What are the best things to do in Bendigo, Victoria?

The best things to do in Bendigo, Victoria, include the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Golden Dragon Museum, Rosalind Park and Bendigo Pottery.

Bendigo in Victoria’s Goldfields region is one of the biggest cities in Australia. It’s the 19^th largest city in the country, and the fourth largest city in Victoria, after Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat. Arguably, Bendigo is better than Ballarat for visitors, however

Things to do in Bendigo: Gold mine tours

The city was built on gold mining, and the best place to get a taste for the mining days is the Central Deborah Gold Mine. On the surface, there’s a really engaging museum section about the history of the Goldfields. But you really visit the Central Deborah Gold Mine for the underground tours. These tours take you deep into the mine, show you how grim life was for miners and hint at which bits of rock contain the gold.

Golden Dragon Museum & Rosalind Park

Many of those who came to mine the gold were Chinese. The Golden Dragon Museum tells of the hardships and discrimination these Chinese labourers faced. It also delves into the distinctive Chinese-Australian culture that developed around the Goldfields.

The Golden Dragon Museum is a very short walk away from Rosalind Park, which is the cultural centrepiece of the city. The gardens are pretty, but the Visitor Information Centre and Bendigo Art Gallery are also here. The Bendigo Art Gallery has developed a reputation as being one of Australia’s best regional art galleries. Your enthusiasm will probably depend on how much you enjoy art galleries, however.

Bendigo Art Gallery in Bendigo, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Things to do in Bendigo: Science Museum

Other things to do in Bendigo include the Discovery Science and Technology Centre. This is your classic button-pushing science museum, and there’s plenty of interactivity for the kids. It could be literally anywhere in the world, however.

Also worth a look is Bendigo Pottery, which has been making ceramics since 1858. It contains a museum with old kilns, and information on the pottery-making process. Bendigo Pottery also runs decorating workshops, wheel-throwing sessions and clay play experiences.

Bendigo tram tours

The best way to get an overview of the city is on a Bendigo tram tour. The Bendigo Tramways ‘talking trams’ work on a hop-on, hop-off basis, visiting the city’s main attractions such as Lake Weeroona with commentary on the way. Tickets cost $10.

More towns in Victoria