Yackandandah Travel Guide

Yackandandah is a rather special and very attractive historic village situated in a valley amidst a series of substantial hills. The streetscape is largely unchanged from its heyday as a goldmining town. Many of the buildings are genuinely historic and attractive: so much so that the entire commercial area has been classified by the National Trust. The fine main street is lined with shady English trees (some planted in the 19th century), verandahs, wide awnings, tea houses, galleries, shops selling crafts, gifts, antiques and collectables, a couple of country pubs and some gracious churches. With a population of around 700 Yackandandah is located 288 km north-east of Melbourne via Beechworth and 28 km south-west of Wodonga. Fishing, goldpanning, gemstone fossicking, horseriding, bushwalking and four-wheel driving are all popular in the surrounding countryside. One of the few rock art sites in north-eastern Victoria, 20 km south of Yackandandah, is testimony to at least 3500 years of Aboriginal occupation of this land. The meaning of the town's name is unclear although one theory suggests that it derives from two Aboriginal words meaning 'rock' and 'water-hole' as one large rock supposedly sat atop another in what is now known as Yackandandah Creek. However, it has also been claimed that Yackandandah means 'country of hills'. The local information centre is located in the old Athenaeum (an institution for the promotion of scientific or literary learning which often takes the form of a library and reading room) which is located at 27 High Street. The Classical Revival building was erected in 1878 with a strong Classical facade, pediment and columns. It was once the social and intellectual centre of the town, housing 3000 books and two reading rooms. The information centre is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. seven days a week (excluding Christmas and Good Friday), tel: (02) 6027 1988. Fishing, goldpanning, gemstone fossicking, horseriding, bushwalking and four-wheel driving are all popular in the surrounding countryside.