Soft launching in January: a shared calendar for Castlemaine & surrounds
Castlemaine and nearby towns have a lot going on—events, clubs, classes, festivals, workshops, regular meetups—but it's scattered across posters, noticeboards, newsletters, group chats, and different corners of the internet.
That's part of what makes this place feel alive. It also means good things are easy to miss, and it can be a lot of effort for organisers to help people find what they're running.
So we've been building castlemaine.social: a free community shared calendar for Castlemaine and surrounds. The simple idea is a central place where anyone can add what they're doing, and anyone can browse what's happening and get involved.
This is a community project. We're not trying to "own" what's on—we just want to make it easier to see the full picture.
What you'll be able to find (and add)
The calendar can include things like:
- clubs and regular groups (walking/running, table tennis, D&D, book clubs, etc.)
- classes and workshops (pilates, learning groups, skill-sharing, arts)
- community events and festivals
- one-off gatherings and local happenings
Anyone can register and add listings—individuals, groups, venues, organisers, and local businesses. If it helps people connect locally, it belongs there.
Why we're doing it
Personally, being able to connect through shared interests has been a big part of feeling at home here. Finding community quickly (like the MTB crew, or a great D&D group) really mattered.
More broadly, we think community connection is one of the best foundations we have for a changing future—shared skills, mutual support, and simply knowing the people around you.
My background is in building digital platforms, so this is a practical way I can contribute something that (hopefully) helps.
January 2026 soft launch
We're planning a soft launch in January 2026, when people are back from the break and starting to plan their year.
Early on, we'll be adding events and groups we already know about, and we'll also be reaching out to a few organisers once they're back to help bring their calendars across (or show them how to list things quickly).
The basics are working now—adding events, viewing a central calendar, filtering by categories/interests. It's also realistic that a new tool will have a few rough edges at first, so we'd really value feedback.
Improving it over time
We're starting simple, then improving based on what people actually need. One example we've already heard a lot is the ability to search for very specific things—like free events to do with the kids, or activities that match a particular interest, accessibility need, time of day, and so on.
We'll build in that direction as we learn what's most useful.
How you can help (only if you want to)
If this feels like something that would make life easier, here are a few ways people can help:
- Add your events / group / classes (even if it's a recurring thing)
- Tell a couple of organisers who might appreciate having a simple place to list
- Volunteer to help add events you come across (posters, newsletters, community boards)
- Help moderate over time so it stays tidy, accurate, and genuinely community-serving
If any of that interests you—or if you have concerns about how it should work—please reach out. We want this to be shaped with the community, not "rolled out at" the community.
Contact: tom@commongood.social
If you'd like to be an early contributor, we'd love your help seeding it in January.