Bendigo

On December 1st, my family and I ventured north to the city of Bendigo, a 2 hour journey by car. The area was settled by Europeans in 1840, establishing vast sheep runs. The settlement didn’t take off until 1851 when two women struck gold in ‘The Rocks’ area. Many Chinese people were attracted to Bendigo goldfields and as such established a large Chinatown. During the 1870s, the small mining town evolved into a wealthy city, it’s population reaching 34,089 by 1891. Today, the population is around 90,000 and over 22 million ounces of gold has been extracted from the gold mines.

As we drove north along the A300 highway under overcast clouds, the countryside was once again a collection of green hills, grasslands, and dense forests. It rained several times but the sun finally decided to come out when we reached the town of Castlemaine, the halfway town between Ballarat & Bendigo. Here we took a break from the road and visited the Buda Historic Home and Garden.

The home is an authentic house and garden surviving from the Gold Rush era. The house was built in 1861 and was occupied by silversmith Ernest Leviny and his family for a period of 118 years (1863-1981). Ernest & his wife had 10 children, 4 sons & 6 daughters, between 1865 & 1883. Two of their sons died before turning five, and another served in the Boer War before settling in South Africa. Only one of the daughters, Ilma, married and lived in a separate residence in Castlemaine. The other five daughters spent most of their lives at Buda house, becoming experts in a form of art or craft, such as, embroidering, smocking, woodcarving, photography, and metal & enamel work. Many of their works are displayed throughout the large residence.

At the time of our arrival, the main entrance of the house was being repaired because of a car accident, meaning we had to enter through one of the side doors. After paying $10 each, we were given a brochure about the residence and blue slippers to put over our shoes. You’re not allowed to touch the original furniture nor the art works and I can see why; they’re over a century old! Because of the age of the house, the floor squeaks with every step you take.

Buda house also boats one of the largest private Victorian styled gardens in the area. There are plenty of paths to walk down on, and plants to see. The garden is large enough to host private events such as weddings, family reunions, anniversaries, and seminars.

We continued our journey to Bendigo after spending around 90 minutes at Buda House. The sun receded behind the clouds and again we were greeted by grey overcast clouds as we drove into the city centre. By this time, our stomachs were rumbling with hunger so my brother parked our rental car across from the modern looking Bendigo Bank building and we set off on foot, looking for a place to eat. The restaurant we chose was Nando’s which specialized in Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken. I recommended the restaurant because I had tried it when I was in Melbourne and I was impressed by the quality of food. The franchise is a cross between fast food and a please-wait-to-be-seated restaurant.

We secured a table for four and I helped my mother in placing our order. We ordered a full chicken with fries. My father & I had beer whereas my brother had coke and my mom had mineral water. Plates, cups, utensils, and condiments are the customer’s responsibility to get. Because my mother had mentioned to the manager that this was her first time at Nando’s, he decided to give us an extra half chicken for free. Judging from the faces of my parents and brother, they really enjoyed the meal and thanked me for making the recommendation.

With our stomachs satisfied, we walked towards the centre of town, stopping by a military surplus store to look at the merchandise. Well, actually I was the only one looking at the merchandise. After 10 minutes of looking around, I decided to buy a green army t-shirt with the words Boot Camp on the front. We continued walking along the McInvor Highway photographing: the statues of Queen Elizabeth & George Lansell; the Soldiers Memorial Institute, the Post Office, and a hotel built with Victorian styled architecture.

Our final destination of the day was the Golden Dragon Museum, devoted to presenting Bendigo’s Chinese heritage, starting from the days of the gold rush. With its walls, the museum’s collection includes: Chinese arts & crafts, photographs, paintings, mannequins, furniture, and Sun Loong, the longest imperial dragon in the world (100 metres). Guided tours are offered and I have to say they’re quite detailed considering my mother got a personal tour of the museum by the owner/manager who just loved to talk.

Beside the museum one can also explore the Yi Yuan Gardens, Kuan Yi Temple, and the Pagoda. The Yi Yuan Gardens is an enclosed space, filled with decorative pavilions, elaborate art murals, ponds with hundreds of fish, plants, and fountains. The Kuan Yi Temple is devoted to the Kuan Yi, the Goddess of Mercy, the most popular goddess associated with Buddhism. Since we were the only ones visiting the gardens and the temple, the atmosphere was quite tranquil.

After the museum closed, we stopped by a café because my parents wanted to drink cappuccinos to stay awake for the ride back to Ballarat. While my brother drove along the A300 in the opposite direction, the overcast clouds began to break apart, letting rays of sunlight touch the ground below.