It is reported that in 1851, when the first miners arrived on the Mount Alexander goldfield, near Castlemaine, gold nuggets could be picked up without digging.

Nearby reserves still bear the scars of mining activity including deep shafts and adits.

With the opening of the Calder Freeway the volume of traffic travelling via Metcalfe between Kyneton and Bendigo reduced significantly.

[3] At the 'Cascades', just to the west of the village, the Coliban River flows over and among huge granite boulders and outcrops, creating many rock pools, small and large.

The Metcalfe Tractor Pull, held in September each year, attracts participants and spectators from all over the state, and beyond.