Fine food and galleries galore: Has Kyneton bested Melbourne as a cultural hub?

An award-winning gin distillery, Animus, has just moved to town; a tiny French restaurant called Ma Cave has been awarded a hat by the Good Food Guide; and a new contemporary arts festival is in the early stages of planning for a 2018 debut.

It’s clear that Kyneton’s revival continues apace as the town attracts a growing band of talent from Melbourne and beyond.

Located 85 kilometres north of Melbourne via the Calder Freeway in the scenic Macedon Ranges, Kyneton began life as a stopover and major supply town to the gold rush villages before morphing into an agricultural centre with a lauded collection of fine public buildings constructed from the local bluestone.

Piper Street, the town’s main shopping and dining strip, is now home to multiple eateries, galleries, boutiques and antique stores that have both locals and visitors enthused about spending time and money in the area.

Hive of creative talent

Frank Moylan and his wife Melissa Macfarlane moved to Kyneton in 2005 after a five-year stint in nearby Daylesford.

“I always had a soft spot for Kyneton,” says Moylan. “One of the things people don’t know is that there’s an amazing wealth of creative talent in the town which is unsurpassed anywhere in Victoria, from people that do TV, to artists, world-class chefs and people who write music for Hollywood films.”

Moylan helps to organise the annual Kyneton Music Festival and says the quality of acts for the size of the town is astounding.

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Meanwhile, Macfarlane runs Kabinett, a vintage homewares store. She also manages the Macfarlane Fund, a philanthropic venture that supports emerging and established artists, with exhibitions held at the local Stockroom Art Gallery.

Food scene satisfies

Moylan says the hype around the food scene is not unfounded, with something for all moods and budgets.

“Source Dining is right up there and Midnight Starling and Ma Cave is run by Steve Rogers who has worked with Jacques Reymond,” says Moylan.

“The Parkland focuses on the bar and cocktails while Major Tom is a cheap and cheerful local burger joint that everybody loves.”

Moylan commutes to Melbourne for work several days a week and says he barely notices the one-hour trip, which gives him a much-needed buffer between work life and home life.

“The nice thing about Kyneton is that houses here are still really affordable,” he says.

“For what you’d pay for a dumpy apartment in Melbourne you can get a nice house on a big block, with your vegie patch and chickens too.” 

Buying In

If you’re looking to buy in the area, 108 Fiddlers Green Road is for sale. Photo: Supplied

If buying a historic bluestone estate in Kyneton sounds good to you, then you’re in luck.

Set on four hectares of manicured gardens by landscape designer Michael Pithie, Woodbine comes with a four-bedroom main residence, two further bedrooms in the converted bluestone stables, a tennis court and two dams.

There’s a modern stone kitchen, gas hydronic heating, four wood-burning fires, air-conditioning and a double garage.

The property has a guide of $2 million to $2.2 million, and goes to auction on December 12 through Paul Caine of Caine Real Estate. 

Download the Domain app for more listings in and around Kyneton