A long and rich history

 History of mineral springs worldwide

7,000 years ago, Celts built a shrine and consecrated the waters of Bath Springs in Britain to the goddess Sulis. There is Bronze Age archeological evidence around mineral springs in Europe and Asia, and it is stated that visiting hot mineral baths has been a part of Japanese and other Asian culture for thousands of years.

Mineral and thermal springs, as well as their medicinal and curative properties, are frequently mentioned in Greek mythology and history from the first millennium B.C. Visitors to Delphi's oracle washed in the Castalian Spring before consulting the oracle, and the Cassotis Spring, located higher up Mount Parnassus, had its waters piped to the oracle's Temple of Apollo.

In the fifth century BC, the Greeks thought that mineral springs had mystical and therapeutic properties and were the homes of gods. They named the springs Asclepieia to honor Asclepius, a fabled hero and god of medicine and healing. In Egypt, temples near mineral springs were also dedicated to Asclepius.

In the first century BC, King Herod sought respite from his fatal illness at Callirrhoe hot spring, which is located on the eastern side of the Dead Sea in modern-day Israel.

The widespread use of baths was originally encouraged during the rise of the Roman Empire, and a visit to the bath house was regarded as a significant social event. Bath complexes were where Romans bathed, exercised, socialized, and received treatment for a variety of maladies. Tibus springs and Aquae Abulae's hot sulphur wells were well-known in ancient Rome.

As the Roman Empire expanded, towns and cities grew, and bathing complexes were built wherever natural mineral or hot springs existed, including at Bath in Britain, Vichy in France, Weisbaden in Germany and centres in Holland, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Greece and Algeria. Over time almost every major Roman city had at least one public bathhouse.

With the fall of the Empire, many of these installations were abandoned, silted up, or destroyed. Some, however, survived or were occasionally reintroduced because medical practitioners at the time advised their usage for curative treatments.

For example, the Saxons were at least aware of the waters of Bath in England in the seventh century, a French doctor purchased them in the eleventh century, and Bath's thermal waters were used for curative purposes by its Benedictine monastery from the twelfth to the sixteenth century.

A HISTORY OF HEPBURN MINERAL SPRINGS

Explore the rich heritage of the Hepburn Springs Mineral Reserve, the first of its kind in Australia established in 1865, home to the iconic Bathhouse and Pavilion structures. Wander beside the creek, soaking in the tranquil atmosphere while enjoying the renowned mineral water from the pumps.

Situated within the Mineral Springs Reserve, discover the historic Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa alongside the Pavilion Cafe. This reserve boasts the highest flowing springs in the Daylesford region. with the primary Hepburn spring uncovered by Captain Hepburn, an adventurer who traversed to the Port Phillip district from New South Wales in 1836.

Established in 1865, the Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve has undergone numerous transformations. Initially designated to safeguard the springs from the impacts of alluvial gold mining, it later contended with disruptions from underground gold reef mining, causing intermittent drying of the springs. Despite these challenges, the mineral springs are celebrated for their distinct flavours, drawing visitors who seek to bottle their unique mineral water varieties.