Castlemaine was founded in 1851 during the gold rush times. Within a very short time, 25,000 prospectors came to the city. The Theater Royal of Castlemaine in 1856 with a performance of the famous dancer Lola Montez opened and claims to be the oldest continuously used theater building in Australia. Today it serves as a premiere cinema and concert stage.
Today the city still has about 10,000 inhabitants.