rights and the establishment of key institutions.
Program & Speakers
The Alchemy of Gold – The Golden Transformation of Victoria event offers an inspiring and thought-provoking program designed to illuminate the Victorian goldfields rich gold history and its transformative impact on the state.
Our diverse lineup of speakers includes local storytellers, researchers, and innovators, each bringing unique perspectives to the conversation. Join us for this enriching journey through time and ideas, where history meets innovation.

Susan Lawrence
Professor Susan Lawrence teaches archaeology at La Trobe University. Her expertise is in the archaeology of British colonialism, gender, urbanisation, and resource extraction. Susan is the author of over 90 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and seven books, many of them about the archaeology of the gold rush. Her monograph ‘Sludge: Disaster on the Victorian Goldfields’, co-authored with Peter Davies, was shortlisted for the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. She has been a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria’s Archaeology Advisory Committee, is a past-president of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Clive Willman
Clive Willman is a geologist with a long career in the Geological Survey of Victoria and private industry. He has worked in several Victorian gold mines and has contributed to numerous local and international geoscience publications. Clive has extensive experience in the historical reconstruction of Victorian gold mines. He has produced a series of educational films for his YouTube channel ‘Geology Films’. In recognition of his ‘significant contribution of high calibre to Victorian geology’ he was awarded the Selwyn Medal in 2003 by the Geological Society of Australia (Victorian branch).

Kacey Sinclair
Kacey Sinclair is a historian and senior heritage advisor with a passion for uncovering untold stories of the past. Since moving to Castlemaine in 2014, she has made Chewton her home with her family. Currently pursuing a PhD at La Trobe University, Kacey’s research focuses on the life and legacies of Fanny Finch—a non-Indigenous woman of African heritage who, as a single mother, ran a business on the goldfields between 1851 and 1863. Finch was not only a pioneering figure in Adelaide and Castlemaine but is also recognized as one of the first European women to vote in a political election in Australia. Kacey’s PhD and heritage work explores the often-overlooked intersections of local history (people and land) with broader global narratives of
empire, shedding light on the individuals and places who helped shape Australia’s past.

Barry Golding
Honorary Professor Barry Golding AM self-describes as a ground-up, community-oriented, polymathic, place-based story teller. Barry is widely published internationally in the field of adult and community learning. His most recent book is multidisciplinary, totally different and First Nations-focused: Six Peaks Speak: Unsettling legacies in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

David Bannear

Ken McKimmie
Originally from Kyneton, Ken McKimmie attended Kyneton High School before completing an Arts Degree and Diploma of Education at Monash University in 1966. Ken taught geography and history at different high schools around Victoria before settling in Castlemaine in 1977. He has published a series of 50 monthly ‘Then and Now’ articles in the Chewton Chat which were later assembled into a book titled ‘Chewton – Then and Now’ which won a Victorian Community History Award. He later co-authored a book with a similar theme in 2021 with Larina Strauch titled ‘Kyneton- From Past to Present.’
Event Highlights
The Alchemy of Gold - The Golden Transformation of Victoria
Lectures and Workshops
Three days of Lectures where you can engage with expert speakers and have discussions on topics like gold’s environmental impact, cultural heritage, and social changes.
Field Trips
Explore historic goldfields in and around Castlemaine, offering a direct connection to the sites where history was made.
Event Partners
This forum is proudly organised by these important community groups
Maldon Museum
The Maldon District Museum holds an extensive and diverse collection of several thousand artefacts from the district. The artefacts range from the unique and highly significant to the curious and commonplace and not only record the history but each contribute to the rich narrative of the Maldon District.
Castlemaine Society Inc. (CASSOC)
A society dedicated to maintaining a balance between residential, environmental, recreation and commercial interests, in Castlemaine and its environs, and to encourage genuine, effective community consultation with Local Government.
Chewton Domain Society (CDS)
A community organisation based in Chewton, focused on managing, preserving and improving a number of prominent and historically significant Chewton buildings and parkland holdings.
Castlemaine Historical Society Inc (CHSI)
Located in the Heritage-Listed Former Court House, CHSI houses over 75,000 indexed archives relating to the Mount Alexander Shire. These invaluable resources are ideal for exploring family history, researching properties, or delving into the area’s rich past.
Pioneers & Old Residents Association
The first meeting of this pioneering group was held on 17 March 1880 in Castlemaine and the members have been collecting, storing, preserving and promoting the area’s local history ever since.
Media and Communications Sponsors
With thanks to our sponsors


The Alchemy of Gold is taking place on the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people and we wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.
Illustrations from William Strutt, Victoria The Golden, 1850-1862, State Library of Victoria