Eaglehawk Country House Hotel
About
Overview & Vibe
The Eaglehawk is an 1854 goldrush hotel in Maldon that burned down in the late 1800s, was rebuilt in Edwardian splendour in 1906, and traded as a public house until the gold ran out in 1926. It is now a self-catering country house hotel, and what it sells is unusual: exclusive use of the whole building and gardens, with no in-house catering and no bar tab. You bring the food, the drink and the guests.
Setting & Style
Six distinct spaces, each with its own character. The Public Bar is the original 1906 room — sumptuous banquette, quirky stools, leadlight windows and the original bar. The Ladies' Lounge is two adjoining rooms with an eight-seater table and two open fireplaces. The Grand Dining Hall is the largest, with multiple lounge areas and a grand baronial chandelier. The Conservatory is light-filled and looks over the gardens, and the Porch — the front of the original hotel — is the spot for photographs and drinks. The gardens hold the ceremony: fountains, large ceramic pots, an antique tofu-maker herb garden, a pizza oven and several seating areas, with lighting through the trees at night.
Ideal For
Couples who want to do it their own way and are not frightened of organising. Because the hotel is self-catering and BYO there is no minimum spend on food or drink — you can DIY, bring your own chef, use local Maldon caterers, or mix all three, and whatever your guests do not drink you take home. The venue is honest that this takes effort and publishes a vetted supplier list to start from. It also suits couples who want more than one day: the rental fee covers two or more nights, so a family gathering the evening before and a wood-fired pizza lunch the day after are included rather than extra.
The Need-to-Knows
This is a small venue. The wedding page states the function rooms cater for 80+ cocktail style or 40 for a banquet, and the inclusions corroborate it — crockery, cutlery and glassware are provided for 80, with chairs and tables to seat 40 restaurant style. (One of the site's town-targeted landing pages says “over 100 for a buffet or cocktail style wedding”; the dedicated wedding page's 80 is what is recorded here.) No price is published — the hotel repeatedly says it has “one price” with no optional or mandatory extras, but never states it. Accommodation sleeps only 16 in-house, with a motel next door taking 26 more and cottages available through a local agency. A $3,000 security bond applies, of which $1,000 is pre-authorised on a credit card.
Standout Feature
You can hold the ceremony on a steam train. The Victorian Goldfields Railway runs from Maldon within walking distance of the hotel, and the Eaglehawk suggests it outright for couples wanting something different. Failing that, the gardens have a wet-weather plan that most venues would envy — a light-filled conservatory or the undercover heritage porch of an 1854 hotel.
Contact
Amenities
- Exclusive Use
- On-site Accommodation
- Commercial Kitchen
- BYO Permitted
- Historic Building
- Fireplace
- Pizza Oven
- Free Parking
- Audio Visual Equipment
Ceremony Setting
- garden
- outdoor
- indoor
Dietary Options Supported
Nearby Landmarks
- Maldon – The hotel is in the town centre, at 35A Reef Street; the site calls Maldon "Australia's First Notable Town"
- Victorian Goldfields Railway – The heritage steam railway is "within walking distance from the Hotel" and the venue offers ceremonies on board
- Castlemaine – 15 minutes away, and Maldon is "only 10km from Castlemaine"
- Bendigo – 25 minutes away
- Melbourne – 90 minutes from the CBD
On Site Accommodation
- Accommodation for up to 16 guests in-house, with flexible bedding configuration between king and single beds, included in the wedding rental fee
- Two or more nights accommodation with late checkout at 5pm, included in the rental fee
- Additional accommodation for up to 26 guests at the motel next door, and cottages throughout Maldon through a local agency — neither operated by the hotel
Price Notes
- No figure is published, but the commercial model is stated plainly and is unusual enough to be the main thing to understand about this venue. THE HOTEL IS LET WHOLE, SELF-CATERING AND BYO. "Our all inclusive approach means you get exclusive use of the hotel with all the extras to host your wedding. Our rental fee includes accommodation and use of all function spaces, gardens and equipment but does not lock you into expensive in-house catering and bar." Consequently there is NO MINIMUM SPEND on food or drink, and unconsumed drink goes home with the couple. THE RENTAL FEE INCLUDES: two or more nights accommodation with late checkout at 5pm; exclusive use of the function rooms; equipment hire covering additional tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery and glassware; and use of audio and video equipment. ALSO INCLUDED IN A WEDDING BOOKING: full exclusive use of the hotel for ceremony, reception and accommodation; a fully equipped kitchen with commercial appliances; full bar facilities including a commercial dishwasher and drinks fridge; crockery, cutlery, servery items and glassware for 80 guests; chairs and tables to seat 40 restaurant style; accommodation for 16 guests; and ample free parking. CATERING is arranged by the couple. The hotel publishes a vetted supplier list and recommends local chefs Richenda Pritchard and Claudine Lebrun for full-service catering including menu, kitchen management, wait staff and bar management; other listed suppliers include The Vine & The Farmer for grazing tables, Spade to Blade Daylesford and Johnny Baker of Castlemaine. THE VENUE ARGUES ITS OWN CASE against alternatives on a Compare Venues page, noting that a marquee requires a full day to set up and another to pack down, multiple vendors to coordinate, and hidden costs such as air conditioning, extra lighting and council permits; and that a reception venue typically gives five hours where the Eaglehawk gives two full days. ACCOMMODATION TERMS: a $3,000 security bond applies, of which $1,000 is processed as a credit card pre-authorisation released within 7 days; check-in is not possible until it clears. A $30 administration charge applies to any variation or cancellation made less than 28 days before check-in, and reducing guest numbers inside 28 days is treated as a cancellation for those guests. Smoking indoors incurs a $300 cleaning fee and removing flowers or plants from the garden incurs a $300 fee, both deducted from the bond. Security cameras are installed.
Price Per Head
Venue Capacity
- Up to 80
Similar businesses
Chateau Dore Winery
Overview & VibeChateau Dore is an 1866 winery in the Mandurang Valley just south of Bendigo, set in acres of manicured English-style gar…
Omari Bendigo
Overview & VibeOmari sits inside the Bendigo Botanic Gardens at White Hills — a modern timber-and-glass pavilion on the edge of a …
Sutton Grange Winery
Overview & VibeA working winery at the foot of Mount Alexander, twenty minutes from Bendigo, holding a 2026 Halliday Wine Companion 5-St…
Tellurian Wines
Overview & VibeA Heathcote vineyard at Toolleen with a modern cellar door raised on steel legs above the vines — long glass walls,…
Waratah Weddings
Overview & VibeWaratah is a purpose-built wedding and function centre at Huntly, fifteen minutes north of Bendigo, built in red brick ar…
Whitby Eatery & Events
Overview & VibeWhitby sits on the edge of Lake Weeroona in Bendigo, a five-minute walk from the centre of town, and is the venue Bendigo…