Arts & Culture
Against the heritage backdrop of this gracious city, a vibrant arts and cultural landscape exists. Significant artists and artisans are making the Bendigo region their home and bringing with them talents and skills that are fostering renewed creativity in the community. Together with a rich cultural heritage this is adding the new riches of the region.
Bendigo Art Gallery has a strong reputation. It is one of Australia’s largest and oldest regional art galleries. The collections of Bendigo Art Gallery include Australian Art from the 1850s to the present day, a special collection of art from the Bendigo goldfields and 19th century European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts.
Dozens of smaller studios and galleries across the region exhibit artists who work in mediums including glass, paint, metal, printmaking and pottery. Many galleries can be found in the villages and towns surrounding Bendigo, including Heathcote, Castlemaine and Maldon.
The Bendigo Pottery is justly famous, with its display and sales complex set around vast old beehive kilns. The Bendigo Pottery was created by George Duncan Guthrie, a Scot who was an apprentice potter by the age of 12. By 1888 11 kilns were in operation and the site employed 130 people. Today domestic pottery is made in the historic kilns. The site offers a total tourist experience an Interpretive Museum, a sales gallery and café.
Another rich aspect of the Bendigo cultural landscape is the Chinese history. The gold rush of the 1850s saw many thousands of Chinese arrive in Bendigo. Within ten years the Chinese miners and merchants made up 20% of the Bendigo population. In the 1870s an impressive imperial dragon known as Loong was sent from China. He is now the oldest Chinese dragon in the world and is the highlight of Australia’s oldest event; the Bendigo Easter Festival. The Golden Dragon Museum houses Loong and an impressive collection of artefacts. It offers a world-class cultural experience.
These are just some of the cultural treasures in Bendigo, and many more are emerging daily.
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