Newstead is a thriving, vibrant town on the Loddon
River in Central Victoria, 15 minutes from
Castlemaine and about 1.5 hours north-west of
Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Newstead had a
population of 487. Newstead has two pubs,
community centre, cafe, a general store, a Rural
Transaction Centre (with Internet café, Bendigo
Bank, library, daycare and other services), a small
licensed IGA and bakery, a swimming pool, a
hairdresser as well as a monthly newspaper, the
Newstead Echo. It also has a licensed cafe, a
butcher, two small shops selling vintage odds and
ends and a winery just out of town.