With a sense of discovery in y
our step, a stroll through the beautiful, historic streets of Bendigo will feel like you’ve unearthed a precious treasure. A cosmopolitan atmosphere has set this gracious city on a path that in many ways reflects the excitement of days gone by.
One of the world’s most spectacular gold rushes took place here in the mid-1800s, giving rise to this magnificent city.
Bendigo 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 north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state.
Originally taking its name from the Bendigo Creek, the name became official in 1891.
Bendigo is one of the most significant Victorian era boomtowns 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).
The Shamrock Hotel (trading as Hotel Shamrock) is a grand 19th century hotel in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia situated on Pall Mall, the city’s main street.
The current Shamrock building is a major landmark of Bendigo and is of historic and architectural significance to the nation of Australia as a significant building and to the state of Victoria as part of a significant streetscape and collection of late Victorian buildings in a similar style.
The Bendigo Art Gallery 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 regardedas 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.
