|
| The Court
House from the gardens near the
Conservatory |
Bendigo (and Elmore)
Gracious city made rich by gold.
Located 150 km north-west from Melbourne and 225
metres above sea level, Bendigo has one of the
finest collections of Victorian buildings of any
inland city in Australia. The streets are
literally awash with huge granite edifices and,
in the centre of the city, a fountain dedicated
to Queen Victoria's daughter-in-law, Princess
Alexandra, sits in the centre of the main
street.
The town was named after a boxer. The
world-famous (at the time) English bare-knuckle
boxer, Abednego William Thompson whose first
name, a Biblical reference, was reduced to
'Bendigo'. This nickname was given to a shepherd
at Ravenswood Run because he was a good boxer.
In turn a local creek was named Bendigo and thus
it was that this impressive city became known as
Bendigo. For much of its life the town/city was
known as 'Sandhurst'. It wasn't until 1891 that
it was officially named Bendigo.
Prior to European settlement it is thought
the Jaara Aborigines lived in the area. The
first European into the district was Major
Thomas Mitchell who passed through the area on
his journey of exploration into the western
district of Victoria.
By 1840 squatters had moved in and sheep were
being successfully grazed. The history of
Bendigo changed in 1851 when gold was
discovered. No one knows who made the first
discovery. A committee in 1890 claimed that the
first discoverer was Henry Frencham but there is
also a claim that a man named William Johnson
was the first person to pick up a nugget.
According to one popular legend, Margaret
Kennedy, wife of the station master at
Ravenswood Run, found gold. If she did discover
it, she could not have known that her discovery
would create one of the greatest goldrushes in
Australian history, that Bendigo bloated by the
wealth from gold would build huge buildings
celebrating its new wealth, or that the Bendigo
gold seam covered an area of 3600 hectares. In
the period from 1851 until 1954 (the year of the
last gold mining in the district) a total of 25
million ounces of gold were taken from the area
around Bendigo.
As miners rushed to the site the settlement
grew dramatically. Like so many mining
communities Bendigo formed a series of small
ethnic communities. The Irish moved into the
district known as St Killians. The Cornish (many
of whom had come from the copper mines in South
Australia) established themselves at Long Gully.
The Germans settled at Ironbark Gully. The
Chinese at Emu Point made a huge impression on
the goldfields. In 1854 there were over 3000
Chinese on the Bendigo goldfields and by 1861
they formed such a distinctive part of the
community that Cobb & Co ran a special coach
service from Bendigo to Guildford especially for
Chinese passengers.
The early discoveries of alluvial gold
quickly gave way to the more difficult
quartz-based gold. By the 1860s the goldfields
had changed from small operations to major mines
with deep shafts.
By 1870 Bendigo, or Sandhurst as it was known
at the time, was the most important gold mining
site in the world. As a producer of gold from
quartz it was unequalled for the next thirty
years.
When Mark Twain visited the city in 1897 he
described it as 'The town is full of towering
chimney stacks and hoisting works, and looks
like a petroleum city.'
Today Bendigo is a charming and elegant rural
centre with an economy which is driven by a
mixture of tourism, industry and servicing the
surrounding agricultural district.
The Bendigo Easter Fair, operating since 1871
and climaxing with a famous parade featuring
historic Chinese processional dragons, is a
popular annual event, as is the NEC Bendigo Cup
in November. The Australian Sheep and Wool Show
is held on the third or fourth weekend in July
each year.
Things to see:
![[Top of page]](smlArrow.gif)
Historic Buildings in the Centre of
Bendigo
Bendigo's Visitor Centre offers the option of a
self-guided walking tour with audio player and
map or, for additional money, a full guidebook.
It covers some of Bendigo's history, buildings,
monuments and structures. The centre is located
at 51-65 Pall Mall and offers a full range of
assistance to visitors, tel: (03) 5444 4445.
Alexandra Fountain
There is no better place to start an exploration
of Bendigo's great buildings than the Alexandra
Fountain which was completed in 1881 and opened
by the future King George V and his brother,
Prince Albert Victor. It is located at Charing
Cross and is the beginning of Pall Mall, the
city's most elegant street. The fountain was
named after Alexandra, the Princess of Wales. It
is built of Harcourt granite and is a symbol of
the town's prosperity at the beginning of the
1880s
Post Office and Law Courts/Federation
Exhibition
Further along Pall Mall are two public buildings
dating from the gold boom of the late 19th
century. With their two-storey, elaborate
facades and decorative roofs, both reflect the
wealth and optimism of the era. Indeed, the old
post office (1883-87) and the law courts
(1892-96) look remarkably similar. This is
because both were designed by the same
architect, G.W. Watson, of the Public Works
Department. The post office has a tall clock
tower with a carillon and the interior of the
law courts, featuring a superb staircase and
court room, is considered to be among the finest
in Victoria.
Within the old post office is a permanent
exhibition celebrating Bendigo's role in the
Federal story, tel: (1800) 223 422.
Shamrock Hotel
At the corner of Pall Mall and Williamson St is
the Shamrock Hotel which dates from 1897. It is
the third hotel on this site - the first dating
from 1854. At four storeys high, it is almost
too big. The Shamrock was completed at a cost of
£25,000 and was designed 'to embrace all English
and continental ideas in the construction of
hotels'. At the time it boasted every 'mod con'
including a pneumatic lift, marble stairs,
electric light and 100 rooms. Highlights are the
ornate facade, the corner tower, the verandah
and the mansard roofs.
Town Hall
This outstanding example of Boom-style
arhitecture is located in Hargreaves St (running
parallel with Pall Mall). One of the
architectural highlights of the city, it was
completed in 1859 but extensively altered in
1883-1885. The main hall has a superb ceiling
and the complex classical facade is notable for
its towers, pediments and porticos. The hall was
newly restored in 2003.
Central Deborah Mine
Located at 76 Violet Street, this mine was first
established in 1909 when a shaft was sunk.
However, work was soon abandoned and new
operations did not commence until 1930, with the
first dividends emerging in 1945. The mine was
closed in 1954, after extracting one tonne of
gold from 60,000 tonnes of ore. It reopened as a
public display in 1972.
A fully guided tour sees visitors putting on
miner's gear and descending 61 metres below the
surface. There is a surface display where you
can inspect machinery and mining equipment. It
is open daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Contact (03) 5443 8322 for details.
Bendigo Heritage Tours, Talking Trams and
Tram Museum
Bendigo Heritage Tours, at 76 Violet St, conduct
tours of the Central Deborah Goldmine and they
also operate the 'Talking' Trams which operate
regularly from the terminus at the Central
Deborah Goldmine through the heart of Bendigo to
the Chinese Joss House, 8 km away. There is a
taped commentary for visitors and the tram stops
at the Tram Museum in Arnold Street.
The first trams, introduced to Bendigo in
1890, were battery operated, running from the
railway station to Eaglehawk. However, the hilly
terrain exhausted the batteries at inconvenient
moments and steam trams were utilised from 1892.
Electric trams with overhead lines replaced them
in 1903. The trams ceased to function as general
public transport in 1972, but all the trams were
retained, and were put into service as 'Talking
Trams' or placed in the museum which retains 31
restored trams. For details about cost and times
contact (03) 5443 8332.
Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The 'Talking Tram' passes the magnificent Sacred
Heart Cathedral at 66 Short St. This outstanding
Gothic cathedral is the largest cathedral
outside Melbourne and reputedly the last Early
Gothic style cathedral built in the world. It
was designed by the architect W Tappin in 1887
and work commenced in 1896 but it wasn't
completed until the bell was finally added in
2003! The building is made of Barrabol
freestone. Australian blackwood was used to
build the pews and Sicilian marble was used for
the sanctuary walls. The 21-metre stained-glass
window on the western wall was made in
Birmingham. The tallest spire stands at 86
metres with a 3-tonne, 7-metre bronze cross at
its apex. The eagle lectern was donated by
George Lansell who also built Fortuna Villa (see
below).
Fortuna Villa
The sprawling grandiosity and elaborate
decorativeness of Fortuna Villa, at 30 Chum St,
began its life as a modest single-storey home in
1861. At that time it was built by early mining
magnates, the Bellerstedts. Believing the '180
Mine' was largely exhausted, the Bellerstedts
sold the house and mine, in 1871, for 30000
pounds, to George Lansell.
Lansell arrived in Bendigo around 1854 and,
after making money as a butcher and chandler on
the goldfields, he began investing it in
attempts to find gold at much deeper levels than
were then customary. Although these efforts
initially failed, they began to pay off in the
1860s until he was, by the middle of the decade,
one of Bendigo's richest men, known as the
'Quartz King'.
When Lansell bought the '180 Mine', he
surprised everyone by extracting, via deep-shaft
mining, 180,000 pounds worth of gold within the
first few weeks, from a mine many thought had
seen its best days, making him Australia's first
goldmining millionaire. By the late 1870s he
owned a number of mines and was a director on a
huge number of smaller mining operations in the
district. His success in locating and exploiting
reef deposits was a major impetus behind the
town's general prosperity. The 180 became
Bendigo's richest mine and, at 968 metres,
possibly the deepest in the world at that time.
The mansion was progressively extended over
its lifetime, with work concluding in 1924.
Highlights of the house include an underground
tunnel, a cupola staircase, a tower,
pressed-metal ceilings, the 1879 Pompeii
Fountain with Roman grotto, fine woods, a
billiards room, several ballrooms, luxuriously
appointed bedrooms (housing such figures as the
Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh,
Victorian governors and Dame Nellie Melba), and
some very fine acid-etched ruby glass windows
(if the Australian scenes and animals look a
little strange it is worth remembering that the
glass windows were designed in Italy by
craftsmen who had never seen Australia).
Attached to the house is an 1875 crushing
works, including a 30-head stamper battery. The
old settling ponds from the goldmining days were
converted into ornamental lakes (only one
remains), just as the former mullocks have been
turned into fine gardens.
Since 1942 the Australian Army Survey
Regiment have occupied the house, with the
former crushing works used to store and print
military maps. Unfortunately, tours of the house
no longer operate, but it is possible to view
the property from the street.
Joss House
This red Chinese temple is located at Emu Point
(follow the Tourist Tram north along Pall Mall
and then pursue the signs beside the lake). It
was constructed of timber and hand-made bricks
during the 1860s by the local Chinese, who were
plentiful on the goldfields around Bendigo. It
is divided into three sections - the caretaker's
residence, the major temple and the ancestral
hall, presided over by two stone kylins. Within
are a throne and banners.
The Joss House was constructed to worship the
god Kwan Gung. Kwan Gung was a Chinese general
(AD 221-26) and the miners worshipped him as a
judge, guide and protector. The building was
restored by the National Trust upon advice
received from a Chinese historian. The oldest
Australian joss house still in use, it is open
daily, from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. in summer and
until 4.00 p.m. in winter. For more information
contact (03) 5442 1685.
Golden Dragon Museum & Chinese Gardens
The Golden Dragon Museum is located at 5-13
Bridge Street. It was opened in 1991 and the
Guan Yin (Kuan Yum) Temple was consecrated on 30
November 1996. It proudly declares itself 'a
living history of the Chinese people of Bendigo
from the goldrush of the 1850s to the present
day.' The collection includes all manner of
memorabilia and processional regalia. There are
six dragons housed in the museum.
1. The Loong dragon is reputed to be the
world's oldest imperial dragon. It was used
during the Australian Federation ceremonies in
Melbourne in 1901 and appeared again at the 2001
festivities. Apart from very special occasions
it has not been used regularly since 1970. It is
thought to be about 110 years old.
2. The Sun Loong dragon is the world's
longest imperial dragon. Over 100 metres in
length, it requires 52 men to carry it and it
features 4500 scales, 90,000 mirrors and 30,000
beads.
3. The Gansu Loong dragon is an old night
dragon and is a present from the people of Hong
Kong.
4. The Yar Loong is a new night dragon which
glows in the dark and is specifically for the
night procession at Easter.
5 & 6 are the Ming & Ling Loong dragons which
are twin male and female dragons with male and
female attendants.
The museum is surrounded by the beautiful
Classical Chinese Gardens which were modelled on
the Imperial Gardens of Beijing. Features are a
traditional water garden and a Kuan Yin temple.
It is open daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
(closed Christmas Day). For more details contact
(03) 5441 5044.
Bendigo Art Gallery
The art gallery building was constructed in the
1880s as the orderly room of the Bendigo
Volunteer Rifles. The superfluity of money in
the gold boom afforded an emphasis on cultural
institutions, such as schools, a mechanics'
institute and an art gallery, which took over
the orderly room in 1887. The building was moved
to its present premises (at 42 View Street) in
1890.
The Bendigo Art Gallery is now recognised as
one of the finest regional art galleries in
Australia and boasts a collection which includes
both Australian and European paintings including
Alfred Sisley's 'Moonlight' and 'Canal Scene'
and works by Gustave Courbet and Theodore
Rousseau. There is also a Meissen vase dating
from the 1840s which was originally owned by the
Tsar of Russia.
A collection of Australian art includes works
by S.T. Gill, Louis Buvelot, Arthur Streeton,
Walter Withers, Emma Minnie Boyd, George
Lambert, Rupert Bunny, Grace Cossington Smith,
Lloyd Rees, Penleigh Boyd, Ray Crooke, Jeffrey
Smart, Clifton Pugh, Fred Williams, John Olson
and Kwementwary Kngwarreye. The gallery is open
daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. There are
free guided tours at specific times. Contact
(03) 5443 4991 for more information.
Discover Science & Technology Centre
Located at 7 Railway Place, Discovery Science &
Technology Centre and open from 10.00 a.m. to
4.00 p.m., this is a science centre designed so
that visitors can have fun touching, pushing,
pulling and playing with over interactive
exhibits designed to show scientific principles.
There is a planetarium and a gift shop, tel:
(03) 5444 4400.
Bendigo Goldfields Experience
An interesting and unusual opportunity to do
some serious gold prospecting. You drive
yourself, head off between 8.30 a.m. - 9.00 a.m.
and keep going all day. You are provided with
metal detectors (if you haven't got your own)
and supplied with a pick. The experts take
participants to areas where there is some
likelihood of finding gold. For more information
contact (03) 5448 4140. Email:
goldrocks@bendigogold.com.au. Web site:
www.bendigogold.com.au.
Bendigo Bushland Trail
Bendigo is known as a ³City within a Forest²,
being completely surrounded by National and
Regional Parks. Box-Ironbark forests have been
shaped by over 40,000 years of indigenous
involvement, gold fever and more recently,
recreation. The Bendigo Bushland Trail consists
of bicycle and walking tracks, as well as some
road tracks. It encircles the urban area of
Bendigo and covers a total distance of 65km.
¹Rex¹ the echidna will guide you. Just follow
the blue and gold signposts. This trail goes
through pockets of remnant Box-Ironbark
regrowth. Look carefully for animal tracks on
tree trunks, trail tracks and ant¹s nests. You
may even be lucky enough to see a kangaroo
(goo-ra) or black wallaby (jhin-bong-goore)
bound past. A possum (bun-nar) may be roosting
in a shrub or a tree or even in the Dodder
Laurel, a vine that tends to strangle the plant
it grows over. Most of our native animals are
nocturnal, in that they only come out at night.
To obtain a Bendigo Bushland Trail brochure
please contact the Bendigo Visitor Information
Centre on 1800 813 153.
Bendigo's Regional Potteries
Bendigo is famous for its potteries. It is known
as the Ceramic Centre of Victoria. The potteries
in the area go back to the 1850s with the famous
Bendigo Pottery being established in 1858. The
most sensible way to visit the potteries, all of
which are located away from the centre of the
city, is to obtain a copy of the 'Bendigo
Studios and Galleries Guide'.
Bendigo Pottery
The most famous of all the potteries, Bendigo
Pottery, with its large, distinctive beehive
kilns, is located on the Midland Highway 6 km
north of the city at Epsom. The pottery, which
was established in 1858, is now open from 9.00
a.m. to 5.00 p.m. seven days a week.
The Bendigo Pottery was created by George
Duncan Guthrie, a Scot who was an apprentice
potter by the age of 12. He travelled to
Australia in 1849 and, visiting his father who
was living in Bendigo, he noticed the fine white
clay of the district. He returned in 1858 and
founded his first pottery on Bendigo Creek at
Epsom. However, the lack of transport
infrastructure restricted distribution and
Guthrie sold the pottery to return to
prospecting. When a rail line to Melbourne was
established, he bought the land at Epsom and
reopened his business, selling unglazed
terracotta pots and salt-glazed stoneware such
as bottles and jars. He sold on the business in
1882, but continued to work there until 1883
when he retired. However, the business declined
ater his departure and he returned as managing
director. By 1888 11 kilns were in operation and
the site employed 130 people (30 just for
cutting wood for fuel).
The fortunes of the Pottery waxed and waned
in subsequent years. On the down side of the
ledger there was a destructive fire in 1900,
Guthrie's death in 1909, a flood (which caused
two hot kilns to explode) in 1928, the Great
Depression of the 1930s and another fire in
1941. Toby jugs decorated with war figures
during World War I, and the demand for mugs,
bowels, dishes and bottles for troops in World
War II helped keep the business afloat. It
became a tourism complex in 1971.
Today domestic pottery is made in the
historic kilns, which are fired on wood and
coal. The site offers a total tourist experience
with free clay play for kids, a potter's
workshop, lessons in creating a clay pot on a
wheel, an Interpretive Museum (including a
theatrette inside a restored kiln), a sales
gallery and cafe. The four-acre complex includes
five rare and historic bottle kilns from 1868,
an 1880s two-storey brick stable block, striking
beehive kilns, rectangular kilns, related
red-brick chimney stacks and a timber crane jib.
For more information contact (03) 5448 4404.
Living Wings and Things Wildlife
Attraction
Located at the Bendigo Pottery (see previous
entry), the complex houses a collection of
Australian animals, including 300 birds,
lizards, snakes, wallabies, dingoes and
butterflies located in a tropical house. There
are picnic and barbecue facilities, a gift shop,
access for the disabled, and educational tours
for groups. It is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to
5.00 p.m. (except Christmas Day), tel: (03) 5448
3051.
Sweenies Creek Pottery
Sweenies Creek Pottery displays the wares made
by potter Graham Masters who specialises in low
relief decorations featuring Australian bushland
scenes. The pottery is located east of the city.
Head east along the McIvor Highway for 13 km.
Turn right into Bowles Road after passing
through Longlea. The pottery is near the corner
of Bowles and Eppalock Roads. It is open from
Wednesday to Monday from 1.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.
and daily in school holidays. Contact (03) 5439
5793 for more details.
Memorial Military Museum Complex
This large military museum is located in Pall
Mall, opposite Myer, and is open evry day but
Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., tel: (03)
5443 4013.
Confectionary Capers
This is a fun family outing featuring displays
on sweets, the wheel and the English language.
It is open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
There is an entry fee, tel: (03) 5449 3111.
Mandurang Orchid Nursery
In Tannery Lane the Mandurang Orchid Nursery
grows cymbidium and native orchids which are at
their best between August and November. To get
there head south out of the city centre along
Mitchell St, Carpenter St and Spring Gully Rd
which becomes Mandurang Rd. 6 km south of the
city centre turn left into Tannery Lane. It is
open every day but Saturday from 9.00 a.m. to
5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5439 5273.
Tannery Lane Wines
2 km along Tannery Lane (see previous entry for
directions) is Tannery Lane Wines, a boutique
vineyard established in 1990. It produces
shiraz, cabernet, merlot and sangiovese. Cellar
door sales are by appointment (Saturday and
Sunday afternoons preferred), tel: (03) 5439
5011.
Chateau Dore Vineyard
Located on Mandurang Road, Mandurang (8 km south
of Bendigo), the historic Chateau Dore Vineyard
is situated beside the deRavin River. Jean
Theodore DeRavin planted grapes here as early as
1856. Today the vineyard grows shiraz, cabernet
sauvignon, rhine riesling and chardonnay grapes.
There is an area where visitors can have a
picnic and the winery building has been
classified by the National Trust. The cellar
door is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m. to
5.30 p.m., Saturday from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
and Sunday from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel:
(03) 5439 5278.
Mandurang Valley Winery
The Mandurang Valley Winery is located at 77
Fadersons Lane, Mandurang. It produces cabernet
sauvignon, pinot noir, shiraz, chardonnay and
riesling and is open from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00
p.m. on weekends or by appointment, tel: (03)
5439 5367.
Chateau Leamon
Located 10 km south of Bendigo on the Calder
Highway is Chateau Leamon. The vineyard was
established in 1973 by Phillip Leamon and has 4
hectares under vine. It produces shiraz,
cabernet merlot and semillon. The cellar door is
open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily.
Barbecue facilities are available, tel: (03)
5447 7995.
Balgownie Estate
Balgownie Estate Vineyard is located on
Hermitage Road, Maiden Gully, which is west of
Bendigo. Leave Bendigo on the Calder Highway,
travel for about 8 km and turn right at
Hermitage Road. This winery was established in
1969 and has 12 hectares of land under vines.
The cellar door is open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. Monday to Saturday and it also has a cafe,
accommodation and a museum. Cheeses from the
Bendigo Cheese Company are available. For
further information contact (03) 5449 6222.
Sandhurst Ridge
Sandhurst Ridge produces red wines from cabernet
sauvignon and shiraz. It is located at 156
Forest Drive, 3 km north-east of Marong which is
a small town located 13 km west of Bendigo on
the Calder Highway. The cellar door is open
every day except Tuesday from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. and at opther times by appointment, tel:
(03) 5435 2534.
Connor Park
10 km north of Marong, on Bullock Creek, is
Connor Park. The original vineyard was planted
in the 1960s. Recently extended it now produces
shiraz, cabernet, semillon and riesling. It is
open weekends or by appointment, tel: (03) 5437
5234.
Lynnevale Estate
Open weekends and public holidays for lunch and
cellar door tastings (and other times by
appointment), it is located at 83 Cahills Rd,
Mandurang, and offers 4-star accommodation and
lunch, tel: (03) 5439 3635.
$$HEAAD
Big Hill Vineyard
Located 12 km south of Bendigo, at the
intersection of the Calder Highway and Belvoir
Park Rd, this vineyard offers fine views from
its main function/conference room. Catered
barbecue facilities are available daily, tel:
(03) 5435 3366.
The Bendigo Cheese Company
Cheese lovers can sample the range of white and
blue mould, semi-soft and cottage cheeses, as
well as the 'Cabernet Classic'. All are made on
the premises. Door sales are available from
11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on weekdays and from
Balgownie Estate Winery (see above) on weekends
(11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.).
Greater Bendigo National Park
Located 8km from Bendigo, the Greater Bendigo
National Park protects some of the highest
quality Box-Ironbark forest in north-central
Victoria, along with mallee and grassy
woodlands. The ideal time to visit is between
August and November when the wildflowers are
most abundant and colourful, particularly the
brilliantly flowering Whirakee Wattle, found
only in the Bendigo area. It is a delightful
park for nature study, bird watching, walking,
picnics, horse riding and camping. If you are in
the park in the early morning or late afternoon
you can see the black wallaby, eastern grey
kangaroo and if you're very lucky the shy
echidna. The 60km Bendigo Bushland Trail goes
through part of the park, and the Great Dividing
Trail begins in this park and links Bendigo,
Castlemaine and Ballarat. Most roads in the park
are unsealed. For more information call the
Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 1963
Hartland's Eucalyptus Oil Factory
Hartland's Eucalyptus Oil Factory was
established in 1890 and is still operating using
the original methods. They are open daily for
sales. To get there head north along the
Northern Highway (towards Echuca) and turn left
at Huntly and the factory is 9 km along that
road, adjacent Whipstick National ark.
Campaspe Run: H.V. McKay Rural Discovery
Centre
46 km north-east of Bendigo, via the Northern
Highway, is Elmore. In Railway Place you will
find a discovery and activity centre which
celebrates the importance, to the wheat
industry, of H.V. McKay (see entries on
Serpentine and
Warracknabeal) who invented the Sunshine
Harvester, the first machine to enter commercial
production which stripped, threshed and cleaned
grain in one continuous operation. He owned the
largest agricultual implement factory in the
Southern Hemisphere until his death in 1926. In
his will he proved a philanthropist, leaving
substantial sums for improvements of conditions
in inland Australia, agricultural education and
for charitable works wherever the company might
operate.
The centre focuses on the heritage of the
grain and wool industries, early colonial
lifestyles and the culture of the Dja Dja Wrung
people. There are visuals and interactive
displays. It is open from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00
p.m. daily, tel: (03) 5432 6646.
Ironbark Riding Centre
This complex offers trail rides and rides on a
waterslide. It also has bush cabins for
accommodation and a backpackers' hostel. There
is also a licensed bar, tel: (03) 5448 3344.
Balloon Flights of Bendigo
This local company offers sunrise flights over
the district followed by a champagne breakfast,
tel: (03) 5444 1127.
Bendigo Goldfield Experiences Trackline
Detectors
Guided tours are offered for those seeking gold
and goldmining relics. All equipment is supplied
and bookings are essential. Bicycles can be
hired for investigating bush trails and
interested parties can also learn the art of
goldpanning, tel: (03) 5448 4140.
Rose Lee Open Garden
Located at 193-199 Lockwood Rd, at Kangaroo Flat
(south-west of the city centre), this garden
proffers 1300 roses within a natural setting
with picnic areas and other features and
flowers. Devonshire teas and light lunches are
available. It is open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. daily from September to May, tel: (03) 5447
0486. There is an entry fee.
Gaylewood Alpaca Stud
Located at 43 Fentons Lane, Ravenswood, this
stud has a showroom with alpaca knitwear,
knitting yarns and a specialist range of wooden
giftware. It is open Thursday to Monday from
10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5435 3837.
