History
- The Jaara people are the original inhabitants of the area that is now the City of Greater Bendigo.
- Gold was first discovered in Bendigo 1851 by an overseer's wife from the nearby Ravenswood sheep run.
- Over 3,000 Chinese settled on the goldfields in 1854.
- The town was called Sandhurst until 1891 when it was officially named Bendigo. Bendigo was named after a shepherd from the Ravenswood Run who grazed his sheep along the creek, known as Bendigo Creek. The shepherd was handy with his fists and was nicknamed Bendigo after the world famous bareknuckled boxer, William ‘Bendigo' Thompson from Nottingham in England.
- One of Bendigo's significant citizens was Sir John Quick - a lawyer and politician who was instrumental in the formation of the Federation of Australia.
- The German architect Carl Wilhelm Vahland designed a large number of Bendigo's majestic town centre buildings.
- The Chicko Roll was invented in Bendigo.
- The first ever Myer store was established in Bendigo.
Physical Attributes
- Bendigo is located in the geographic heart of Victoria. It is 225 metres above sea level.
- Bendigo is 150 kilometres north west of Melbourne via the upgraded Calder Highway.
- Bendigo is a 90 minute drive from Melbourne Airport and is strategically located at the junction of rail links and highways.
- Outside Melbourne, Bendigo is the second major regional centre in Victoria.
- A number of small towns including Heathcote, Elmore, Goornong, Marong, Redesdale and Axedale are located within the City of Greater Bendigo.
- Lake Eppalock is an important water supply and recreation resource.
- Various flora and fauna reserves and bushland reserves are located in Bendigo. These parks conserve some of north central Victoria's outstanding natural features including a variety of eucalyptus and significant relics from gold mining and eucalyptus oil industries. Found only in the Bendigo area is the vivid flowering whirakee wattle. Bendigo is also the home of more than 200 species of birds, 44 species of mammals, 40 species of reptiles and 12 species of frogs.
Demographic Profile
For a comprehensive demographic profile for Greater Bendigo based on the 2006 Census, please click here