This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Tag Archives: Bendigo


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2019 Life and Travels December

This became a really social month – much more so than our old norm.

With the neighbours from each side, sampled one of the Thai restaurants in town. Bendigo is so well endowed with interesting and great places to eat. It was such a hot month. The restaurant was quite crowded and the A/C was barely coping. Maneuvering neighbour’s wheelchair to our table was a challenge – it is a rather crammed place. But the food was great, for those that like Thai. Not all of our neighbours do, it turned out.

The older Bendigo grandson departed for Europe, with a touring hockey playing group. They would play matches in France, Spain and England, returning in time for the new school year.

Mid-month we hosted a family get together. Son and family from Melbourne. Extended Bendigo family. Friend M, who came up early to help me prepare the food, assisted by daughter and partner’s mother and aunt. Plenty of lovely food: afternoon nibbles included John’s order of party pies! Cold meats, seafood, salads. Usual fruit salad and trifle for dessert, with the addition of a cheesecake  turned into a birthday cake for me – present from daughter-in-law.

Part of the party spread

My birthday “cake”

It was a great afternoon and night, though too hot – the Perspex panels inset in the patio roof allow too much sun in at certain times of the day!

Three generations

The guests returned for brunch on Sunday morning: juices, leftover fruit salad, avocado and fetta on sourdough toast, bacon, French toast, waffles with maple syrup and icecream, plenty of brewed coffee.  With a cake, we made an early birthday celebration for grand daughter, who would turn 18 next month.

Grand daughter’s birthday cake

Guests, except for M, had all departed by mid-afternoon. What a great weekend it had been. M stayed an extra few days, then departed back home, for her round of festive season celebrations – the annual party for the unit complex where she lives., then came back here for Xmas itself.

Daughter and family had Xmas Day with her partner’s extended family, as happens every two years, so it was just the three of us for my Xmas lunch of roast turkey thigh and vegies, with Xmas pudding dessert. But we enjoyed it together. Then went to the neighbours’ for late afternoon drinks.

One of my step daughters came to stay a night after Xmas. That was a fraught visit, as she was attempting to deal with much nastiness and acrimony from the break up of what had been an abusive marriage. Clearly, the divorce was going to be a really difficult time for her, especially with children being used as weapons against her. Times like that, one feels quite powerless.

Son, wife and his children drove from Melbourne to Narooma on Xmas Day, to visit with her mother there. M went home on 30th. We hoped she was seriously considering the benefits of moving up here!

Friend M at the family party

Our New Year’s Eve was quiet – and sad. I was becoming quite worried about son and family, in Narooma, with bushfires spreading in that area.


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2019 Life and Travels November

NOVEMBER 2019

This year had seen our first full spring time in Bendigo and along with it some rewards for the hard work put into the new garden.

It was becoming obvious that callistemons – bottlebrushes – were one plant type that liked the conditions in this area. There were some brilliant flower displays by them in gardens around town, and in my backyard. I would definitely be planting more of these.

Huge display from a small bush

At the same time, I was starting to think that grevilleas were not so happy here. Surprising because I’d thought they were really adaptable. But the ones planted last autumn looked to be battling. My concept for this new garden was that of a bird-attracting one, so a variety of flowering native bushes was key to that.

Another bottlebrush

John was harvesting – an excellent crop of broad beans. I know these are not to everyone’s taste, but we both love them, harvested young, before the beans get too big and floury. According to our farmer next door neighbour, they are stock feed…

Broad beans

The garlic crop was also a good one. Back earlier in the year, John had found a source for garlic that was suited to our local conditions. He planted about 120 cloves in one of the new raised beds, and they all grew. We eat a lot of garlic! This year we would also be giving away a lot of garlic…

Harvesting the garlic crop

Couey turned 9 this month, making her definitely middle aged.

Grand daughter completed her Year 12 exams. Celebrated the end of school with a private “schoolies” week away with friends at Phillip Island. Now the wait for results and tertiary offers drags on.

Late one afternoon, received a somewhat frantic phone call for help, from neighbour . I went in there to find that she had tripped over a hose in the yard and hurt her ankle. Her husband had heard her call out and helped her inside, but neither was quite sure how bad it was, or what to do next. I didn’t like the look of the rapid swelling, so ambulance was called and arrived very promptly. The ankle turned out to be fractured, so a time in plaster was to ensue, complete with crutches and wheelchair. I lent her the crutches and shower chair we had stored from John’s various medical misadventures. For a lady over a decade younger than me, and very active, it was going to be a frustrating time.

We were both enjoying having neighbours on each side that had become friends too, despite our being somewhat older than them all. Back in Melbourne we’d never developed such friendly relationships: the residents on each side were either very much younger than us, had nothing at all in common, or were downright anti-social (as in the ones subject to an early morning raid by the drug squad). Country folk are different, it seems.


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2019 Life and Travels October

OCTOBER 2019

With school holidays, the Melbourne grandchildren arrived by train to stay for a week. I took granddaughter to see the aboriginal batik art exhibition, but she spent most of the stay in her room, studying for her coming Year 12 exams.

By the Bendigo Art Gallery

Grandson enjoyed woodwork with John,  helping him build a little garden for my succulents, against a sunny side wall of the house.

A new garden bed

He also had to spend quite a bit of time with me, re-doing a Geography type assignment that his teacher had rejected. It was definitely a problem that he seemed to have little idea of the skills of research, collation and planning – don’t think his school is serving that one very well. He would like to do well, but doesn’t know how to do so.

At the same time, there was an element of karma that I found quietly amusing. The boy’s father had driven me to distraction when he was a student, always leaving work till the last minute, submitting any old thing and then doing poorly. Now father was so frustrated that his son was doing exactly the same thing. Welcome to my world…  The kid got an A for the resubmitted work. One of the few times I wished I was still in Melbourne – but then, doubted I’d have enough contact with the boy to make a real difference.

Son and wife drove up to collect the offspring. Enjoyed having them here to lunch.

Daughter’s partner and her sister went off to Vietnam on a cycling tour, for a couple of weeks. There are so many wonderfully adventurous holidays available these days.

More grandma obligations saw me attend three hockey finals games to watch oldest grandson play, in both Under 16 and Mens B Grade teams. It is not a game I comprehend, so I never know if all that running back and forth by grandson produces admirable outcomes. One of his teams was Runners Up. The impressive new Bendigo hockey grounds are in a bit of a frost hollow, I think. Maybe the suburb location – Garden Gully – is a clue? The Gully part…The last final, a morning one, saw me absolutely freezing for the duration. Went deaf in one ear, from the cold,  for 24 hours after – and then began knitting myself a big scarf and woollen gloves, in preparation for next season!

Bendigo Hockey Centre

At the end of the month, I came down with a really nasty flu type bug, unlike anything I’d ever had before.  Started as a tickly cough, then a massive headache developed, then generally feeling afflicted. Took to bed for a week – most unusual for me. The persistent cough was really annoying. At one stage wondered if I’d broken ribs coughing! Just about everyone in daughter’s family had it. I wondered if the travellers had brought back some bug from Vietnam? Whatever it was really wiped me out – was weeks before any sort of normal energy levels returned. It was an effort just to get out of bed every morning, let alone do normal things like gardening.

Just as I was seeing some signs of recovery, John went down with it. In his case a chest infection ensued and he needed medication. He too took ages to fully recover.

Springtime sunset


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2019 Life and Travels September

SEPTEMBER 2019

Welcomed our first spring time in Central Victoria. Driving from our home on the western edge of Bendigo, into town, became an even greater joy with the flowering of the local wild wattle varieties. Usually scrubby, nondescript roadside bushes burst into yellow, for a few weeks. The same happened in the surrounds of the local oval, scene of our dog walking.

This became a riot of yellow in spring

It was rather a relief when the moptop trees began shooting again, from the dead-seeming stumps that they were through winter. We were still learning about these strange trees and had been told that they should be cut right back each autumn, which we had duly done – and hoped we weren’t killing the things.

Moptops in winter mode, pear tree in early spring mode

Having worked hard for nearly a year in the gardens, to remove large areas of plastic weed mat, and eradicate lots of unwanted spear grass, I was now able to spread trailer loads of euca mulch – and hope this would serve to discourage any more weeds.

Spreading new mulch

A sense of grandma duty took me to the biennial drama production of the 7 year-old’s school. This was a big undertaking, involving every child, in the Junior Aladdin show. Actually enjoyed it much more than I’d expected to. Grandson’s role was a standing-around one, attired in a vaguely Middle Eastern costume.

Much more interesting, however, was the Ulumbarra Theatre venue itself, built around the original Sandhurst Jail. Bendigo was once called Sandhurst. In one foyer/corridor area, we walked past some of the old cells, and the materials of the new parts of the theatre merge with the stone sections of the jail. This was built in the early 1860’s and operated until 2004. Ulumbarra Theatre opened in 2015. I thought it was an interesting and innovative use of an historic building.

The Sandhurst Jail entrance area of Ulumbarra Theatre

Main entrance to Ulumbarra Theatre

Less fun was the head cold that was a legacy of mixing with lots of little kids – germbags, all!

Friend M headed overseas again, this time to tour Bhutan and significant Buddhist sites of Northern India with a Buddhist friend.


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2019 Life and Travels August

AUGUST 2019

After the brief interlude that was our aborted trip north, settled back into making changes about the place, to put our stamp on it.

John wanted more space for his vegie growing. The gravelled area in the back yard – perhaps intended to be a lawn – was crying out for a more productive use. Solution – raised planter boxes. Their construction was easy for the woodworker, then he carted in some trailer loads of soil and mushroom compost. The height of the new beds would make it easier for ageing bodies to do the garden work.

New garden box beds – all planted and thriving

Two new gas bottles for Bus were bought. John fitted one, and that all seemed to function normally. He put the other new bottle aside for future use – for something. It was good to know the problem had been so easily fixed, though I admitted to a lingering slight distrust of it all, now.

John’s brother turned 90 and hosted a dinner to celebrate at a Melbourne club. Since it was an evening event, necessitating an overnight stay down there, I elected to stay home with the dog! John stayed with friend M at Croydon.

Friend M came to visit again, and we went one day to view an exhibition at the marvellous Bendigo Art Gallery. This gallery was making a real name for itself staging unusual and special exhibitions. Back in 2016 there had been the unique Marilyn Monroe feature one. In 2019, the special exhibition was portraits of British royalty; the British theme extended to city decorations and events. A tram, painted with the Union Jack was lifted into the town centre, to be a temporary café and promo. We had been going home one evening, after a meal at the wonderful Malayan Orchid restaurant near the town centre, and found it hard to believe, as we came around a corner, that we were actually seeing a red, white and blue flag painted tram, swinging on the end of a crane. One of those “How much wine did we have to drink?” moments…

Apart from the blockbuster exhibitions that only happen every two or three years, the gallery has a regularly changing program of smaller features, ensuring there is often something of interest to visit.

The display that M and I wanted to see was of batik style printing on silk fabric done by aboriginal artists of Central Australia.

There was an outline of the development of this form of art in the central desert, since about 1950. The display was excellent.


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2019 Life and Travels July 12

FRIDAY JULY 12     HOME TO MULWALA     245kms

By mid-morning, we were just about ready to depart. I made a tentative suggestion that, given the bleak day, we might consider a delay of a day or two. Nup. No way. John was in travel mode. End of story.

I had taken some perishables we could not use, to the neighbours on our other side. They had only moved in a couple of months ago, so we did not yet know them as well as the travelling ones. Gave them orange juice and milk, as those containers didn’t fit in the small Bus fridge, and some grapes – anticipating travel in fruit fly exclusion zones.

The man – G – came out to watch us hitch up the rig out front, after John had extracted Bus from the sideway, and I’d locked up the house. There was a D shackle missing from the car hitch – must have been “borrowed” for some other purpose, and not put back. So I had to unlock the house  again, to get the keys for the locked shed, so the missing item could be found. I think neighbour was slightly amused, as well as intrigued by the car hitch. He’d not seen one close up before. Our departure did not really paint a picture of efficient travellers.

So, almost 11am before we left. Still raining…

Great day for travel

We had not been to Yarrawonga or Mulwala before, so decided on those twin towns that straddle the Murray River, for our first night’s destination. Not too ambitious for the first day of travel. I was kind of determined to keep us to short travel days, if possible, as sitting for too many hours in Bus without any exercise was not great for my leg circulation. Whether I could rein in The Driver’s predilection to just keep driving remained to be seen.

As soon as we left home, I entered battle with the GPS, which wanted to direct us through the centre of Bendigo, and managed to persuade John to take a route via Eaglehawk. Eventually GPS caught up with the way I wanted to go, to join the highway at Epsom. Not often I win one, but my nemesis sulked away, plotting revenge.

Victoria’s solution to roads that need repairs…

The day was grey and drizzly when we left home. The rain grew heavier through the day. We passed a lot of wet and very miserable looking sheep along the way.

Wet and woolly

In Mooroopna, needed a comfort stop and then decided to eat our lunch rolls while parked up there. It was too chilly to wander about outside, so we ate in Bus.

Crossed the Goulburn River wetlands between Mooroopna and Shepparton, and then missed the angled deviation road that we should have taken. Not a peep of prior advice from the GPS! The resultant turn on to the highway in the centre of town was not easy, with traffic squashing up tightly. We do need to swing a little wide on sharp turns.

Goulburn River

Took the Katamatite road. I had it all plotted out on my paper atlas map. But the GPS had a brain fade – revenge? – and took us along back roads. I mean real back roads, just one step up from unsealed. I had no idea where we were. At one stage we seemed to be in an area called Boosey, which didn’t appear on my maps. Eventually we rejoined the road to Yarrawonga, east of Katamatite.

Back road countryside

I had booked us into the DC on the Lake Park at Mulwala, so we trundled through Yarrawonga without stopping, drove across the bridge/causeway into Mulwala on the NSW side and sought out the park. It was considerably further out of the town than I’d anticipated.

Bridge from Victoria into NSW

Our powered site cost $27 a night, after Top Tourist discount. The reception lady said the ground was sloppy – not surprising after all the rain – and we could go for a walk and select our own site. In the middle of winter, in the midst of a rain event, a waterside caravan park was not exactly bursting at the seams! In fact, there was no one else on any of the sites. If I believed in omens…

The park was dominated by cabins and privately owned permanent camp set-ups, it seemed. There was a foreshore grassed area but dogs were not allowed on that, which might have been annoying in fine weather.

We chose a site that had some gravel on it, that looked a bit drier, than the others around. There were no sites with cement slabs. The site was not far from the amenities block, a good idea given the continuing rain.

No need to worry about neighbours…

It was a bit windy, as well as drizzling rain, so we got set up quickly. John took Couey right off to the side of the park and gave her a ball chasing run.

John spent quite some time fiddling with setting up the new TV recorder he’d bought a few days ago, so he wouldn’t be limited to just “live” TV. He’d spent about $400 on this. Eventually decided that, to make it work, he needed a new cable, that had not been provided.

I’d planned that we’d go get fish and chips for tea, but John was pre-occupied with his TV issues, and it was a fair way back to town, so I fished a tin of tomato soup from my under-seat cache of tinned goodies. Cooked some pasta which we had with bottled stir-through sauce. It was an alright meal, but not what I’d been looking forward to.

Late in the afternoon really heavy rain set in. By dark, the ground outside Bus was flooded. Going to the amenities involved wading…

After tea, John watch football on TV. I read.

Through the night, my sleep was interrupted by John’s snoring, which seemed to have become much louder than the last time we travelled.

I was not enjoying this…


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2019 Life and Travels June (3)

JUNE  2019  (3)   BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE

On a Saturday in June we departed home, mid-morning, to drive to Melbourne. For me, it would be my first trip back to the Big Smoke since our move last year. John had been back once, when he drove down and stayed overnight, to attend a sister’s birthday party.

Couey was to be left home alone. She was quite used to us going out for shopping trips and the like, but this was going to be for a longer time. I was fairly confident she would be fine, but did organize with one set of neighbours – also dog people – to keep an ear out for any distress signals.

The drive to Melbourne was quite straightforward. Even enjoyable. The Calder Highway extends between Mildura and Melbourne. Conversion of its busier southern end to a freeway standard road began in 1972, the year my daughter was born, and continued in increments until last year. The completion of the Ravenswood junction then meant that, effectively, Bendigo and Melbourne are linked by some 135kms of freeway. Said daughter had now turned 46!

The drive from home to Fitzroy took us two hours. Once we left the freeway, the Saturday morning traffic through Brunswick and Carlton was slow going.

The reason for our journey was to attend a friend’s 80th birthday celebration – and his wedding! The venue was St Mark’s Church – old and traditionally atmospheric.

St Marks Church, Fitzroy

We were an hour early for the service and sat on the lawn area outside, eventually finding some people John knew to chat to. The couple being married were long standing friends of John’s from before he and I met; in fact, he had been at uni with the bride. So the couple had been together for many years, but had now decided to formalize things.

After a very pleasant service, afternoon tea type foods and drinks were served as all the guests mingled outside on the lawns. Apart from the newly married couple, I knew no-one. Their home is in Canberra, so our social circles have not overlapped.

By 4pm, John had enough socializing and standing around and suggested we leave, even though the speeches were yet to begin. I was quick to agree. We had managed to find a parking spot in a side street not too far from the church, for which I was grateful, given the state of my back after all the standing about.

On the way home, stopped at the big service centre at Diggers Rest – toilet and coffee! John asked for an expresso coffee. He really did need to brush up on his coffee terminology. What he  thought he was getting was a cappuccino. What he received was a black coffee. Not happy.

Stopped off at a Chinese restaurant in Kangaroo Flat, where we’d had food from before, and bought some takeaway to be our evening meal.

All was fine at home. Our lovely neighbour had earlier texted that she’d gone to check on Couey and all seemed well. Dog seemed pleased to have her pack back, though – especially he who feeds her dinner.

I was pleased to have found out for myself what the drive to Melbourne down the Calder Freeway was like. It was new to me because, before we’d moved here, our route from these parts to the outer east of the city had been the “back way”, via Heathcote, Seymour and Yea.

A good day, but tiring. My back was sore from all the standing.

I doubt very much that we will ever again attend an 80th birthday party like that one!


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2019 Life and Travels May (3)

MAY 2019 (3)     THE QUARTZ KING OF BENDIGO

George Lansell (1823-1906) and his two brothers were originally English tradesmen immigrants to SA, in 1853. The following year, they walked to the Bendigo goldfields, setting up as butchers, soap and candle makers.

The early alluvial gold mining of the Bendigo fields was changing to shaft mining, digging down to gold bearing reefs. For this, capital was needed and thus a multitude of small mining companies formed, mined for a time, most then failing, with their investors losing their money. But enough found gold and became profitable, to provide hope and encouragement.

George was soon persuaded to begin investing in the newly forming mining companies, from 1855. His first investments failed, he lost money, and refocused on his original businesses.

In 1865 George re-entered mining and with substantial investment was able to dictate the mining practices of his companies. His approach, of mining ever deeper than had been reached before, was so successful that he became known as the Quartz King of Bendigo. He soon became a millionaire. For a time, he may have been the richest man in the world.

In 1871 Lansell purchased the Ballerstedt mines, equipment, machinery and mansion from the now  deceased Christopher’s son, for 30,000 pounds. Although this was a large sum for the times, it demonstrated Lansell’s sound judgement: under his direction, the 180 Mine was extended down to over 3000 feet, becoming the deepest mine in the southern hemisphere at the time. By 1889, it was estimated that Ballerstadt and Lansell, over the time of the mine’s operation, had taken out at least a million pounds worth of gold from it.

By 1872, aged 49, George married, but the heirs for his growing fortune that he hoped for, did not eventuate, which was a major disappointment by the time his wife died a few years later.

George also diversified into other investments. In the 1870’s, for instance, he bought land in Melbourne, around what had been the temporary Government House (pending the building of the permanent one). He subdivided this land, in what became Toorak, naming Lansell Road and St Georges Road. He maintained a Melbourne residence in the area, though his main home was in Bendigo.

Lansell had become famous in Bendigo for encouraging and supporting the gold mining industry and its miners, but by 1880 was unhappy and disillusioned. He felt sentiment in Bendigo had turned against him as mining  fluctuated, and as a new widower, returned to England and settled in London, where he married for a second time.

Bendigo’s fortunes had languished in the 1880’s. Many citizens came to associate this with Lansell’s departure. In 1887 a petition was prepared, in the form of an illuminated letter, asking him to return and restore the good times for the city.

Letter begging Lansell to return to Bendigo

Thus, he returned, with wife and, by now, three young children, as well as various members of his wife’s family. A further three Lansell children were born after the family returned to Bendigo.

Eventually, he was director of 38 mining companies, and was said to have links with every gold mine in Bendigo.

George Lansell travelled extensively, from the 1870’s, and extended his Fortuna Villa residence greatly, embellishing it as his fancy was inspired by his travels. Likewise it was filled with unusual items acquired on those travels. The surrounds did not miss out, being extensively landscaped and developed with features like ornamental lakes, a classical fountain, enclosed Roman style baths.

Tailings heaps from 180 Mine turned into landscaped gardens

During our tour of Fortuna, we were told that George bought a Rolls Royce motor car, in the early years of motoring. However, his first excursion in this terrified him so much that he never went out in it again.

Although pressured to do so, George Lansell never attempted to enter public life, such as becoming a member of Parliament, although one of his sons later did.

Statue of George Lansell in central Bendigo

George died in 1906. A statue commemorating his life and contributions to Bendigo was put up in 1908, near what is the modern day Visitor Centre in Pall Mall – the main street through the centre of the town.

Edith Lansell remained at Fortuna until her death in 1933.


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2019 Travels and Life May 2019 (2)

MAY 2019 (2)   RETURN TO FORTUNA VILLA

Last year, for my birthday, daughter took M and me on one of the monthly tour and high tea events held at Fortuna Villa. I hadn’t previously known of this place but found both the history and the establishment fascinating. So much so, that a return visit was organized as a Mothers Day present. John was included, this time, as I thought he too would find the house, with its superb craftsmanship, of great interest. M made another visit from Melbourne for the occasion.

The Villa with the Roman baths style enclosed pool to right

Once again, we feasted on the lavish high morning tea: little sandwiches, scones, pastries, cakes and wine. Somewhat decadent before midday! The guided tour took us through the significant features – so many of these – of the house and surrounding grounds.

Carved wooden staircases

In parts, we were given some time to wander sections of the house. The tour was completed with more wine and snacks – and a browse of the gift shop.

A bedroom, with bath, and brilliant stained glass windows

There is much that is quite unique about this place. It mirrors the – at times incredible – history of Bendigo.

Outlook over gardens – once an area of mines

The original, fairly modest dwelling on the site was built by successful miner Christopher Ballerstedt from about 1855 and extended as his fortunes grew. It was on the New Chum Reef, to become so important as deep lead mining replaced alluvial panning for gold.

Fortuna Villa

In the 1870’s Fortuna Villa was bought by George Lansell (worthy of a later entry in his own right). He extended the home, landscaped the gardens, adding unusual and unique features to both. At the same time, the associated rich 180 Mine continued operation near the house, with mining structures being essentially outbuildings of the residence. The tour took us through a tunnel that had been built to move gold securely through to the stables, for carriage away.

In the Conservatory… again, incredible stained glass features

After Lansell’s death in 1916, his widow remained resident until she died in 1933. In that post-Depression period, demand for ornate and lavish mansions on large grounds in a country town was non-existent and so the estate was unable to sell Fortuna.

A typical ornate interior

The villa came close to being demolished, only being “saved” when bought by the Defense Department in 1942 to become the base for its Cartography unit. Thus it remained until 2008.

Reinforced floor held map printing machinery

Surplus to Defense requirements, on the market again, the Villa was bought by private owners in 2014 and they commenced its new incarnation as  private residence and function centre, with some accommodation in refurbished rooms, with plans to develop extra hotel style accommodation and function rooms on the grounds. The regular tour and high tea events began.

The new owners came up with plans to build a stylish townhouse/apartment style complex on the elevated western side of the grounds, beyond the ornamental lake. These would be sold to private purchasers. On our second tour, we viewed the plans for these – some of which would have good views from their elevated two storeys. But if the target market was an older age group, lifts would definitely be needed, I thought. It seemed the sale price for each residence would be around the million dollar mark.

Earthworks commenced on planned villa development site

Works commenced on the site designated for this development, but after initial clearing and stabilizations works, seemed to stall. No doubt, Covid played a role in that. As I write this, in mid 2024, nothing further has happened and the area sits as a visual eyesore.

Stalled works. Great views from this site.

Instead, development focus has switched to the eastern side of the grounds, to an area that was occupied by temporary Defense Department buildings. These have been demolished. It seems that this portion of land must have been sold to a development company. Some twenty single level three and four bedroom home units are to be built, for sale to the public. The plans, on paper, look very attractive. A friend of ours has bought a unit, off the plan, and expects to move in during the first part of 2025. Work is well underway.

New development works, with Fortuna Villa entrance and manor to left


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2019 Travels and life May (1)

MAY 2019 (1)   BENDIGO GOLD

The first gold rushes of the Australian colonies began in May of 1851 with the finding of gold at Ophir in NSW. With active encouragement from government  (an early form of FOMO?) Victoria followed suit in July of that year, with gold finds at Clunes, closely followed by ones near Ballarat.

In November of 1851, the first alluvial gold was found in the Bendigo Creek. By mid-1852, there were some 20,000 miners seeking their fortunes in the area.

Although the Eureka Stockade Rebellion of 1854 ensured the focus of our gold history has been on Ballarat, Bendigo was in fact a much more significant mining area. Between 1851 and 1954, on today’s prices, the Bendigo mines yielded about $65 billion worth of gold. Given the current parlous state of the Victorian economy there must have been some pretty inept financial planning over the years…

The NW-SE alignment of reefs is evident

By 1855, the more easily found near-surface alluvial gold was petering out. Mining shifted underground, following rich quartz reefs. Of necessity, the individual alluvial miners were mostly replaced by companies that could afford the necessary outlay for the equipment needed.

The mined 37 parallel Bendigo reefs extended under an area roughly 16kms, in a NW-SE direction by 4kms across. Over 5000 shafts were sunk across that area. Bendigo came to have the largest concentration of deep shafts in the world at the time, with the deepest over 1km down.

Once were mine locations – now part of Bendigo urban area

Chinese miners were among the first rushes to the area that would become Bendigo, flocking to Dai Gum San, as they termed it – Big Gold Mountain.

By the 1880’s Bendigo was regarded as the richest city in the world, due to the amount of gold that had been found here. The grand buildings of the new city reflected this wealth.

The last major mine ceased operation in 1954 and it seemed that the golden days of the Bendigo area were done. But the gold was not exhausted. Improving mining and exploration technology and the rising price of gold led to the revival of large scale mining – the Fosterville mine to the NE of the city – from 2006.

Recently there has been a surge in exploration for gold in the area between Bendigo and the Murray valley. For decades, it had been assumed that the rich Bendigo reefs petered out to the north. Now it has been found that some of those reefs continued, but deeper and buried under the sediments of the riverine plains.

Visitors to modern Bendigo can explore plenty of remnants and relics of the historic gold mining. The Central Deborah Mine, on the edge of the modern CBD, preserves an historic mine largely as it was, both the associated surface structures as well as the mine itself. One can, if so inclined, take a tour down this mine, to a depth of more than 200 metres. It is now also a terminus for the historic tram tour of Bendigo.

Central Deborah mine today

Less formally, (and on top of the ground) there are many locations around the city and surrounding area that signal its history. One becomes accustomed to the appearance of an old poppet head glimpsed between the modern industrial buildings of today’s Deborah Triangle, or behind a row of suburban houses; to the many areas of undeveloped land scattered through the modern suburbs, where development simply jumped areas of mining or mullock heaps. The occasional large mullock hill has been sprayed a green colour that is never found in nature, to denote heavily contaminated soil.

Spot the poppet head – Deborah Triangle area

The legacy lives on, too, in place names that evoke the way the city developed. Specimen Hill. Golden Gully. Long Gully. California Gully, Sailors Gully, Golden Square, Jackass Flat.