Escape to St Arnaud, Victoria: 'People take the time out to talk to each other'

Perfectly positioned between Horsham, Bendigo and Ballarat in Victoria, historic St Arnaud offers a quieter pace of life. It boasts just one set of traffic lights and a speed hump.

The former gold rush town was named for French war hero Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud and is home to the oldest fire station in Victoria, according to the local historical society.

It is characterised by its elegant streetscapes and 19th century architecture. There are also silo artworks planned for the town, and a local jewellery business with a claim to racing royalty fame, producing trophies for events such as the Caulfield Cup and the Golden Slipper.

Population: 2193, as of the 2016 Census

Who lives here?

Helen Stone, who owns the local post office with her husband, says the town is a popular tree-change destination, with more affordable housing and good services attracting downsizers.

“A lot of people are getting out of the city, a lot of people retire to St Arnaud,” she said, adding that younger families were also moving to the town.

Lisa Esmore followed her former husband to St Arnaud and became enchanted.

“I fell in love with the town, the feel of the town, the friendliness of the town. People are very accepting,” she said.

“The older generation … can move up, buy a house and still travel,” she said.  “I think younger families come here to find work.”

Sharlene Bertalli from Landmark St Arnaud said in the past year or so, the housing market had “really begun to move”, with people picking up on the value on offer especially compared to Melbourne.

“It seems to be the older generation who first move,” she said. “They seem to come first, and then the families.”

What happens here?

“There’s always something to do here,” said Ms Stone,  with sports particularly popular — there are active hockey, tennis, golf, football, netball, walking, swimming and bowls groups — as well as regular art classes, and at least two upcoming Balls.

“There’s the markets that are on every month, and the Angling Club organises fishing trips all the time,” she added.

There’s also a cinema group, and a local cinema, and regular live performances organised by the council and art exhibitions, she added, and an agricultural show held in October.

St Arnaud is also host to a country music festival, and horse and harness racing meets.

What’s life like here?

With Bendigo, Ballarat and Horsham all within striking distance and Melbourne less than three hours’ drive away, residents aren’t far from the amenities of the big city – but then again, they might not need them.

“There’s really not a lot that you can’t purchase in town,” Ms Stone said. “And if there’s something that they haven’t got, they’ll go out of their way to get it in. We’ve got a vast number of businesses here.”

It’s  also well serviced by the local hospital and aged-care facilities, two primary schools and one high school.

What jobs are here?

Aside from the bustling local businesses, the Ridley Mill, and opportunities in healthcare, the town is surrounded by farms that support the local economy.

“It’s mainly sheep and crops, but we have the pig farming industry as well,” said Ms Esmore. “Gold mining is always sniffing around here – that’s always been in the background, it’s always a possibility.”

A new hay storage centre to the north of the town is expected to create some extra jobs, and tourism is also a factor with the town on the main route to Mildura.

Ms Bertalli said there was a lot of work available for tradesmen, in particular.

“What we are short of is manual labour – plumbers, electricians, tradies. The ones who are here are under the pump,” she said.

Why move here?

With the landscaped main street, historic buildings and verandas and flower beds scattered about, it’s easy at first glance to see why St Arnaud might appeal, but the true strength of the town is its people, say local residents.

“People say that in small towns, everybody knows everyone’s business, but that’s an advantage,” said Ms Esmore. “It’s safe, it feels safe.

“You can have your kids running around, they can walk down to the shops and they’ll be OK. There’s all sorts of funny things I could say, but really, it’s the people in town.”

Ms Stone said: “It’s just the freedom, the space. The community. People take the time out to talk to each other.”

“The community is just so amazing. If something happens to someone, the community just rallies,” she said.

In particular, she said, it was a good place to raise children.

“It’s pretty safe, and everyone keeps an eye out for everyone anyway,” she said. “Get them off the couch and away from the iPad; out in the bush.”

Plus there’s the weather. “We have beautiful clear weather, it’s not rainy and cold like Ballarat.”