Interesting Facts - Bendigo Victoria

The start of the gold rush era for Bendigo city was way back in 1851, where the fields were mostly inhabited by diggers until around the time the cities last gold mine shut down in 1954. The mine's closure was partly due to the great depth and amount of water in Bendigo's deepening mines but with upgraded technology, the city of Bendigo commenced mining in recent years and is continuing to mine today with a positive outlook that there is still a substantial amount of gold hidden deep in the Bendigo goldfields.


Bendigo is the second largest inland city in Victoria with a population of approximately 88,000 citizens, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. North-west of Melbourne, approximately 131 kms lies the heart of Bendigo which is proudly home to Australia's only provincially headquartered bank and stock exchange being the Bendigo Bank and the BSX.


A popular tourist attraction in Bendigo is the Central Deborah Gold Mine. The mine being one of the last to stop operating, had an operational life of 15 years while producing around 929 kgs or 29,865 ounces of gold.


Said to be one of the largest cathedrals in the southern hemisphere, the Sacred Heart Cathedral can be found in Bendigo and is known as Australia's third largest cathedral.


The Bendigo Art Gallery showcases some wonderful art collections including one on the Bendigo goldfields aswell as Australian paintings, sculptures and decorative arts and it is Australia's largest and oldest regional art galleries.


Bendigo is also home to the Golden Dragon Museum which holds a living history display from the gold rush history to the present day, for the Chinese Bendigo residents. Said to be the only surviving building in regional Victoria that is still used as a place of worship, Joss House, a historic temple, was built by the Chinese diggers in the mid 1800's.


The Black Opal is the richest professional 400 meter running race held in Bendigo every year, which attracts 1,000's of tourists to the city for the two day event. Bendigo is also home to some fantastic festivals including the Bendigo Easter Festival aswell as the Dahlia and Arts Festival. Both events pull in hundreds of visitors and both events are held each and every year.


Home to the largest swap meet in the southern hemisphere, Bendigo holds the Bendigo National Swap Meet annually for car enthusiasts all over the country.


The world's most significant collection of wood-fired kilns, which are all heritage listed, are held in the Bendigo Pottery Interpretive Museum, which is said to be the nation's oldest working pottery.


Want to visit Bendigo? Why not check out the range of quality hotels Bendigo has to offer. It's a great way to get out there and see Victoria!