Discover Burnbank

A stay in Burnbank can be planned with two distinct areas in mind. Nearby, Lexton is on the Sunraysia Highway between Ballarat and Avoca; the broader Pyrenees region offers further opportunities for outdoor activities. When choosing a holiday rental, you can consider which of these surroundings and activities you want to shape your stay.

Lexton: Gardens, Craft and Pub Food

Mt Mitchell Homestead is in Lexton. The 2025 visitor guide mentions tours of its 10-acre formal gardens. If you would like to plan a tour, check the arrangements before your trip.

The 2025 visitor guide also mentions weekend pottery classes at Lexton Pottery. As class schedules can change, check the dates in advance if a class is important to your plans. The Hub Pub Lexton serves pub-style home cooking; service details may change.

Lexton's offerings have different focuses: the gardens are part of a visit to the Homestead, while a pottery class is a hands-on activity and the pub is an option for a meal. This lets you weigh up whether you would rather plan a tour, a class or a meal in Lexton during your trip.

Lexton's Historic Local History

In the historical context of Lexton, the settlement at the time bore the name Burnbank; this naming history does not refer to today's travel destination of Burnbank. A notice in the Victorian Government Gazette dated 4 February 1852 announced that the name of the settlement at the time would be changed from Burnbank to Lexton.

In the historical context of Lexton, David Anderson and William Millar founded a village in the winter of 1845 at the junction of the western and northern stock routes. In this historical context, Major Mitchell's road from Portland to Sydney also crossed the route taken by stockmen from Geelong and Buninyong through the settlement then known as Burnbank towards the Wimmera. These routes show how different paths converged in the historical context of Lexton.

In the historical context of Lexton, news of the gold discovery in July 1851 made the settlement then known as Burnbank a scene of great activity and excitement. In the historical context of Lexton, carpenters and blacksmiths in the settlement then known as Burnbank made many of the first picks and cradles used on the goldfields. Thomas Clapperton's wagons for the Pyrenees Store Co. in Burnbank, the settlement in the historical Lexton context, were the first supply wagons on the goldfields.

James Esmond's story also belongs to the historical context of Lexton: he worked at Woodstock Station and drove a stagecoach from Buninyong through the settlement then known as Burnbank and across the Pyrenees to the Wimmera, before travelling to California to search for gold. In July 1851, Esmond set out with Pugh, Burns and Kelly from Burnbank, the settlement in the historical Lexton context, along Major's Line to Cameron's Run; there the group found gold.

River and Activities in the Pyrenees Region

Near Burnbank, Burnbank Creek flows north into the Loddon River. Four-wheel driving, trail biking, mountain biking and horse riding are possible in the State Forests of the Pyrenees region, with numerous roads available.

Those who prefer to explore on walking or gravel cycling trails will find an extensive network of these trails in the State Parks and State Forests of the Pyrenees region. This offers alternatives to road-based activities for exploring the broader travel area. Track conditions and individual routes can change; keep this in mind when planning.

For your holiday rental search, this makes a practical difference: Lexton offers options for a stay with garden tours, craft and pub food nearby, while the State Parks and State Forests point to a broader range of outdoor activities. Which side matters more to you can determine the focus of your trip planning.

Discover more destinations: Pirron Yallock, Aireys Inlet, Strzelecki, Bindi, Smiths Beach, Cape Bridgewater, Terang, Newhaven.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.