Linton is a town in the Goldfields region of Victoria, Australia close to Ballarat on the Glenelg Highway (B160).

Understand

Linton was settled by miners, with the area originally known as the Linton Diggings. The railway arrived in 1890. Mining and industry in the town declined after World War II, and the railway line closed in 1976. Linton is now a rural town of around 400 people.

The main street has seen better days, with many of the shops closed or abandoned.

Get in

From Ballarat, continue along the Glenelg Highway until Linton. Then, well... you've arrived. There's no public transport, so you have to come by car.

See

• Nimons Bridge on the Ballarat to Skipton railtrail is a short ride or drive outside of Linton. It is one of the largest timber trestle bridges in Victoria.
• Bird Sanctuary

Do

• Linton & District Historical Society, 69 Sussex Street, 3360. Open Days are held on the second Sunday of the month at the Letty Armstrong Resource Centre, and are open to the public. (updated Feb 2018)

Eat

• Linton Takeaway (At the bottom of the hill, near the memorial gardens). M-Sa 6AM-8PM Su 8AM-8PM. Cappuccino, Hamburgers, Fuel. 

The pub serves pizza Tuesday to Sunday.

Drink

• Railway Hotel. The railway hasn't run through Linton for 30 years, but the railway hotel is still trading, right in the middle of town on the main street.

Sleep

There are no hotels or motels in Linton. The next closest town to the west, Skipton, also has no hotels and motels. For accommodation, you must head to Ballarat or Ararat. However, fi you're lucky enough, you could hire the old post office to stay, however, this is only with Stayz.

• Historic Linton Post Office. (updated Jun 2021)

Connect

Telstra has proper coverage. Optus and Vodafone are sketchy. No need for a satellite phone.