The area around the town, including Hepburn Springs to the north, is known for its natural spring mineral spas. Over 80 per cent of Australia's sparkling mineral water is found in this area.
Daylesford is one of Australia's few spa towns. Many people visit for the spas, as well as the restaurants and galleries. It is also the filming location for the third season of The Saddle Club.
The area was the home of the Djadja Wurrung Aborigines. Farmers began to move into the district in 1838. In 1848, Irish immigrant John Egan took up land on the future town site then known as Wombat Flat. He and a party of searchers found gold in 1851 on land now covered by Lake Daylesford. This started a local gold rush. More gold was found around the area. The town site was surveyed and founded in 1852. At first the town was called Wombat, and later renamed Daylesford.
In 1859 there were 3400 people digging for gold. The post office opened on 1 February 1858 and a telegraph office was opened in August 1859. Daylesford was declared a municipality in 1859 and a borough in the early 1860s.
By the 1860s all the alluvial gold had been found. Large mines were built to get the gold that was found underground in the quartz reefs. Mining continued until the 1930s. In later years Daylesford became associated as being a fashionable spa resort, this ended during the Great Depression. In the 1990s it became fashionable again.
The Daylesford Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.
Daylesford is above sea level. It has a cooler, wetter climate than Melbourne. Summer (January–February) temperatures range from . July temperatures are cold, ranging from about to . Annual precipitation, occasionally falling as snow, averages about . In some years, rainfall has been as low as to over in other years.
The Daylesford-Hepburn Springs area, has 65 mineral springs. This is more than 80 per cent of Australia’s known mineral water springs. As a result, there are a number of spa developments including Hepburn Bathhouse &amp; Spa, Mineral Spa at Peppers Springs Retreat and Salus Spa, Lake House. The town holds a number of annual events, including the ChillOut Festival in March each year, the largest gay and lesbian festival in rural and regional Australia; the Harvest Week Festival; the lavender festival; and the Hepburn Springs Swiss Italian Festival celebrating the town's Swiss-Italian heritage.
Major industries in the economy of Daylesford today are healthcare, accommodation and food, and retail trade.
The town has several primary schools and one public secondary school, Daylesford Secondary College. The secondary college began as a mining school in 1890. Other schools include Daylesford Primary School, St. Michael's Primary School, and Daylesford Dharma School.
The Midland Highway runs directly through the town. It links to Castlemaine in the north and Ballarat in the south-west.
The railway to the town closed in 1978. The railway layout at Daylesford station was unusual in that the lines from Creswick and Carlsruhe both entered the station from the same end. The Daylesford Spa Country Railway currently operates a Sunday tourist service to Musk and Bullarto along the line towards Carlsruhe.
The town has an Australian Rules football team which plays in the Central Highlands Football League.
There is also the Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer Club also known as the Saints .The Saints have won four league titles in their 20-year history along with two cup finals.
Calabarzon
Calabarzon is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Southern Tagalog Mainland or Region IV-A. It is on Luzon island. The capital is Calamba.
The region has five provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. There is also one independent city: Lucena.
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region is a region of the Philippines. It is also known as Region V. The regional center and largest city is Legazpi City.
Bicol has six provinces. Four are on the Bicol Peninsula mainland – Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon. Two are the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.
Mayon is the tallest volcano in the region. Mount Bulusan is the other active volcano in the region.
Western Visayas
Western Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region VI. The regional center is Iloilo City.
It has six provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental. There are also two independent cities: Bacolod City and Iloilo City. Western Visayas has the islands of Panay and the smaller Guimaras, as well as several outlying islands. It also includes the western half of the island of Negros.
Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region VIII. The regional center is Tacloban.
There are three main islands: Samar, Leyte and Biliran. The region has six provinces, one independent city and one highly urbanized city. The provinces are Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte. The cities are Ormoc and Tacloban.
The region is known for its famous landmark, the San Juanico Bridge.
Zamboanga Peninsula (Administrative Region)
Zamboanga Peninsula is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region IX. The regional center is Pagadian.
The region has three provinces (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur) and two cities (Isabela City and Zamboanga City).
Northern Mindanao
Northern Mindanao is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region X. The regional center is Cagayan de Oro.
It has five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte.
Davao Region
Davao Region is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region XI. Its regional center is Davao City.
There are five provinces: Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental.
Soccsksargen
Soccsksargen is an administrative region of the Philippines. It is also known as Region XII. The regional center is Koronadal.
There are four provinces and 1 city. They are South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos.
Mindanao River is in the region. It empties into the Illana Bay of the larger Moro Gulf.
Caraga
Caraga is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is also known as Region XIII. It is on the northeastern part of the island of Mindanao. Butuan is the regional administrative center.
There are five provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was an autonomous region of the Philippines. It was in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines.
There were 5 provinces: Basilan (except Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. It was the only region that had its own government.
Bangsamoro
The Bangsamoro is an autonomous region in the southern Philippines. It is officially named the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM.
It replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2019.
The region includes Lake Lanao, one of the 17 most ancient lakes in the world. The Sulu archipelago region includes the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (a UNESCO tentative site), Bongao Peak, and the Basilan Rainforest.
Cordillera Administrative Region
Cordillera Administrative Region is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is on the island of Luzon. The regional center is Baguio.
It was created on July 15, 1987. There are 6 provinces: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.
Mount Pulag, the highest mountain in Luzon, is in the region. Rivers include the Chico River, Abulog, and Siffu River. Tourist sites include Banaue Rice Terraces, Cassamata Hill National Park, and Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park.
Peter Neil Galgut