Discover Burnbank

Near Burnbank, Lexton lies on the Sunraysia Highway between Ballarat and Avoca. It is home to Mt Mitchell Homestead, Lexton Pottery and The Hub Pub. The Pyrenees region also offers options for a more active trip. You can consider nearby visits to Lexton and excursions in the wider region as distinct focuses for your trip.

Gardens, pottery and pub food in Lexton

Mt Mitchell Homestead is in Lexton and connects the town with a specific garden attraction: its formal gardens cover 10 acres. The 2025 visitor guide lists garden tours; check the arrangements before your trip. The tours offer a different focus from a class or a meal, and give you a reason to include Lexton in your plans beyond its location on the highway.

The 2025 visitor guide also lists weekend pottery classes at Lexton Pottery. As class schedules may change, check the dates in advance. For a meal, The Hub Pub in Lexton is another specific option, serving home-style pub food. Service details may change; confirm current information before visiting. A garden tour, pottery class and pub food therefore offer different ways to spend time in Lexton.

A name story involving two Burnbanks

The former name Burnbank is also part of Lexton’s history. This refers to the former settlement, not today’s travel destination of Burnbank. A notice in the Victorian Government Gazette dated 4 February 1852 announced that the name of this settlement was to be changed from Burnbank to Lexton. This distinction helps separate the historical name story from the identity of the present-day place.

The historical context of Lexton also includes the founding of a village in the winter of 1845 by David Anderson and William Millar. At the crossroads, the western and northern cattlemen’s routes met. Major Mitchell’s road from Portland to Sydney also crossed there, intersecting with the route taken by cattlemen from Geelong and Buninyong through what was then Burnbank towards the Wimmera.

Following reports of a gold discovery in July 1851, the former settlement of Burnbank became a scene of great activity and excitement. James Esmond and his companions Pugh, Burns and Kelly set out from there along Major’s Line to Cameron’s Run, where they found gold in July 1851. Carpenters and blacksmiths in the former settlement made many of the first picks and cradles used on the goldfields. The wagons of Thomas Clapperton’s Pyrenees Store Co. in what was then Burnbank were the first supply wagons on the goldfields.

Esmond’s later journey is also part of this historical context: he worked at Woodstock Station and drove a stagecoach from Buninyong through Burnbank, across the Pyrenees and into the Wimmera. Later, he travelled to California in search of gold. Together, these places and journeys tell a story of transport routes, supplies and gold prospecting in the 19th century, while keeping historical Burnbank distinct from today’s travel destination.

Walking trails and outdoor activities in the Pyrenees region

Four-wheel driving, trail biking, mountain biking and horse riding are listed as options in the Pyrenees region’s State Forests, where numerous roads are available. These activities differ mainly in how you get around. The 2025 visitor guide lists them as regional options. As track conditions may change, check them before setting out.

In addition, an extensive network of walking and gravel cycling trails runs through the State Parks and State Forests of the Pyrenees region. Individual routes may change. You can plan around your preferred activity: walking or gravel cycling, exploring the region by mountain bike or trail bike, four-wheel driving, or horse riding. For specific trips, current route conditions are an important planning consideration.

When looking for a hotel in Burnbank, it helps to keep these scales distinct: Lexton offers named reasons to visit nearby, while the trails and activities of the Pyrenees region provide the broader setting for outdoor days. Consider which focus suits your trip and include the relevant destinations in your accommodation plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ballarat East, Fish Creek, Tuerong, Timboon, Piangil, Bonegilla, North Geelong, Ultima.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.