Bendigo, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Bendigo (ˈbɛndɨɡoʊ) is a major regional city in the state of Victoria
, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban population is 91,713. It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Bendigo
which encompasses both the urban area and outlying towns spanning an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,158 sq mi). Inhabitants of Bendigo are known as Bendigonians.
Originally taking its name from the Bendigo Creek, the name became official in 1891. Shortly afterwards, the term "Bendigonians" was coined to describe its residents.
Bendigo is one of the most significant Victorian era
boomtown
s in Australia. Gold was discovered in 1851 at The Rocks
on Bendigo Creek and the Bendigo Valley was found to be a rich alluvial
field where gold could easily be extracted. News of the finds intensified the Victorian gold rush
bringing an influx of migrants to the city from around the world within a year and transforming it from a station
to a major settlement in the newly proclaimed Colony of Victoria.
Bendigo is notable for its Victorian architectural
heritage and gold mining
history. Since 1851 over 22 million ounces of gold have been extracted from its goldmines, making it the highest producing 19th Century goldfield in Australia in the nineteenth century and the largest gold mining economy in Eastern Australia. It is the largest finance centre in Victoria outside of Melbourne as home to Australia's only provincially headquartered retail bank, the Bendigo Bank
, and the Bendigo Stock Exchange
(BSX).
who had earned the nickname Bendigo in reference to the Nottingham prize-fighter, William Abednego Thompson
, generally known as “Bendigo Thompson”.
Its first official name was Castleton after the mining town Castleton, Derbyshire, England. Sandhurst, after Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, became the official designation for the settlement in 1854 although the nickname Bendigo remained popular.
After a plebiscite in 1891 the city was renamed to the popular Bendigo, although the name Sandhurst has a legacy and is still used by some as an alternative name for the city.
people. They were regarded by other tribes as being a superior people, not only because of their rich hunting grounds but because from their area came a greenstone rock for their stone axes. Early Europeans described the Dja Dja Wrung as a strong, physically well-developed people and not belligerent. Nevertheless the early years of European settlement in the Mount Alexander area were bloodied by many clashes between intruder and dispossessed.
Major Mitchell passed through in 1836. Following his discovery, the first squatters arrived in 1840 to establish vast sheep runs. Bendigo Creek was part of the Mount Alexander or Ravenswood sheep run.
. They were seen with gold by a journalist who reported what he saw to Melbourne and the rush to Bendigo began.
Chinese people, in particular, were attracted to the Bendigo goldfields in great numbers, establishing a large Chinatown on a bountiful gold run to the north west of the city.
The Post Office opened on 1 July 1852 and was the first Victorian post office to open in a goldmining settlement.
In 1853 there was a massive protest march by surface miners against the amount of the gold licence fee and the frequency with which it was collected. This protest, the Red Ribbon Agitation, was peaceful (unlike the later Eureka
event in Ballarat) because of the ability of the miners' leaders and the young Scots Police Commissioner, Joseph Anderson Panton.
Numerous pit mines later exploited the underground ores which are found in elongated saddle quartz reefs in corrugated sedimentary rock.
Bendigo quickly grew from a “city of tents” to become a substantial city with great public buildings. The first hospital was built in 1853 and the first town plan was developed by 1854. A municipality emerged and the first Town Hall was commissioned in 1859.
Bendigo was connected to Melbourne by telegraph in 1857 and it was from here that the first message reporting the deaths of Burke and Wills
was sent in 1861. The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, now known as the Anne Caudle Centre, was erected in 1860. Frequent Cobb & Co coaches ran to Melbourne until the railway reached Bendigo in 1862.
In the following decade it made the transition from small mining town to large and wealthy city, and becoming established as a key centre for surrounding settlements.
Water supply was always a problem in Bendigo. This was partly solved with a system harnessing the waters of the Coliban River, designed by engineer Joseph Brady. Water first flowed through the viaduct in 1877.
Bendigo from its earliest days has been one of the major Cornish Australian
settlement areas. In 1881 46.9 percent of fathers and 41.4 percent of mothers in Bendigo were born in Cornwall
. This was in addition to those Cornish who were born in Australia or places as far afield as Mexico
or Brazil
. The Cornish in Bendigo outnumbered the combined strength of their Irish and Scottish counterparts.
Architect William Charles Vahland left a major mark on Bendigo during this period. He is credited as innovating what was the most popular residential design of the period, low cost cottages with verandahs decorated in iron lace which became a popular style right across Victoria. He transformed the Bendigo Town Hall between 1878 to 1886 into a grand building and designed more than eighty more public and private buildings, including the Alexandra Fountain, the Masonic Temple (now the Capital Theatre
) and the Mechanics Institute and School of Mines (now the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE), 'Fortuna Villa' in Golden Square, (which was the home of 'Quartz King' George Lansell), the Law Courts, former Post Office and the expanded Shamrock Hotel in Pall Mall.
A tram network
began in 1890 and was used for public transport.
As gold mining operations were reduced, Bendigo from the 1930s consolidated as a manufacturing and regional service centre and continued to grow steadily.
is the Calder Highway, the section running through the CBD is also known "Pall Mall" while the main shopping area is centred around Hargreaves Mall.
) were once independent satellite townships and many which extend into the surrounding bushland.
Bendigo's suburbs include: Ascot; Big Hill; California Gully
; Eaglehawk
; Eaglehawk North; Epsom; Flora Hill; Golden Square
; Ironbark; Kangaroo Flat
; Kennington
; Maiden Gully
; North Bendigo; Quarry Hill
; Sailors Gully, Spring Gully; Strathdale; Strathfieldsaye; West Bendigo and White Hills
.
As a legacy of the gold boom Bendigo has many magnificent ornate buildings built in a late Victorian
colonial style. Many buildings are on the Victorian Heritage Register
and registered by the National Trust of Australia
. Prominent buildings include the Bendigo Town Hall (1859, 1883–85), Post Office, Law Courts (1892–96), Shamrock Hotel (1897), Institute of Technology and Memorial Military Museum (1921) all in the Second Empire-style.
Architect Vahland, encouraged European artisans to emigrate to the Sandhurst gold fields and so create the Vienna(Wien) of the south.
Bendigo's Sacred Heart Cathedral
, a large sandstone church, is the third largest cathedral in Australia and one of the largest cathedrals in the Southern Hemisphere
. The main building was completed between 1896–1908 and the soaring spire between 1954 and 1977.
Fortuna Villa is a large surviving Victorian mansion, built for Christopher Ballerstedt and later owned by George Lansell.
Many other examples of Bendigo's classical architecture rank amongst the finest classical commercial buildings in Australia and include the Colonial Bank building (1887) and the former Masonic Hall (1873–74) which is now a performing arts centre.
Bendigo's Joss house
, a historic temple, was built in the 1860s by Chinese miners and is the only surviving building of its kind in regional Victoria which continues to be used as a place of worship.
The historic Bendigo Tram Sheds and Power Station (1903) now house Bendigo's tramway museum
.
The Queen Elizabeth Oval still retains its ornate 1901 grandstand.
The central city is skirted by Rosalind Park, a Victorian style garden featuring statuary and a large blue stone
viaduct
. The main entrance corner of the park is on the intersection known as the Charing Cross, formerly the intersection of two main tram lines (now only one). It features a large statue of Queen Victoria.
The Charing Cross road junction features the large ornate Alexandra fountain
(1881) and is built on top of a wide bridge which spans the viaduct. The park elevates toward Camp Hill, which features a historic school and former mine poppet head
.
Further from the city is Lake Weroona, a large ornamental lake, adjacent to the Bendigo Botanical Gardens first opened in 1869.
Bendigo's growth is largely at the expense of small surrounding rural towns (such as Elmore
, Rochester
, Inglewood
, Dunolly
and Bridgewater
) which in contrast are in steep decline.
and cultural tourists
with the focus of tourism on the city's gold rush history. Prominent attractions include the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Golden Dragon Museum
and the Bendigo Tramways
(all three of which are managed by The Bendigo Trust, a council-intertwined organisation dedicated to preserving Bendigo's heritage).
The city is home to Australia's only provincial stock exchange
, the Bendigo Stock Exchange
(BSX), founded in the 1860s.
The city is the home of the headquarters of Bendigo Bank
; established in 1858 as a building society it is now a large retail bank with community bank branches throughout Australia. The bank is headquartered in Bendigo, and is a major employer in the city (it also has a regional office at Melbourne Docklands
).
The call centre of Telecommunications provider AAPT
is based here, as is the home of Bendigo Community Telco (founding subsidiary of Community Telco Australia).
the introduction of deep quartz mining in Bendigo caused the development of a heavy manufacturing industry. Little of that now remains but there is a large foundry which makes train and vehicle parts and there is also a rubber factory. The Thales Australia (formerly ADI Limited) is an important heavy engineering company. Australia Defence Apparel is another key defence industry participant making military and police uniforms and bulletproof vests. Intervet (formerly Ausvac
) is an important biotechnology company, producing vaccines for animals.
is the largest VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) provider in the State. Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE. Catholic College Bendigo
follows close after, which ranges from years 7–9 at the La Valla campus and 10–12 at the Coolock campus. Girton Grammar School is Bendigo's only private school. The Bendigo campus of La Trobe University
is also a large and growing educational institution.
is used for timber (mainly sleepers and firewood) and beekeeping.
Sheep and cattle are grazed in the cleared areas. There are some large poultry and pig farms. Some relatively fertile areas are present along the rivers and creeks, where wheat and other crops such as canola
are grown. The area produces premium wines, including shiraz
, from a growing viticulture
industry. Salinity
is a problem in many valleys, but is under control. There is a relatively small eucalyptus
oil industry.
Bendigo provides services (including a large livestock exchange) to a large agricultural and grazing area on the Murray plains to its north.
) came when fields like Bendigo but also Ballarat
, Ararat
, and the gold fields close to Mount Alexander
turned out to have large gold deposits below the superficial alluvial deposits that had been (partially) mined out. Gold at Bendigo was found in quartz reef systems, hosted within highly deformed mudstones and sandstones or were washed away into channels of ancient rivers. Tunnels as deep as 2000 or even 3000 feet (600 to 900 metres) (Stawell
) were possible.
Until overtaken in the 1880s by the Western Australia goldfields, Bendigo was the most productive Australian gold area, with a total production of over 20 million ounces (622 t). There is a large amount of gold still in the Bendigo goldfields, estimated to be at least as much again as what has been removed. The decline in mining was partly due to the depth of mines and the presence of water in the deep mines. With modern technology, Bendigo Mining NL has resumed mining and is currently winning gold at approximately 40,000 ounces (1 tonne) a year.
Bendigo is connected via the Calder Freeway
to Melbourne, which is less than two hours by car. The remaining section of highway nearest Bendigo was recently upgraded to dual carriageway standard ensuring that motorists can travel up to speeds of 110 km/h for most of the journey. Many other regional centres are also connected to Melbourne via Bendigo, making it a gateway city in the transport of produce and materials from northern Victoria and the Murray to the Port of Melbourne and beyond.
Bendigo act as a major rail hub for northern Victoria, being at the junction of several lines including the Bendigo railway line which runs south to Melbourne and lines running north including the Swan Hill railway line, Echuca railway line and Eaglehawk–Inglewood railway line. V/Line
operates regular VLocity passenger rail services to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station
with the shortest peak journeys taking approximately 91 minutes from Bendigo railway station, generally however services take 2 hours or longer. While there are several rail stations in the urban area, only two other stations currently operated for passengers: Kangaroo Flat railway station on the Bendigo Line and Eaglehawk railway station, the later being the terminus for some services from Melbourne. There are also additional train services to and from Swan Hill
, and Echuca
. The Regional Rail Link
promises more reliable services between Bendigo and Melbourne by providing some separation from the Melbourne metropolitan rail network
.
Bendigo is also served by an extensive bus network which radiates mostly from the CBD towards the suburbs. The city is also serviced by several expansive taxi services.
Trams in Bendigo
have historically operated an extensive network a form of public transport, however the remains of the network was reduced to a tourist service in 1972. Short trials of commuter tram services was held in 2008 and 2009 with little ridership.
Bendigo is served by Bendigo Airport, which is located to the north of the city on the Midland Highway. The Bendigo Airport Strategic Plan was approved in 2010 for proposed infrastructure upgrades including runway extension and buildings to facilitate larger planes and the possibility of regular passenger services from major cities in other states.
is the city's largest hospital, only public hospital and a major regional hospital. St John of God is the largest private hospital.
, an irrigation reservoir on the Campaspe River. Recent developments have led to the building of a pipeline from Waranga
to Lake Eppalock and thence to Bendigo in 2007. There is a dam (and a road) called Faugh A Ballagh
.
is one of Australia’s oldest and largest regional art galleries.
The Capital Theatre is located next to the art gallery in View Street and hosts performing arts
and live music.
The city hosts the Bendigo National Swap Meet for cars every year in early November. It is regarded as the biggest in the southern hemisphere and attracts people from all over Australia and the world.
The city hosts the Victorian leg of the annual Groovin' the Moo
music festival. It is held at the Bendigo Showgrounds and is usually held in late April or early May. The festival regularly sells out and brings many big Australian and international acts to the city. It also attracts thousands of people from around Victoria to the city for the weekend.
The Bendigo Easter Festival
is held each year and attracts tens of thousands of tourists to the city over the Easter long weekend. Attractions include parades, exhibitions and a street carnival.
, The Bendigo Miner and the Bendigo Weekly
. There are also six locally based radio stations; (EasyMix Ten71am and 98.3FM) Star FM, 3BO FM
and ABC Local Radio
as well two national radio stations Triple J
and ABC Radio National and the community stations Phoenix FM (Central Victoria)
, 101.5 Bendigo's Best Sport and KLFM
.
There are five television stations; WIN
, Prime
, Southern Cross Ten, ABC
and SBS
. Local programming consists of 30-minute weeknight news bulletins on WIN and short news updates on Southern Cross Ten. Prime also maintains a sales office in the region. All five networks also transmit new additional digital television channels.
On 5 May 2011, analogue television transmissions ceased in most areas of regional Victoria and some border regions including Bendigo and surrounding areas. All local free-to-air television services are now being broadcast in digital transmission only. This was done as part of the Federal Government`s plan for Digital terrestrial television in Australia, where all analogue television transmission is being gradually switched off and replaced with DVB-T
transmission.
Musicians originally from Bendigo include Patrick Savage
– film composer and former principal first violin of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
in London, James Dennis (Jimmy J.R), Rick Moyle and Mark Pecos of the JR Baker Band. Australian Idol winner Kate DeAraugo
grew up in Bendigo where her family still live.
Cricket
and Australian rules football
are the most popular sports in Bendigo. The Queen Elizabeth Oval
(referred to locally as the "QEO") hosts both sports. The Bendigo Bombers
are a semi-professional Australian Rules team that competes in the Victorian Football League
. The Bendigo region is also home to the historic Bendigo Football League
, a strong local Australian rules football
competition. The Bendigo Cup is a famous horse racing
event. The Bendigo and District Cricket Association
is the controlling body for ten senior cricket clubs within the Bendigo area. The Emu Valley Cricket Association organises matches for thirteen club around the Bendigo district, from Marong in the north to Heathcote is the south. The Bendigo Madison is a large prestigious cycling event, attracting international calibre cyclists.
Bendigo hosts the richest professional running 400m in the world called the Black Opal. It is held in March each year and usually sees thousands of people at the venue with professional running races as well as cycling events (featuring the Bendigo Madison) over a two-day carnival. The 400 m Black Opal and 120 m Bendigo Gift finals are conducted before the Bendigo Madison on the second night (Sunday) of the carnival.
Tennis is popular in Bendigo with the Bendigo Tennis Association (BTA) hosting local and national tournaments at its many court locations throughout the city. The Bendigo Indoor Sports & Leisure Centre (BISLC) (five synthetic hard courts) in Strathdale is the only indoor tennis complex in the region, and the huge 30 synthetic hard court Coca-Cola Tennis Complex next to Lake Weeroona being one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. The Bendigo Lawn Tennis Club also has 16 natural grass courts, one of the largest in the region.
Swimming is a popular, year-round sport in Bendigo. There are four competitive clubs those being the Eaglehawk Swimming Club, Bendigo East Swimming Club, Bendigo Swimming Club and the Kangaroo Flat Swimming Club. The home of the Eaglehawk Swimming Club is located at the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre in Eaglehawk in the city's north-west. Among many other fitness and leisure facilities the centre boasts Central Victoria's only 50m, heated indoor swimming pool. The pool provides for year-round training and competition for swimmers of all ages across the City of Greater Bendigo. Competition-class 50m pools can also be found at the Bendigo Aquatic Centre in the centre of Bendigo and at Bendigo East.
Basketball is popular in Bendigo, the city is home to the Schweppes Centre
, home of the Bendigo Braves
. The stadiums hosted basketball during the 2006 Commonwealth Games
. The city is also home to the Bendigo Basketball Association. Bendigo also has a team, The Bendigo Spirit, in the WNBL (the premier national female basketball competition).
Bendigo was the host to the second Commonwealth Youth Games
, held from 30 November to 3 December 2004.
Football (soccer)
Bendigo Amateur Soccer League http://www.basl.org.au organises and manages soccer for over 3000 juniors and seniors in Central Victoria. Bendigo is also home to the largest junior soccer club in Victoria, Strathdale Soccer Club. Bendigo along with Swan Hill, Echuca and Mildura have a team in Football Federation Victoria's Summer league. The team is the Loddon Mallee F.C.
Rugby Union
– The Bendigo Fighting Miners are the only team in Bendigo, it completes in the Victorian Country Rugby Union Competition and has won the premiership for the last four years in a row.
Hockey
– The CVHA Blazers represent Bendigo at State level in both male and female competitions. Bendigo Raiders Ice Hockey Team competes at both junior and senior levels within the Victorian ice hockey
Association and is the only team to play that is located outside Melbourne.
There was formerly an ice rink
in Bendigo, one of only two running in Victoria, but it was closed in 2010 and is unlikely to re-open.
Ice Skating
– Bendigo also has an ice skating club, the Ice Skating Club of Bendigo which was instrumental in organising Regional and State skating competitions. The closure of the ice rink has limited its activities.http://www.iscb.org.au
Baseball – There are five running clubs in the Bendigo area: Eaglehawk Falcons, Bendigo East, Maiden Gully Scots, Bendigo BLS Bushrangers and Strathfieldsaye Dodgers. All of these clubs have been struggling for players for the past 5 years in both senior and junior sides. There has been two inclusions into the Bendigo Baseball Association this year with the Colts and the Rich River Rebels ebtering due to the GVBA folding. Bendigo participates in the annual VPBL state championships held across the state. This year Bendigo has won the U/18 event held in Wangaratta, and the U/12s came second in Mildura.
Orienteering
– The Bendigo Orienteers Inc have hosted a variety of international carnivals including the 1985 World Orienteering Championships
(4–6 September 1985) and World Masters Games
orienteering events in 2002. Bendigo has also hosted several Australian Orienteering Championships including those to be held in September 2009.
Volleyball – Bendigo has a very strong volleyball association, with 5 senior divisions, 5 junior divisions and three Spikezone (primary) divisions. Competition is played Thursday nights at the Bendigo Schweppes Centre and Sunday evenings (Spikezone.) The men's Bendigo team are the current Victorian Country Champions. A number of players have represented Australia including Caitlin Thwaites and Erin Ross in the Women's Team. Juniors to have represented Australia in during 2007–8 include Jason Hughes, James Winzar, Rhiannon Judd and Karley Hynes. Bendigo's Girton Grammar School is currently the third ranked volleyball school in Australia. In 2007 the Bendigo Volleyball Association was awarded the Event of the Year for 2006-7 by the AVL for its hosting of the Australia v Argentina Volleyball Test.
Lacrosse
– The Bendigo Lacrosse Club is Australia's newest lacrosse club, having been officially formed in 2008. The Club is based at the Latrobe University Bendigo Athletics Track. In 2010, the club participated in the Lacrosse Victoria competition for the first time, in the Division 3 (fourth grade) senior level. The club is also looking to establish a local junior competition and encourages anyone interested in lacrosse to get involved. It is the first time in over 40 years that a lacrosse club has been active in regional Australia.
Snooker
– As of 2011, Bendigo has played host to a ranking World Snooker Tour event – The Australian Goldfields Open. The 2011 tournament took place between 18 and 24 July, and was won by Stuart Bingham.
Roller Derby
– Dragon City Derby Dolls is the name of the Roller Derby League in Bendigo. The team goes by the name of The Chicko Rollers, named after the Chicko Roll
, which was invented in Bendigo. Whilst the league is still in its formative stages, they compete in 'scrimmage' bouts against teams from neighbouring leagues, such as the Dayslesford Derby Dolls and Ballarat Roller Derby League. DCDD will play in their first 'official' bout against Ballarat on 12 March 2011.
Bendigo has a horse racing club, the Bendigo Jockey Club, which schedules around 22 race meetings a year at its White Hills
track, including the Bendigo Cup meeting in mid-November. Elmore
Racing Club also hold their only meeting here in March.
Bendigo Harness Racing
Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the city at Lords Raceway on the McIvor Highway, Junortoun.
The Bendigo Greyhound Racing
Club holds regular meetings at the same location.
Golfers play at the course of the Bendigo Golf Club on Golf Course Road in the suburb of Epsom or at the course of the Quarry Hill Golf Club on Houston Street.
, as well as the Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region
Important Bird Area
, identified as such by BirdLife International
because of its importance for Swift Parrot
s and other woodland
birds.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfb), typically dry and mild with cold winters. The mean minimum temperature in January is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F) and the maximum 28.7 °C (83.7 °F), although temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) are commonly reached. The highest temperature officially recorded was 45.4 °C (113.7 °F), during the early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave. There is also a disputed recording of 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) (on 14 January 1862. The mean minimum temperature in July is 3.5 °C (38.3 °F), and winter minima of below 0 °C (32 °F) have been recorded frequently. Mean maximum winter temperatures in July are 12.1 °C (53.8 °F). Most of the city's annual rainfall of 582.1 millimetres (22.92 in) falls between April and October. Snowfalls are virtually unknown, however frosts can be a common occurrence during the winter months.
Tornadoes have been seen around the area of Bendigo and, although rare, the 2003 Bendigo tornado
passed through Eaglehawk
and other parts of the city causing major damage to homes and businesses.
Bendigo was in severe drought from 2006 to 2010 and during this time the city had some of the harshest water restrictions in Australia, with no watering outside the household. Heavy rains through the winter and spring of 2010 filled most reservoirs to capacity and only wasteful water use (e.g. hosing down footpaths) is currently banned.
Bendigo was affected by the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. A fire to the west of the city burned out 500 hectares (1,235.5 acre). The fire broke out at about 4.30 pm on the afternoon of 7 February, and burned through Long Gully
and Eaglehawk
, coming within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of central Bendigo, before it was brought under control late on 8 February. It destroyed approximately 58 houses in Bendigo's western suburbs, and damaged an electricity transmission line, resulting in blackouts to substantial parts of the city. There was one fatality from the fire.
Flash floods occurred across Bendigo during 2010. The first in March and the most severe at the beginning of September.
, United Kingdom Los Altos
, California, United States of America Tianshui
, China
Sport
Arts
Science
Business
Religion
Military
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban population is 91,713. It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Bendigo
City of Greater Bendigo
The City of Greater Bendigo is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the central-western part of the state. It has an area of 3,048 square kilometres...
which encompasses both the urban area and outlying towns spanning an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,158 sq mi). Inhabitants of Bendigo are known as Bendigonians.
Originally taking its name from the Bendigo Creek, the name became official in 1891. Shortly afterwards, the term "Bendigonians" was coined to describe its residents.
Bendigo is one of the most significant Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
boomtown
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
s in Australia. Gold was discovered in 1851 at The Rocks
Golden Square, Victoria
Golden Square is a suburb of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia.-Today:Golden Square is home to The Bulldogs Football and Netball Team competing in the Bendigo Football League...
on Bendigo Creek and the Bendigo Valley was found to be a rich alluvial
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
field where gold could easily be extracted. News of the finds intensified the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
bringing an influx of migrants to the city from around the world within a year and transforming it from a station
Station (Australian agriculture)
Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...
to a major settlement in the newly proclaimed Colony of Victoria.
Bendigo is notable for its Victorian architectural
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
heritage and gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
history. Since 1851 over 22 million ounces of gold have been extracted from its goldmines, making it the highest producing 19th Century goldfield in Australia in the nineteenth century and the largest gold mining economy in Eastern Australia. It is the largest finance centre in Victoria outside of Melbourne as home to Australia's only provincially headquartered retail bank, the Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank is an Australian financial institution, operating primarily in retail banking. The company merged with Adelaide Bank in November 2007, with shareholders voting in March 2008 to change the merged company’s name to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited.Before the merger, Bendigo Bank...
, and the Bendigo Stock Exchange
Bendigo Stock Exchange
Bendigo Stock Exchange is a small stock exchange based in Australia.The exchange targets its listing rules at small to medium sized businesses and offers lower listing fees than the Australian Stock Exchange...
(BSX).
Toponomy
The current name dates to the Victorian Gold Rush as a shortened form of Bendigo Creek goldfields, simply "Bendigo Creek" or "Bendigo's Valley". The creek was named after a famous local boxer and shepherdShepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
who had earned the nickname Bendigo in reference to the Nottingham prize-fighter, William Abednego Thompson
William Thompson (boxer)
William Abednego Thompson was an English bare-knuckle boxer.-Early life:Born in Sneinton, Nottingham in 1811, Thompson was one of a set of triplets named Abednego, Shadrach and Meshak, after the young men in the Book of Daniel who emerged from the fiery furnace of Babylon...
, generally known as “Bendigo Thompson”.
Its first official name was Castleton after the mining town Castleton, Derbyshire, England. Sandhurst, after Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, became the official designation for the settlement in 1854 although the nickname Bendigo remained popular.
After a plebiscite in 1891 the city was renamed to the popular Bendigo, although the name Sandhurst has a legacy and is still used by some as an alternative name for the city.
Prehistory and European discovery
Before European settlement the area was occupied by the clans of the Dja Dja WrungDja Dja Wurrung
Dja Dja Wurrung, also known as the Jaara people and Loddon River tribe, is a native Aboriginal tribe which occupied the watersheds of the Loddon and Avoca Rivers in the Bendigo region of central Victoria, Australia. They were part of the Kulin alliance of tribes. There were 16 clans, which adhered...
people. They were regarded by other tribes as being a superior people, not only because of their rich hunting grounds but because from their area came a greenstone rock for their stone axes. Early Europeans described the Dja Dja Wrung as a strong, physically well-developed people and not belligerent. Nevertheless the early years of European settlement in the Mount Alexander area were bloodied by many clashes between intruder and dispossessed.
Major Mitchell passed through in 1836. Following his discovery, the first squatters arrived in 1840 to establish vast sheep runs. Bendigo Creek was part of the Mount Alexander or Ravenswood sheep run.
1850s: Gold rush boomtown
In the late spring of 1851 two women from the Ravenswood Run, Margaret Kennedy and Julia Farrell, struck gold in "The Rocks" area of Bendigo Creek, in what is now the suburb of Golden SquareGolden Square, Victoria
Golden Square is a suburb of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia.-Today:Golden Square is home to The Bulldogs Football and Netball Team competing in the Bendigo Football League...
. They were seen with gold by a journalist who reported what he saw to Melbourne and the rush to Bendigo began.
Chinese people, in particular, were attracted to the Bendigo goldfields in great numbers, establishing a large Chinatown on a bountiful gold run to the north west of the city.
In 1853 there was a massive protest march by surface miners against the amount of the gold licence fee and the frequency with which it was collected. This protest, the Red Ribbon Agitation, was peaceful (unlike the later Eureka
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
event in Ballarat) because of the ability of the miners' leaders and the young Scots Police Commissioner, Joseph Anderson Panton.
Numerous pit mines later exploited the underground ores which are found in elongated saddle quartz reefs in corrugated sedimentary rock.
Bendigo was connected to Melbourne by telegraph in 1857 and it was from here that the first message reporting the deaths of Burke and Wills
Burke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
was sent in 1861. The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, now known as the Anne Caudle Centre, was erected in 1860. Frequent Cobb & Co coaches ran to Melbourne until the railway reached Bendigo in 1862.
1870s: A city develops
Water supply was always a problem in Bendigo. This was partly solved with a system harnessing the waters of the Coliban River, designed by engineer Joseph Brady. Water first flowed through the viaduct in 1877.
Bendigo from its earliest days has been one of the major Cornish Australian
Cornish Australian
Cornish Australians are citizens of Australia whose ancestry originates in Cornwall, United Kingdom, one of the six Celtic Nations. They form part of the worldwide Cornish diaspora which also includes large numbers of people in the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and many Latin...
settlement areas. In 1881 46.9 percent of fathers and 41.4 percent of mothers in Bendigo were born in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. This was in addition to those Cornish who were born in Australia or places as far afield as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
or Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Cornish in Bendigo outnumbered the combined strength of their Irish and Scottish counterparts.
Architect William Charles Vahland left a major mark on Bendigo during this period. He is credited as innovating what was the most popular residential design of the period, low cost cottages with verandahs decorated in iron lace which became a popular style right across Victoria. He transformed the Bendigo Town Hall between 1878 to 1886 into a grand building and designed more than eighty more public and private buildings, including the Alexandra Fountain, the Masonic Temple (now the Capital Theatre
) and the Mechanics Institute and School of Mines (now the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE), 'Fortuna Villa' in Golden Square, (which was the home of 'Quartz King' George Lansell), the Law Courts, former Post Office and the expanded Shamrock Hotel in Pall Mall.
A tram network
Trams in Bendigo
Trams have operated in the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1890, and continue to operate today as a tourist attraction. Limited trials have also been made in 2009 with operating commuter service, but with minimal usage by the public....
began in 1890 and was used for public transport.
20th century
Urban structure
The central area (CBD) of Bendigo consists of approximately 20 blocks of mixed use area. The main streetMain Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
is the Calder Highway, the section running through the CBD is also known "Pall Mall" while the main shopping area is centred around Hargreaves Mall.
Suburbs
Bendigo is a major regional city and has expanded with several suburbs some of which (such as EaglehawkEaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg...
) were once independent satellite townships and many which extend into the surrounding bushland.
Bendigo's suburbs include: Ascot; Big Hill; California Gully
California Gully, Victoria
California Gully is a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The suburb is located north west of the Bendigo city centre along Eaglehawk Rd. At the 2006 census, California Gully had a population of 3,844....
; Eaglehawk
Eaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg...
; Eaglehawk North; Epsom; Flora Hill; Golden Square
Golden Square, Victoria
Golden Square is a suburb of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia.-Today:Golden Square is home to The Bulldogs Football and Netball Team competing in the Bendigo Football League...
; Ironbark; Kangaroo Flat
Kangaroo Flat, Victoria
Kangaroo Flat is an outer suburb of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. The suburb is neighbours with Golden Square.-History:Prior to the gold rush the Bendigo district was part of a large station "the Ravenswood Run". The discovery of very significant gold deposits in the 1850's resulted in a huge...
; Kennington
Kennington, Victoria
Kennington is a suburb of Bendigo, a city in Victoria, Australia. The suburb is located south east of the Bendigo city centre and at the 2006 census had a population of 5,647. The suburb is home to the Kennington Reservoir....
; Maiden Gully
Maiden Gully, Victoria
Maiden Gully is a suburb of the regional city of Bendigo in central Victoria, Australia, located west of the central business district along Calder Highway. At the 2006 census, Maiden Gully had a population of 3,225....
; North Bendigo; Quarry Hill
Quarry Hill, Victoria
Quarry Hill is an inner suburb of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The suburb is located south of the Bendigo city centre. At the 2006 census, Quarry Hill had a population of 2,222....
; Sailors Gully, Spring Gully; Strathdale; Strathfieldsaye; West Bendigo and White Hills
White Hills, Victoria
White Hills is a suburb of the City of Bendigo in central Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, White Hills had a population of 2,626.White Hills Post Office opened on 21 August 1857 during the gold rush....
.
Architectural heritage
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
colonial style. Many buildings are on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
and registered by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. Prominent buildings include the Bendigo Town Hall (1859, 1883–85), Post Office, Law Courts (1892–96), Shamrock Hotel (1897), Institute of Technology and Memorial Military Museum (1921) all in the Second Empire-style.
Architect Vahland, encouraged European artisans to emigrate to the Sandhurst gold fields and so create the Vienna(Wien) of the south.
Bendigo's Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo is a Catholic cathedral located in the provincial city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. It is the seat of the Diocese of Sandhurst, Sandhurst being an earlier name for Bendigo...
, a large sandstone church, is the third largest cathedral in Australia and one of the largest cathedrals in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. The main building was completed between 1896–1908 and the soaring spire between 1954 and 1977.
Fortuna Villa is a large surviving Victorian mansion, built for Christopher Ballerstedt and later owned by George Lansell.
Many other examples of Bendigo's classical architecture rank amongst the finest classical commercial buildings in Australia and include the Colonial Bank building (1887) and the former Masonic Hall (1873–74) which is now a performing arts centre.
Bendigo's Joss house
Joss house
A Shenist temple or Chinese folk temple is a place for worshiping the variety of indigenous Chinese shen from Chinese folk religion and Chinese mythology....
, a historic temple, was built in the 1860s by Chinese miners and is the only surviving building of its kind in regional Victoria which continues to be used as a place of worship.
The historic Bendigo Tram Sheds and Power Station (1903) now house Bendigo's tramway museum
Trams in Bendigo
Trams have operated in the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1890, and continue to operate today as a tourist attraction. Limited trials have also been made in 2009 with operating commuter service, but with minimal usage by the public....
.
The Queen Elizabeth Oval still retains its ornate 1901 grandstand.
Parks and gardens
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. The main entrance corner of the park is on the intersection known as the Charing Cross, formerly the intersection of two main tram lines (now only one). It features a large statue of Queen Victoria.
The Charing Cross road junction features the large ornate Alexandra fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
(1881) and is built on top of a wide bridge which spans the viaduct. The park elevates toward Camp Hill, which features a historic school and former mine poppet head
Shaft mining
Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom....
.
Further from the city is Lake Weroona, a large ornamental lake, adjacent to the Bendigo Botanical Gardens first opened in 1869.
Demographics
| Bendigo population by year |
|
|---|---|
| 1891 | 34,089 |
| 1901 | 39,141 |
| 1911 | 36,127 |
| 1921 | 30,401 |
| 1933 | 29,131 |
| 1947 | 30,779 |
| 1954 | 36,918 |
| 1961 | 40,335 |
| 1966 | 42,208 |
| 1971 | 45,936 |
| 1976 | 55,152 |
| 1981 | 58,818 |
| 1986 | 65,134 |
| 1991 | 72,083 |
| 1996 | 74,192 |
| 2001 | 79,673 |
| 2006 | 84,883 |
| 2009 | 89,995* |
- From preliminary ABS estimate
Economy
Bendigo is a large and growing service economy. The major industries are tourism, commerce, education and primary industries.Bendigo's growth is largely at the expense of small surrounding rural towns (such as Elmore
Elmore, Victoria
Elmore is a small town in Victoria north-east of Bendigo on the Campaspe River. Elmore is close to the Whipstick State Park.At the 2006 census, Elmore had a population of 694.-History:...
, Rochester
Rochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
, Inglewood
Inglewood, Victoria
Inglewood is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Calder Highway, in the Shire of Loddon. At the 2006 census, Inglewood had a population of 834...
, Dunolly
Dunolly, Victoria
Dunolly is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Dunolly - Maryborough Road, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2006 census, Dunolly had a population of 969....
and Bridgewater
Bridgewater On Loddon, Victoria
Bridgewater On Loddon is a town in north central Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Calder Highway, north west of Bendigo, astride the Loddon River. At the 2006 census, Bridgewater On Loddon had a population of 391...
) which in contrast are in steep decline.
Tourism
Tourism is a major component of the Bendigo economy, generating over A$364 million in 2008/09. Bendigo is popular with heritage touristsHeritage tourism
Cultural heritage tourism is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring...
and cultural tourists
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion, and other elements that helped shape their way of life...
with the focus of tourism on the city's gold rush history. Prominent attractions include the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Golden Dragon Museum
Golden Dragon Museum
The Golden Dragon Museum is an award winning certified museum. It is situated in the city of Bendigo, Australia. The museum is dedicated to the Chinese who immigrated to the region and the rich culture they brought with them...
and the Bendigo Tramways
Trams in Bendigo
Trams have operated in the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1890, and continue to operate today as a tourist attraction. Limited trials have also been made in 2009 with operating commuter service, but with minimal usage by the public....
(all three of which are managed by The Bendigo Trust, a council-intertwined organisation dedicated to preserving Bendigo's heritage).
Commerce
The main retail centre of Bendigo is the central business district, with the suburbs of Eaglehawk, Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square, Strathdale and Epsom also having shopping districts.The city is home to Australia's only provincial stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, the Bendigo Stock Exchange
Bendigo Stock Exchange
Bendigo Stock Exchange is a small stock exchange based in Australia.The exchange targets its listing rules at small to medium sized businesses and offers lower listing fees than the Australian Stock Exchange...
(BSX), founded in the 1860s.
The city is the home of the headquarters of Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank is an Australian financial institution, operating primarily in retail banking. The company merged with Adelaide Bank in November 2007, with shareholders voting in March 2008 to change the merged company’s name to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited.Before the merger, Bendigo Bank...
; established in 1858 as a building society it is now a large retail bank with community bank branches throughout Australia. The bank is headquartered in Bendigo, and is a major employer in the city (it also has a regional office at Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
).
The call centre of Telecommunications provider AAPT
AAPT
AAPT is Australia's third largest land line telecommunications company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telecom New Zealand. The company is a member of the Infrastructure Assurance Advisory Group for the Critical Infrastructure Protection branch of the Attorney-General's...
is based here, as is the home of Bendigo Community Telco (founding subsidiary of Community Telco Australia).
Manufacturing
The 2005 Bendigo Council Annual Report indicated about 13% of the workforce are employed in manufacturing. After the Victorian gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
the introduction of deep quartz mining in Bendigo caused the development of a heavy manufacturing industry. Little of that now remains but there is a large foundry which makes train and vehicle parts and there is also a rubber factory. The Thales Australia (formerly ADI Limited) is an important heavy engineering company. Australia Defence Apparel is another key defence industry participant making military and police uniforms and bulletproof vests. Intervet (formerly Ausvac
Ausvac
Ausvac Pty Ltd located in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia was started in 1987 and subsequently sold to Intervet, a subsidiary of Akzo Nobel in 1998....
) is an important biotechnology company, producing vaccines for animals.
Education
Bendigo Senior Secondary CollegeBendigo Senior Secondary College
Bendigo Senior Secondary College is an Australian state school for Year 11 and Year 12 students in Bendigo, Victoria.There are four state 7-10 colleges in Bendigo - Eaglehawk Secondary College, Bendigo South East Secondary College, Crusoe College and Weeroona College Bendigo...
is the largest VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) provider in the State. Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE. Catholic College Bendigo
Catholic College Bendigo
Catholic College Bendigo is a Catholic secondary school in the city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. About 1800 students attend Catholic College Bendigo's two sites. 200 teachers staff the College....
follows close after, which ranges from years 7–9 at the La Valla campus and 10–12 at the Coolock campus. Girton Grammar School is Bendigo's only private school. The Bendigo campus of La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
is also a large and growing educational institution.
Farming and agriculture
The surrounding area, or "gold country", is quite harsh rocky land with scrubby regrowth vegetation. This Box-Ironbark forestBox-Ironbark forest
Box-Ironbark forest is a forest or woodland ecosystem that is largely limited to central Victoria in south-eastern Australia. Because its component tree species produce abundant nectar and pollen throughout the year, it is important for the conservation of many species of birds and other...
is used for timber (mainly sleepers and firewood) and beekeeping.
Sheep and cattle are grazed in the cleared areas. There are some large poultry and pig farms. Some relatively fertile areas are present along the rivers and creeks, where wheat and other crops such as canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
are grown. The area produces premium wines, including shiraz
Shiraz grape
Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines. Whether sold as Syrah or Shiraz, these wines enjoy great popularity.Syrah is used as a varietal and is also blended...
, from a growing viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
industry. Salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
is a problem in many valleys, but is under control. There is a relatively small eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
oil industry.
Bendigo provides services (including a large livestock exchange) to a large agricultural and grazing area on the Murray plains to its north.
Gold mining
One of the major revolutions in gold mining (during the Victorian gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
) came when fields like Bendigo but also Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
, and the gold fields close to Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander is a mountain that is located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the small town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level...
turned out to have large gold deposits below the superficial alluvial deposits that had been (partially) mined out. Gold at Bendigo was found in quartz reef systems, hosted within highly deformed mudstones and sandstones or were washed away into channels of ancient rivers. Tunnels as deep as 2000 or even 3000 feet (600 to 900 metres) (Stawell
Stawell, Victoria
Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035....
) were possible.
Until overtaken in the 1880s by the Western Australia goldfields, Bendigo was the most productive Australian gold area, with a total production of over 20 million ounces (622 t). There is a large amount of gold still in the Bendigo goldfields, estimated to be at least as much again as what has been removed. The decline in mining was partly due to the depth of mines and the presence of water in the deep mines. With modern technology, Bendigo Mining NL has resumed mining and is currently winning gold at approximately 40,000 ounces (1 tonne) a year.
Transport
Calder Freeway
Calder Freeway is a freeway linking Melbourne to Ravenswood South in Victoria, Australia, superseding stretches of the Calder Highway. Originally just a short spur of the Tullamarine Freeway linking to the Calder Highway in Keilor in suburban Melbourne, it has been extended in phases to Ravenswood...
to Melbourne, which is less than two hours by car. The remaining section of highway nearest Bendigo was recently upgraded to dual carriageway standard ensuring that motorists can travel up to speeds of 110 km/h for most of the journey. Many other regional centres are also connected to Melbourne via Bendigo, making it a gateway city in the transport of produce and materials from northern Victoria and the Murray to the Port of Melbourne and beyond.
Bendigo act as a major rail hub for northern Victoria, being at the junction of several lines including the Bendigo railway line which runs south to Melbourne and lines running north including the Swan Hill railway line, Echuca railway line and Eaglehawk–Inglewood railway line. V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
operates regular VLocity passenger rail services to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
with the shortest peak journeys taking approximately 91 minutes from Bendigo railway station, generally however services take 2 hours or longer. While there are several rail stations in the urban area, only two other stations currently operated for passengers: Kangaroo Flat railway station on the Bendigo Line and Eaglehawk railway station, the later being the terminus for some services from Melbourne. There are also additional train services to and from Swan Hill
Swan Hill, Victoria
Swan Hill is a city in the northwest of Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Murray Valley Highway, on the south bank of the Murray River, downstream from the junction of the Loddon River. At the 2006 census, Swan Hill had a population of 9,684.-History:...
, and Echuca
Echuca, Victoria
Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...
. The Regional Rail Link
Regional Rail Link
The Regional Rail Link is a 47.5 km railway track currently under construction through the western suburbs of Melbourne from Southern Cross Station, running through Sunshine, Tarneit and meeting the Geelong Line at West Werribee...
promises more reliable services between Bendigo and Melbourne by providing some separation from the Melbourne metropolitan rail network
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
.
Bendigo is also served by an extensive bus network which radiates mostly from the CBD towards the suburbs. The city is also serviced by several expansive taxi services.
Trams in Bendigo
Trams in Bendigo
Trams have operated in the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1890, and continue to operate today as a tourist attraction. Limited trials have also been made in 2009 with operating commuter service, but with minimal usage by the public....
have historically operated an extensive network a form of public transport, however the remains of the network was reduced to a tourist service in 1972. Short trials of commuter tram services was held in 2008 and 2009 with little ridership.
Bendigo is served by Bendigo Airport, which is located to the north of the city on the Midland Highway. The Bendigo Airport Strategic Plan was approved in 2010 for proposed infrastructure upgrades including runway extension and buildings to facilitate larger planes and the possibility of regular passenger services from major cities in other states.
Health
Bendigo Base HospitalBendigo Base Hospital
Bendigo Base Hospital is the major hospital of the Bendigo Metropolitan Area and Bendigo Health Care Group.The hospital consists of 2 major campuses, a nursing home, a hospice and a primary health centre, a total of 672 beds...
is the city's largest hospital, only public hospital and a major regional hospital. St John of God is the largest private hospital.
Utilities
Bendigo is entitled to a portion of the water in Lake EppalockLake Eppalock
Lake Eppalock is a man-made lake located in North Central Victoria, Australia. It's situated on the Campaspe River between the city of Bendigo and the town of Heathcote and serves as a major water storage facility for both places...
, an irrigation reservoir on the Campaspe River. Recent developments have led to the building of a pipeline from Waranga
Waranga Basin
Waranga Basin is a reservoir forming part of the Goulburn River irrigation system in Victoria, Australia. It is located in Shire of Campaspe near the City of Greater Shepparton and is located near the townships of Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison...
to Lake Eppalock and thence to Bendigo in 2007. There is a dam (and a road) called Faugh A Ballagh
Faugh A Ballagh
Faugh a Ballagh is a battle cry of Irish origin, meaning "clear the way". The spelling is an 18th-century anglicization of the Irish language phrase Fág an Bealach, also written Fág a' Bealach. Its first recorded use as a regimental motto was by the Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1798...
.
Culture and events
The Bendigo Art GalleryBendigo Art Gallery
Bendigo Art Gallery in Bendigo, founded in 1887, is one of Australia’s oldest and largest regional art galleries. The Bendigo Art Gallery hosts Australia's richest open painting prize, the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, worth $50,000, which was launched in 2003.- Prizes :* Arthur Guy Memorial...
is one of Australia’s oldest and largest regional art galleries.
The Capital Theatre is located next to the art gallery in View Street and hosts performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
and live music.
The city hosts the Bendigo National Swap Meet for cars every year in early November. It is regarded as the biggest in the southern hemisphere and attracts people from all over Australia and the world.
The city hosts the Victorian leg of the annual Groovin' the Moo
Groovin' the Moo
Groovin' The Moo is an annual music festival held at various 'regional centres' across Australia during the middle of the year.-History:The first incarnation of the festival occurred on the 24th of April 2005 at the Gloucester Showgrounds with crowds of over 1400, continuing to Narrandera with...
music festival. It is held at the Bendigo Showgrounds and is usually held in late April or early May. The festival regularly sells out and brings many big Australian and international acts to the city. It also attracts thousands of people from around Victoria to the city for the weekend.
The Bendigo Easter Festival
Bendigo Easter Festival
The Bendigo Easter Festival, formerly called the Bendigo Easter Fair, is an annual event held in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1871. The festival includes the Easter procession which sees Sun Loong, the longest imperial dragon in the world, dance through the streets.- First fair :The first...
is held each year and attracts tens of thousands of tourists to the city over the Easter long weekend. Attractions include parades, exhibitions and a street carnival.
Media
Bendigo is served by three newspapers; The AdvertiserThe Advertiser (Bendigo)
The Bendigo Advertiser is the daily newspaper for Bendigo and is published by Rural Press Limited....
, The Bendigo Miner and the Bendigo Weekly
Bendigo Weekly
The Bendigo Weekly is a tabloid-size, full-colour newspaper published weekly throughout Bendigo, and country districts in central Victoria, including Woodend, Echuca, Wedderburn and Colbinabbin....
. There are also six locally based radio stations; (EasyMix Ten71am and 98.3FM) Star FM, 3BO FM
3BO FM
3BO FM is a radio station based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. It broadcasts on the FM radio band, at a frequency of 93.5 MHz.The station is part of the Macquarie Southern Cross Media network.-External links:* 3BO-FM, Official Website....
and ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
as well two national radio stations Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
and ABC Radio National and the community stations Phoenix FM (Central Victoria)
Phoenix FM (Central Victoria)
- The inaugural meeting :The inaugural meeting of Phoenix FM was held on 10 April 2007.- Test broadcasts :...
, 101.5 Bendigo's Best Sport and KLFM
KLFM
KLFM is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Great Falls, Montana, USA, the station serves the Great Falls area. The station is currently owned by Ccr-Great Falls Iv, LLC....
.
There are five television stations; WIN
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
, Prime
Prime Television
PRIME7 is an Australian television network owned by Prime Media Group Limited. Prime Television launched on 17 March 1962 as CBN/CWN in Orange and Dubbo, New South Wales, and has since expanded to cover regional New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory as a Seven Network...
, Southern Cross Ten, ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
. Local programming consists of 30-minute weeknight news bulletins on WIN and short news updates on Southern Cross Ten. Prime also maintains a sales office in the region. All five networks also transmit new additional digital television channels.
On 5 May 2011, analogue television transmissions ceased in most areas of regional Victoria and some border regions including Bendigo and surrounding areas. All local free-to-air television services are now being broadcast in digital transmission only. This was done as part of the Federal Government`s plan for Digital terrestrial television in Australia, where all analogue television transmission is being gradually switched off and replaced with DVB-T
DVB-T
DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...
transmission.
Music
There are several live music venues with local independent bands and artists performing on a regular basis. There also several adult choirs and the Bendigo Youth Choir which often performs overseas, the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra, the Bendigo Symphonic Band, several brass bands and three pipe bands.Musicians originally from Bendigo include Patrick Savage
Patrick Savage (composer/musician)
Patrick Savage is an Australian-born film composer and violinist best known for his collaboration with Holeg Spies on the score for The Human Centipede.He was also formerly principal first violin with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, UK...
– film composer and former principal first violin of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
in London, James Dennis (Jimmy J.R), Rick Moyle and Mark Pecos of the JR Baker Band. Australian Idol winner Kate DeAraugo
Kate DeAraugo
Katherine Jenna "Kate" DeAraugo, pronounced de roosh , is an Australian singer-songwriter who was the third winner of Australian Idol in 2005. After idol, DeAraugo signed to Sony BMG and released her debut single, "Maybe Tonight", in November 2005. The single debuted and peaked at Number 1 on the...
grew up in Bendigo where her family still live.
Sports
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
are the most popular sports in Bendigo. The Queen Elizabeth Oval
Queen Elizabeth Oval
Queen Elizabeth Oval is an Australian rules football stadium located in Bendigo, Australia. The capacity of the venue is 18,000. In previous times more than 18,000 have flocked into the ground....
(referred to locally as the "QEO") hosts both sports. The Bendigo Bombers
Bendigo Bombers
The Bendigo Bombers Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia playing in the Victorian Football League .-Brief history:...
are a semi-professional Australian Rules team that competes in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
. The Bendigo region is also home to the historic Bendigo Football League
Bendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
, a strong local Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
competition. The Bendigo Cup is a famous horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
event. The Bendigo and District Cricket Association
Bendigo and District Cricket Association
The Bendigo and District Cricket Association is the controlling body for ten combined senior and junior cricket clubs within the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia. Grades range from Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 17s, C,B and A grades. Games are played from October through to February...
is the controlling body for ten senior cricket clubs within the Bendigo area. The Emu Valley Cricket Association organises matches for thirteen club around the Bendigo district, from Marong in the north to Heathcote is the south. The Bendigo Madison is a large prestigious cycling event, attracting international calibre cyclists.
Bendigo hosts the richest professional running 400m in the world called the Black Opal. It is held in March each year and usually sees thousands of people at the venue with professional running races as well as cycling events (featuring the Bendigo Madison) over a two-day carnival. The 400 m Black Opal and 120 m Bendigo Gift finals are conducted before the Bendigo Madison on the second night (Sunday) of the carnival.
Tennis is popular in Bendigo with the Bendigo Tennis Association (BTA) hosting local and national tournaments at its many court locations throughout the city. The Bendigo Indoor Sports & Leisure Centre (BISLC) (five synthetic hard courts) in Strathdale is the only indoor tennis complex in the region, and the huge 30 synthetic hard court Coca-Cola Tennis Complex next to Lake Weeroona being one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. The Bendigo Lawn Tennis Club also has 16 natural grass courts, one of the largest in the region.
Swimming is a popular, year-round sport in Bendigo. There are four competitive clubs those being the Eaglehawk Swimming Club, Bendigo East Swimming Club, Bendigo Swimming Club and the Kangaroo Flat Swimming Club. The home of the Eaglehawk Swimming Club is located at the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre in Eaglehawk in the city's north-west. Among many other fitness and leisure facilities the centre boasts Central Victoria's only 50m, heated indoor swimming pool. The pool provides for year-round training and competition for swimmers of all ages across the City of Greater Bendigo. Competition-class 50m pools can also be found at the Bendigo Aquatic Centre in the centre of Bendigo and at Bendigo East.
Basketball is popular in Bendigo, the city is home to the Schweppes Centre
Schweppes Centre
The Schweppes Center is a sports and entertainment center in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. It is home to the Bendigo Braves and the Bendigo Spirit . The stadium hosted basketball matches during the 2006 Commonwealth Games...
, home of the Bendigo Braves
Bendigo Braves
The Bendigo Braves are a basketball team based in Bendigo, Victoria. They play in the East Conference of the SEABL in the ABA.-Current roster:-External links:***...
. The stadiums hosted basketball during the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
. The city is also home to the Bendigo Basketball Association. Bendigo also has a team, The Bendigo Spirit, in the WNBL (the premier national female basketball competition).
Bendigo was the host to the second Commonwealth Youth Games
Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games are a small-scale version of the Commonwealth Games, designed for the youth of the 71 Commonwealth countries.-History:...
, held from 30 November to 3 December 2004.
Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
Bendigo Amateur Soccer League http://www.basl.org.au organises and manages soccer for over 3000 juniors and seniors in Central Victoria. Bendigo is also home to the largest junior soccer club in Victoria, Strathdale Soccer Club. Bendigo along with Swan Hill, Echuca and Mildura have a team in Football Federation Victoria's Summer league. The team is the Loddon Mallee F.C.
Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
– The Bendigo Fighting Miners are the only team in Bendigo, it completes in the Victorian Country Rugby Union Competition and has won the premiership for the last four years in a row.
Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
– The CVHA Blazers represent Bendigo at State level in both male and female competitions. Bendigo Raiders Ice Hockey Team competes at both junior and senior levels within the Victorian ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
Association and is the only team to play that is located outside Melbourne.
There was formerly an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
in Bendigo, one of only two running in Victoria, but it was closed in 2010 and is unlikely to re-open.
Ice Skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
– Bendigo also has an ice skating club, the Ice Skating Club of Bendigo which was instrumental in organising Regional and State skating competitions. The closure of the ice rink has limited its activities.http://www.iscb.org.au
Baseball – There are five running clubs in the Bendigo area: Eaglehawk Falcons, Bendigo East, Maiden Gully Scots, Bendigo BLS Bushrangers and Strathfieldsaye Dodgers. All of these clubs have been struggling for players for the past 5 years in both senior and junior sides. There has been two inclusions into the Bendigo Baseball Association this year with the Colts and the Rich River Rebels ebtering due to the GVBA folding. Bendigo participates in the annual VPBL state championships held across the state. This year Bendigo has won the U/18 event held in Wangaratta, and the U/12s came second in Mildura.
Orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
– The Bendigo Orienteers Inc have hosted a variety of international carnivals including the 1985 World Orienteering Championships
World Orienteering Championships
The World Orienteering Championships were first held in 1966. They were held biennially up to 2003 . Since 2003, competitions have been held annually....
(4–6 September 1985) and World Masters Games
World Masters Games
The World Masters Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years which, in terms of competitor numbers, has developed into the largest of its kind....
orienteering events in 2002. Bendigo has also hosted several Australian Orienteering Championships including those to be held in September 2009.
Volleyball – Bendigo has a very strong volleyball association, with 5 senior divisions, 5 junior divisions and three Spikezone (primary) divisions. Competition is played Thursday nights at the Bendigo Schweppes Centre and Sunday evenings (Spikezone.) The men's Bendigo team are the current Victorian Country Champions. A number of players have represented Australia including Caitlin Thwaites and Erin Ross in the Women's Team. Juniors to have represented Australia in during 2007–8 include Jason Hughes, James Winzar, Rhiannon Judd and Karley Hynes. Bendigo's Girton Grammar School is currently the third ranked volleyball school in Australia. In 2007 the Bendigo Volleyball Association was awarded the Event of the Year for 2006-7 by the AVL for its hosting of the Australia v Argentina Volleyball Test.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
– The Bendigo Lacrosse Club is Australia's newest lacrosse club, having been officially formed in 2008. The Club is based at the Latrobe University Bendigo Athletics Track. In 2010, the club participated in the Lacrosse Victoria competition for the first time, in the Division 3 (fourth grade) senior level. The club is also looking to establish a local junior competition and encourages anyone interested in lacrosse to get involved. It is the first time in over 40 years that a lacrosse club has been active in regional Australia.
Snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
– As of 2011, Bendigo has played host to a ranking World Snooker Tour event – The Australian Goldfields Open. The 2011 tournament took place between 18 and 24 July, and was won by Stuart Bingham.
Roller Derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
– Dragon City Derby Dolls is the name of the Roller Derby League in Bendigo. The team goes by the name of The Chicko Rollers, named after the Chicko Roll
Chiko Roll
The Chiko Roll is an Australian savoury snack, inspired by the Chinese egg roll and spring rolls. It was designed to be easily eaten on the move without a plate or cutlery. The Chiko roll consists of beef, celery, cabbage, barley, carrot, onion, green beans, and spices in a tube of egg, flour and...
, which was invented in Bendigo. Whilst the league is still in its formative stages, they compete in 'scrimmage' bouts against teams from neighbouring leagues, such as the Dayslesford Derby Dolls and Ballarat Roller Derby League. DCDD will play in their first 'official' bout against Ballarat on 12 March 2011.
Bendigo has a horse racing club, the Bendigo Jockey Club, which schedules around 22 race meetings a year at its White Hills
White Hills, Victoria
White Hills is a suburb of the City of Bendigo in central Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, White Hills had a population of 2,626.White Hills Post Office opened on 21 August 1857 during the gold rush....
track, including the Bendigo Cup meeting in mid-November. Elmore
Elmore, Victoria
Elmore is a small town in Victoria north-east of Bendigo on the Campaspe River. Elmore is close to the Whipstick State Park.At the 2006 census, Elmore had a population of 694.-History:...
Racing Club also hold their only meeting here in March.
Bendigo Harness Racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the city at Lords Raceway on the McIvor Highway, Junortoun.
The Bendigo Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
Club holds regular meetings at the same location.
Golfers play at the course of the Bendigo Golf Club on Golf Course Road in the suburb of Epsom or at the course of the Quarry Hill Golf Club on Houston Street.
Environment
The city is surrounded by components of the Greater Bendigo National ParkGreater Bendigo National Park
Greater Bendigo is a national park in Victoria, Australia. Much of the park lies within the Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for Swift Parrots and other woodland birds....
, as well as the Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region
Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region
The Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region is a 505 km2 fragmented and irregularly-shaped tract of land that encompasses all the Box-Ironbark forest and woodland remnants used as winter feeding habitat by Swift Parrots in the Bendigo-Maldon region of central Victoria, south-eastern...
Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
, identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because of its importance for Swift Parrot
Swift Parrot
The Swift Parrot breeds in Tasmania and migrates north to south eastern Australia from Griffith-Warialda in New South Wales and west to Adelaide in the winter. It is related to the rosellas, with the feeding habits of a lorikeet...
s and other woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
birds.
Climate
Bendigo experiences an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb), typically dry and mild with cold winters. The mean minimum temperature in January is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F) and the maximum 28.7 °C (83.7 °F), although temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) are commonly reached. The highest temperature officially recorded was 45.4 °C (113.7 °F), during the early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave. There is also a disputed recording of 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) (on 14 January 1862. The mean minimum temperature in July is 3.5 °C (38.3 °F), and winter minima of below 0 °C (32 °F) have been recorded frequently. Mean maximum winter temperatures in July are 12.1 °C (53.8 °F). Most of the city's annual rainfall of 582.1 millimetres (22.92 in) falls between April and October. Snowfalls are virtually unknown, however frosts can be a common occurrence during the winter months.
Extreme weather events
A series of great floods occurred in Bendigo in 1859. Substantial flooding also occurred in 1903.2003 Bendigo tornado
The 2003 Bendigo tornado was a Fujita scale category F2 tornado which hit the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia about 6.30 pm on 18 May 2003. The main areas hit were the city's northern suburbs of Eaglehawk and California Gully which had severe damage and power outages...
passed through Eaglehawk
Eaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg...
and other parts of the city causing major damage to homes and businesses.
Bendigo was in severe drought from 2006 to 2010 and during this time the city had some of the harshest water restrictions in Australia, with no watering outside the household. Heavy rains through the winter and spring of 2010 filled most reservoirs to capacity and only wasteful water use (e.g. hosing down footpaths) is currently banned.
Bendigo was affected by the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. A fire to the west of the city burned out 500 hectares (1,235.5 acre). The fire broke out at about 4.30 pm on the afternoon of 7 February, and burned through Long Gully
Long Gully, Victoria
Long Gully is a suburb of the regional city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. The suburb is located north west of the Bendigo central business district. At the 2006 census, Long Gully had a population of 3,289....
and Eaglehawk
Eaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg...
, coming within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of central Bendigo, before it was brought under control late on 8 February. It destroyed approximately 58 houses in Bendigo's western suburbs, and damaged an electricity transmission line, resulting in blackouts to substantial parts of the city. There was one fatality from the fire.
Flash floods occurred across Bendigo during 2010. The first in March and the most severe at the beginning of September.
Sister cities
PenzancePenzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, United Kingdom Los Altos
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
, California, United States of America Tianshui
Tianshui
Tianshui is the second largest city in Gansu province in northwest China. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road at the Wei River, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Notable residents
Politics- John BannonJohn BannonJohn Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
, LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Premier of South Australia, 1982–1992 - Frank BrennanFrank Brennan (Australian politician)Francis Brennan was an Australian lawyer and Australian Labor Party politician.Brennan was born at Upper Emu Creek near Bendigo, Victoria and was a younger brother of Tom Brennan, later an assistant minister in the conservative Lyons government. He studied law at the University of Melbourne and...
, Federal Attorney-GeneralAttorney-General of AustraliaThe Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
, 1929–31 - Tom Brennan, older brother of Frank and Federal UAPUnited Australia PartyThe United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
SenatorAustralian SenateThe Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, 1931–37 - John BrumbyJohn BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
, LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Premier of Victoria, 2007–2010 - John GunnJohn Gunn (Australian politician)John Gunn was the 29th Premier of South Australia.Gunn was born in Bendigo, Victoria, the second of nine children to a Scottish miner and his wife...
, LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Premier of South Australia, 1924–26 - Edward HeitmannEdward HeitmannEdward Ernest Heitmann , Australian politician, was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1917, then a member of the Australian House of Representatives until 1919....
, Federal LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician, 1917–1919 - John LuteyJohn LuteyJohn Thomas Lutey was the Australian Labor Party member for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Brownhill-Ivanhoe from 1917 to 1932....
, Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the West AustralianWestern Australian Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
parliament, 1917–1932 - Peter RyanPeter Ryan (politician)Peter Julian Ryan is an Australian politician and leader of the National Party in Victoria. He has represented the electoral district of Gippsland South since 1992, and has been the Deputy Premier of Victoria, Minister for Police as well as the Minister for Rural and Regional Development since 2...
, current leader of the Victorian National PartyNational Party of AustraliaThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
Sport
- AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
players – Graham ArthurGraham ArthurGraham Arthur is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL in the 1950s and 1960s.Arthur played primarily as a half forward, debuting while still only 18 years old....
, Nathan Brown, Wayne CampbellWayne CampbellWayne Campbell is a retired Australian rules football player for the Richmond Football Club of the AFL.-Richmond career :...
, Nick Dal SantoNick Dal SantoNick Dal Santo is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...
, Eric FlemingEric Fleming (footballer)Eric Fleming was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the VFL during the 1920s....
, Trevor KeoghTrevor KeoghTrevor Keogh is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League.Keogh was recruited from Sandhurst in the Bendigo Football League and made his debut for Carlton in 1970. A rover, he has been described as "instrumental" in Carlton's premiership wins of...
, Barry MulcairBarry MulcairBarry Mulcair is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the VFL.Mulcair was recruited from South Bendigo in the Bendigo Football League. He made his debut midway through the 1970 season and won their 'Best First Year Player Award'. He played at half back in Carlton's...
, Troy SelwoodTroy SelwoodTroy Selwood is a former Australian rules footballer who played 75 games for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League . He is the current co-captain of the Geelong Football Club's team in the Victorian Football League ....
, Adam SelwoodAdam SelwoodAdam Murray Selwood is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.-Career:...
, Joel SelwoodJoel SelwoodJoel Anthony Selwood is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Scott SelwoodScott SelwoodScott Francis Selwood is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League .-Career:...
, Geoff SouthbyGeoff SouthbyGeoff Southby was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .An attacking full-back who ran hard from defence and stopped the best full-forwards, Southby was a key contributor to Carlton Football Club's success in the 1970s.In 2000 Southby was inducted into the Australian...
, Colin SylviaColin SylviaColin Sylvia is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...
, Brian Walsh, Greg Williams - Don BlackieDon BlackieDonald Dearness Blackie was an Australian Test cricketer who played only three Tests in the summer of 1928-29. At 46 years 253 days of age at the time of his Test debut, Blackie remains the oldest debutant in Australian Test cricket.-External links:*...
, Test cricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er - Hannah Every-HallHannah Every-HallHannah Every-Hall is an Australian rower.- References :...
, rower - Kristi HarrowerKristi HarrowerKristi Harrower is an Australian professional basketball player, who three times won the silver medal with the Australian Women's Team at the Summer Olympics. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1998 - 2005 for the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx...
, national basketballer - Stephen HussStephen Huss (tennis)Stephen Huss , is a professional tennis player from Australia. He is also citizen of Sweden....
, 2005 WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
men's doubles champion - Faith LeechFaith LeechFaith Yvonne Leech is a former Australian freestyle swimmer who won gold in the 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay and bronze in the 100 m freestyle at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.A tall and lean swimmer known for her elegant technique, Leech started swimming as a...
, Olympic swimming champion - Billy MurdochBilly MurdochWilliam Lloyd Murdoch was an Australian cricketer, who captained the Australian team on tours to England in 1880, 1882 , 1884 and 1890...
, Australian Test cricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
captain - Ricky NixonRicky NixonRicky L. Nixon is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL and now a high profile Australian sports agent. He is currently serving a two year suspension following an investigation by the AFL Players Association Accreditation Board.-Football career:Recruited from Golden Square in the...
, sports agent and former AFL footballer - Lisle NagelLisle NagelLisle Ernest Nagel was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1932. His twin brother, Vernon, also played first-class cricket for Victoria.-See also:...
, Australian Test cricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er - Glen SavilleGlen SavilleGlen Saville is an Australian professional basketball player, currently playing for the Wollongong Hawks in the Australasian National Basketball League.-Club Career:...
, Australian and NBL basketballer - Ben HuntBen Hunt (basketball)Ben Hunt is an Australian basketballer who played in the National Basketball League for the Perth Wildcats for two seasons, from 2006-2008....
, NCAA, NBA, and NBL basketballer - Craig WhiteCraig WhiteCraig White is an English former first-class cricketer, and latterly cricket coach.-Life and career:...
, English cricket player - Sharelle McMahonSharelle McMahonSharelle Jane McMahon is an Australian netball player and former captain of the Australian national netball team...
, Australian Netball Team captain, Melbourne Vixens captain
Arts
- Bunney BrookeBunney BrookeBunney Brooke was an Australian actress best known for her television acting roles including the long-running role of Flo Patterson in soap opera Number 96 in the 1970s, and Vi Patchett in E Street in 1990.Brooke was adopted at an early age and had an unhappy early life...
, TV actress - Kate DeAraugoKate DeAraugoKatherine Jenna "Kate" DeAraugo, pronounced de roosh , is an Australian singer-songwriter who was the third winner of Australian Idol in 2005. After idol, DeAraugo signed to Sony BMG and released her debut single, "Maybe Tonight", in November 2005. The single debuted and peaked at Number 1 on the...
, 2005 Australian Idol winner - Colleen HewettColleen HewettColleen Hewett is an Australian actress and popular singer. She is perhaps best known to international audiences for her 1984 guest role in the television series Prisoner as Sheila Brady.-Pop singer:...
, singer and actress - Keith LambKeith Lamb (musician)Keith Lamb was the lead singer and founding member of the Australian glam rock band, Hush. He sang since the age of 10 years old, fronting bands such as Mr. Toad, The Case and Sleepy Talk in England. Mr. Toad supported some great UK acts such as the Who and the Equals...
, lead singer of HushHush (band)Hush was a 1970s Australian glam rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers, and they would not have come into existence without the superb John Koutts on drums.... - Ernest MoffittErnest MoffittErnest Edward Moffitt was an Australian artist.- Life :Moffitt was born in Bendigo, Victoria the son of John Thomas Lowry Moffitt, draper, and his wife Mary Emily, née Rogers. He was educated at All Saints school, St. Kilda, Melbourne...
, artist - William MooreWilliam Moore (critic)William George Moore was an Australian art and dramatic critic.Moore was born at Sandurst , the son of Thompson Moore one time a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly...
, art and drama critic - William David MurdochWilliam David MurdochWilliam David Murdoch was an Australian pianist, composer and author.-Early life and education:Murdoch was born at Sandhurst , the son of Andrew Murdoch, an engineer, and his wife Annie, née Esler. At 11 years of age William began piano lessons and soon won several solo competitions...
, concert pianist - John Bernard O'HaraJohn Bernard O'HaraJohn Bernard O'Hara was an Australian poet and schoolmaster.O'Hara was born at Bendigo, Victoria. His father, Patrick Knight O'Hara, a primary school teacher in the education department, Victoria, also published two volumes of verse. O'Hara was educated at Carlton College and Ormond College,...
, poet and schoolmaster - Alfred Henry O'KeeffeAlfred Henry O'KeeffeAlfred Henry O'Keeffe , was a notable New Zealand artist and art teacher, who spent the majority of his life in Dunedin. During the first quarter of the twentieth century, he was one of the few New Zealand artists to engage with new ideas while staying in New Zealand. At this time most adventurous...
, artist - Ian RilenIan RilenIan William Rilen was an Australian musician, he was bass guitarist and songwriter with Rock N' Roll band Rose Tattoo and led punk rock group X also providing lead guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals...
, bass guitarist with Rose TattooRose TattooRose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
Science
- John Irvine HunterJohn Irvine HunterJohn Irvine Hunter was an Australian professor of Anatomy.Hunter was born in Bendigo, Victoria, the third son of Henry Hunter, a furniture dealer, and Isabella née Hodgson. At eight years of age, Hunter had an attack of pneumonia and was sent to recuperate with an aunt in Albury, New South Wales,...
, professor of anatomyAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy... - Struan SutherlandStruan SutherlandStruan Keith Sutherland AO was an Australian medical researcher who developed effective antivenoms and other treatments for people bitten or stung by venomous Australian wildlife.-Early life:...
, antivenin researcher - Geoffrey WatsonGeoffrey WatsonGeoffrey Stuart Watson was an Australian statistician.Watson was born in Bendigo, Victoria in 1921. He studied at the University of Melbourne, and received his PhD at the North Carolina State University in 1951...
, professor of statistics - Frank MilneFrank Milne- Biography :Milne was born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in 1946. He was educated at Bendigo High School, Monash University, B.Econ 1968; M.Econ 1970; and received his PhD at the Australian National University in 1975...
, professor of economics
Business
- Frank McEncroeFrank McEncroeFrancis Gerard "Frank" McEncroe was an Australian businessman. He is known for his invention of the Australian fast food phenomenon, the Chiko Roll.-Early life and career:...
, inventor of the Chiko RollChiko RollThe Chiko Roll is an Australian savoury snack, inspired by the Chinese egg roll and spring rolls. It was designed to be easily eaten on the move without a plate or cutlery. The Chiko roll consists of beef, celery, cabbage, barley, carrot, onion, green beans, and spices in a tube of egg, flour and... - Sidney MyerSidney MyerSidney Baevski Myer was a Russian Australian businessman and philanthropist, best known for creating Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores.-Early life:...
, philanthropist and founder of the Myer chain of department stores, Australia's largest retailer
Religion
- Sydney James KirkbySydney James KirkbySydney James Kirkby was a bishop of the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania .-Early life:...
, AnglicanAnglican Church of AustraliaThe Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
bishop
Military
- Carl JessCarl JessLieutenant General Sir Carl Herman Jess CB, CMG, CBE, DSO was an Australian Army officer who served in World War I and World War II.-Early life and career:...
, Australian ArmyAustralian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... - John Campbell RossJohn Campbell RossJohn Campbell Ross was at the time of his death Australia's oldest man and the last Australian veteran of the First World War ....
, last Australian World War I veteran - Sir Gilbert DyettGilbert DyettSir Gilbert Joseph Cullen Dyett CMG was an Australian World War I veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign, who was President of the Returned and Services League of Australia for 27 years, from 1919 to 1946....
, long-serving President of the Returned and Services League of AustraliaReturned and Services League of AustraliaThe Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
See also
- List of Mayors of Bendigo
- Bendigo Easter FestivalBendigo Easter FestivalThe Bendigo Easter Festival, formerly called the Bendigo Easter Fair, is an annual event held in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia since 1871. The festival includes the Easter procession which sees Sun Loong, the longest imperial dragon in the world, dance through the streets.- First fair :The first...
- HM Prison BendigoHM Prison BendigoHM Prison Bendigo was a medium security prison facility located in Bendigo, Victoria, Victoria, Australia.The prison provided accommodation for prisoners assessed as suitable for treatment in the area of substance abuse and addictive/compulsive behaviours....
- Bendigo Senior Secondary CollegeBendigo Senior Secondary CollegeBendigo Senior Secondary College is an Australian state school for Year 11 and Year 12 students in Bendigo, Victoria.There are four state 7-10 colleges in Bendigo - Eaglehawk Secondary College, Bendigo South East Secondary College, Crusoe College and Weeroona College Bendigo...
- Flora Hill Secondary CollegeFlora Hill Secondary CollegeFlora Hill Secondary College was a co-educational secondary college, catering for students in years 7 to 10, located in Flora Hill, a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia....
- Golden Square Secondary CollegeGolden Square Secondary CollegeGolden Square High School in Australia was established in temporary accommodation at Camp Hill Primary School in 1960. It moved to its current site in 1962, providing for years 7-12. In 1978 it became a 7-10 school and was one of the original feeder schools to Bendigo Senior High School...
- Catholic College BendigoCatholic College BendigoCatholic College Bendigo is a Catholic secondary school in the city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. About 1800 students attend Catholic College Bendigo's two sites. 200 teachers staff the College....
- 2003 Bendigo tornado2003 Bendigo tornadoThe 2003 Bendigo tornado was a Fujita scale category F2 tornado which hit the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia about 6.30 pm on 18 May 2003. The main areas hit were the city's northern suburbs of Eaglehawk and California Gully which had severe damage and power outages...
External links
- Bendigo Visitor Information and Interpretive Centre
- Bendigo Tramways
- Coliban Water, including an illustrated history of the water channel from the Coliban River
- City of Greater Bendigo: Bendigo's Heritage
- City of Greater Bendigo Annual Report 2005
- Victorian Heritage Register (1999), Heritage Victoria
- Bendigo community