Who we are
From confinement to connection.
The Old Castlemaine Gaol Precinct is a shared community place in the heart of Castlemaine. Once a site of confinement and control, it is now being carefully regenerated as a place for learning, creativity, gathering, and shared purpose.
The precinct brings together multiple spaces and uses within a historic setting, creating an environment where people of all ages can come to make, learn, connect, and spend time together.
A living precinct
The precinct is not a single organisation or program. It is a living ecosystem made up of different spaces, partners, and activities that sit alongside one another.
Across the site you’ll find learning environments, making and studio spaces, places to eat and gather, and areas for events, markets, and celebration. Some spaces are public-facing, some are program-based, and others will open over time as restoration progresses.
What connects them is a shared commitment to community, creativity, and real-world learning.
Where we’re up to
The precinct is opening in stages across 2026.
Some spaces and activities are already operating, while others are in planning, restoration, or approvals. This staged approach allows the site to evolve carefully, respecting its heritage and ensuring it can be used well by the community over time.
Updates are shared as spaces open and new opportunities emerge.
A place shaped by community
The Old Castlemaine Gaol Precinct exists because of people: those who care for the site, those who use it, and those who imagine what it can become.
It is shaped through collaboration, participation, and shared stewardship. Community is not a side effect of the precinct. It is the purpose.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Old Castlemaine Gaol Precinct sits on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their ongoing connection to Country and pay respect to Elders past and present.
Honouring the past, shaping the future
The history of the site is acknowledged and respected. The original purpose of the gaol is not erased or forgotten. Instead, it informs how the precinct is approached today: with care, responsibility, and an understanding of the power places hold.
By transforming a site once defined by restriction into one shaped by openness and participation, the precinct invites new stories to be written, together.
The spaces within the precinct
The Old Castlemaine Gaol Precinct includes a number of distinct spaces, each contributing to the life of the site:
Global Village Learning, a learner-led education community for young people
The Governor’s Café, a future gathering place for food, coffee, and conversation
The Make & Matter Space, supporting workshops, skillshares, and making across ages
Event and festival spaces, indoors and outdoors, for markets, performances, and celebrations
Studios and shared spaces, opening progressively for artists, makers, and community use
Each space operates with its own purpose, while contributing to the shared life of the precinct.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!