Victorian Mineral Water Committee

Mineral waters have been sought by generations for their purity and health giving effect. The development of great public bathhouses in North Africa, Italy, France, Germany and Britain marked both the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

The European settlers of the Central Highlands Region celebrated the discovery of mineral water as early as 1836 with an acceleration of interest and discovery during the hectic gold rush days when the streams beds of the region were excavated and sluiced.

The discovery of Clifton Springs is attributed to escaped convict William Buckley in 1804 but development of this site as a resort and bottling works (to replace inferior imports) had to wait until the 1870’s. Inappropriate land use such as the mining, burning of coastal limestone and discharge of untreated sewage at Clifton Springs saw the loss of Victoria’s earliest resort.

In the ‘Rush,’ gold mining at Hepburn Springs caused the springs to dry up on several occasions. Public outcry saw the mining stop and the springs return.

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