Hepburn Springs, VIC 3461

Hepburn Springs is a resort town located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. It is in Victoria, 48 km northeast of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Hepburn Springs had a population of 601 and Hepburn had a population of 375. Total population of Hepburn-Hepburn Springs is 976 and the Daylesford-Hepburn Springs area has a population of 3071. The town is named after Captain John Hepburn who was an early squatter of central Victoria.

Hepburn and Hepburn Springs are twin towns which are often badged together under the Hepburn Springs name. Hepburn Springs was originally known as "Spring Creek" and Hepburn as "Old Racecourse". Old Racecourse is the location of the recreation reserve and "new racecourse" is Victoria Park in nearby Daylesford. Both Hepburn and Hepburn Springs were located on the Jim Crow Diggings and the towns were settled by miners in the 1850s, predominantly from China, England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. The Hepburn Post Office opened on 1 January 1854 and closed in 1964. Later, the Hepburn Springs Post Office opened on 1 October 1908

Today the vibrant village is known as a tourist destination spa town where visitors can sample the local mineral waters, and has spa and massage retreats, three cafes, six restaurants, four food takeaway venues, two pubs, a live music venue, three bars, a general store, quirky shops and galleries.

Hepburn Springs is predominantly Edwardian architecture unlike the Victorian architecture of nearby Daylesford. This is due to the devastation of the 1906 bushfire which destroyed most buildings in the settlement.

Hepburn Springs is located in the Wombat State Forest between former volcanoes - Mt Franklin and Wombat Hill. The prevalence of mineral water in the area is related to the distance from the great dividing range and the volcanic nature of the geology.