Although I knew that many Chinese had immigrated to Bendigo at the time of the goldrush, I was very surprised at well this history has been documented. The Golden Dragon Museum tells how the Bendigo Chinese community has influenced the proud history of Bendigo. The Chinese arrived in Bendigo during the goldrush of the 1850s and established communities in the region. In 1871 the Chinese community joined the Bendigo Easter Procession for the first time, and in 1892 a local newspaper reported the first appearance of a dragon in the Bendigo Easter Procession.
Loong (dragon) is the oldest Imperial (five clawed) Dragon in the world. He made his first appearance in 1892 and continued to walk through the streets of Bendigo every year until his retirement in 1970. He was created in the City of Fatt Shan on the Pearl River near Canton in China. In his original state Loong was about 60 metres long and was built of silks, mirrors, bamboo and papier-mache. In 1901 Loong travelled to Melbourne to celebrate Federation and in 2001, Loong made the journey back to Melbourne to march in the Centenary of Federation parade. In 2007 Heritage Victoria added Loong to the Victorian Heritage Register, receiving the State's highest level of heritage protection.
Loong is the oldest surviving Imperial Dragon in the world and he requires 22 carriers and is 29 metres long.
Sun Loong (new dragon) was brought from Hong Kong to replace Loong in 1970. Sun Loong is the longest Imperial Dragon in the world, being over 100 metres in length and requiring 57 carriers. Before he appeared in 1970 he was blessed and brought to life by 101 years old Mr. James Lew dotting his eyes with chicken blood. Sun Loong was awakened to accompany Loong in his last Bendigo Easter procession in 1970.
Bendigo Pottery is Australia's oldest working pottery factory. Established in 1858 the pottery has operated continuously from the current site in Bendigo since 1863.
Bendigo Pottery has the most significant collection of ceramic wood fired kilns left in the world. There are 10 kilns in total, comprising 5 bottle kilns, 3 circular kilns and 2 rectangular kilns. Although no longer used, the old kilns are now part of a very informative interpretive museum. The last firing of a wood fired kiln on the site was 1989 and the kilns are all listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Bendigo Pottery is still made on the same site (in a slightly more modern factory), using a range of different production techniques including hand throwing, slip casting, jolleying and pressing. All product is now fired in natural gas fired kilns. Also on the site of Bendigo Pottery is the original General Store from Moliagul, a little village about 50 kms west of Bendigo. The largest gold nugget found in Australia and named 'The Welcome Stranger' was discovered at Moliagul on the 5th of February, 1869. It weighed 73 kgs and was 53 cms long and 25 cms thick. John Flynn was also born at Moliagul - the man who founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Trams have long been a form of public transportation in Bendigo. The first trams in Bendigo were battery operated, but only lasted three months before being withdrawn due to their unreliability. A steam tram system commenced operation in 1892 and lasted until 1902, and then electric trams commenced in 1903. In 1972 the Bendigo tramways were closed.
Today Bendigo Tramways operates as a tourist tram - and you can sit back and listen to many interesting stories about the city and its goldfields.
Australia's oldest operating Tram Depot is also in Bendigo, and the workshop carries out restoration works on heritage trams for other depots and museums around Australia and overseas.
Of course a visit to Bendigo probably wouldn't be complete without a visit to a gold mine... and although I was a little reluctant I did actually find myself underground for a while today.
The Central Deborah Gold Mine operated from 1939 to 1954 during which time it yielded almost one tonne of gold from its mining operations which would be worth around $48 million in today's prices!
Central Deborah was one of the last two commercial mines to cease operation in Bendigo and today it operates mine tours.
Even though I didn't go very deep underground - just to Level 2 which is about 65 metres underground - walking through the tunnels with only a light on my hard-hat certainly did give me an indication of what the mining conditions must have been like.
(an underground loo)
It was also really interesting wandering around the surface of the mind and exploring things like:
- the trestle way which was used to trolley the rock collected from underground. Gold bearing quartz was placed into the ore bins to be transported for processing, while waste rock was discarded off the end of the trestle way.
- the cages attached to the cables passing through the poppet head were not only used to transport miners above and below ground but were also used to haul rock, or ore, in trucks from underground to the trestle way.
After being underground I thought some very fresh air was in order, and so I had lunch by Lake Weeroona. In 1873 Mayor Duggall McDougall had the vision to turn a barren, dusty eyesore created by the mining around a section in the Bendigo Creek into an ornamental lake and reserve - Lake Weeroona.
Built by the Bendigo Gas Company in 1860, Bendigo Gas Works operated continuously until the introduction of natural gas in 1973. The former Bendigo Gas Works is the only coal gas production plant to survive in Victoria. The plant represents 113 years of coal gas production and major plant components including twentieth century modifications remain intact. The works were the last and most technologically complete coal-gas production plant in Australia.
St. John's Presbyterian Church was first established in 1859 but the original church was destroyed by fire. This second church was built in 1897.
All Saints Anglican Church was Bendigo's first church, built in 1852.
And another bit of interesting Bendigo history - Bendigo is home to the original Myer store. Myer's is a department store here in Australia (Canadians you can think HBC) - Sidney Myer arrived in Australia from Kritchev in 1899. In Bendigo, in 1900, Sidney Myer opener his first store and in 1902 the Myer Bros. business was registered. Since then the Myer business has grown to more than 60 stores across Australia.
George Lansell arrived in Bendigo (from England) in 1853 and opened a butchery, soap and candle factory and tallow chandlers business. He became interested in deep reef mining, and one of his mines was sunk to a record depth of 3719 feet. He died in 1906 and his critical influence on the development of Bendigo gave him the nickname of the "Quartz King". In 1906, citizens erected an over-life size bronze statue of him holding a lump of quartz on a granite base.
Just before leaving Bendigo today I went back to the CBD area to look at some of what are now primarily courtyards around businesses and apartment buildings, but what used to be the old gold smelters. It's really quite interesting to see all the old chimney's.
And just before I go I thought I'd show you my favourite hang-out in Bendigo. This was once the Union Bank of Australia, built in 1857 ... and is now a wine bar called the Wine Bank. There are 1023 different bottles of wine inside!
what, no sheep?
ReplyDeleteNot sheep themselves but yes sheep products ... don't worry 😊
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