Maldon

The town of Maldon is a delightful place. It was designated as Australia's first notable town in 1966 and is a great place to visit to see a very large collection of well preserved 19th century buildings in a small place. The 2011 census put the population at 1,432 but it was not always so small.



By 1853, this place had a population of 18,000 or so and the gold was flowing. By 1891, the population was down to 1,600. 

Today, the economy is largely sustained by the attraction of the town and the many festivals created to attract people.

The architecture really is quite nice. There is a nice mixture of well-cared-for and untouched in the appearance of the buildings. This give them a feel of being usable but authentic.

Some places seem to be updated on the outside but are in fact empty buildings. No doubt, this is part of the keep up appearances for the tourists.

There are several places in town to eat and enjoy things al fresco. Even on a cold winter day, chairs are tables are brought outside in anticipation of guests eating out of doors.

One of my favorite places was the garage in which light is only applied in that one spot where it is needed to repair the car.

From the outside, it seems to be a cross between a modern fuel station and the 19th century. Not quite steampunk, but somehow suggestive of that style.

No self-respecting town is complete without a lollu shop.

And there is this red post for reasons I never figured out. Perhaps it was a mail box?

Another cafe with outdoor seating. In the foreground is a plastic bag dispenser with bag flying in the breeze just to let you know that it is a bit blustery on this overcast day.

Somehow, no one was sitting outside to enjoy the "freshness" of the day.