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Attractions in Bendigo, Victoria

 

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Central Deborah Gold Mine Tour

A popular attraction in Bendigo is the Central Deborah Gold Mine Tour. Country Airstrips Australia

One of the very interesting and popular attractions in Bendigo is the Central Deborah Gold Mine Tour.

During Christmas in 1851, there were 800 people on the Bendigo field, by the following June 20,000 diggers had arrived. The diggers travelled from all over the world and risked everything to make a living (and, if they were lucky, a fortune) from gold mining in Bendigo.

Margaret Kennedy’s discovery sparked a gold rush that would leave Bendigo with a history of being one of the richest producers of gold in the world, yielding over 700,000kg between 1851-1954 (which would be worth about $30 billion in today’s prices). Bendigo was literally built on gold and is still known today as ‘Dai Gum San’ or ‘Big Gold Mountain’ by the Chinese.

While the rich alluvial finds initially attracted tens of thousands of eager seekers, it took less than three years before declining amounts of surface gold lead miners to follow the quartz reefs below the surface. The Bendigo Goldfield contains 37 distinct gold-bearing quartz reefs that extend across an area 16km by 4km. More than 5,000 registered gold mines were formed within that area. At least 140 shafts exceeded 300 metres in depth, 67 exceeded 600 metres and 11 were over 1,000 metres deep. The Bendigo goldfield represents the largest concentration of deep shafts anywhere in the world.

The Tours

Above Surface

The surface of the mine contains original buildings and equipment that were essential to the operation of Central Deborah in its mining days. Climb the poppet head for a birds-eye view of Bendigo and visit the interpretive museum to see the “Hand of Faith” gold nugget replica. All underground tours include access to the surface of the mine.

  • Tour Duration: Ticket valid all day. Allow at least 30-45 minutes.
  • Age Limits: All ages
  • Fitness: All levels
  • Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
  • Times: Open 9:00am-4:30pm, Wednesday – Sunday. Open 7 days during School Holidays. Self-guided at your leisure. 
  • Cost: Adult $6.50, Conc. $5.00, Child $4.00, Family $19.00

Below the surface

Explore the honeycomb of underground tunnels with one of our friendly and knowledgeable guides to discover what conditions as a miner were really like during the harsh gold rush era.

  • Depth: Level 2, 61 metres underground
  • Tour Duration: 60 minutes
  • Age Limits: 3 years of age and over
  • Min people per tour: 2
  • Max people per tour: 6
  • Fitness: All levels
  • Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
  • Times: Depart every half hour from 9:30am – 3:00pm Wednesday – Sunday. Open 7 days during School Holidays.
  • Cost: Adult $32.00, Conc. $28.00, Child $17.00, Family $88.00
    Love your local deal: $15.00 per person or $60 for family. Valid for City of Greater Bendigo residents.

Address: 76 Violet St, Bendigo, Victoria
Phone: (03) 5443 8322

Bendigo Tramways

A great attraction in Bendigo is the Historic Tram Tour.

As soon as you step aboard a Vintage Talking Tram and see the craftsmanship that has gone into restoring each vehicle, you will appreciate why Bendigo’s trams are such an integral part of the city’s identity.

Whether you’re in Bendigo for a few days or just have an hour to spare, a Vintage Talking Tram Tour is the quickest way to get your bearings, learn about Bendigo’s history and see the city’s key landmarks and monuments.

Take your time discovering the city by hopping on and off the tram to explore the many parks, attractions, shopping and dining facilities that are within walking distance of the tram stops.

Each tour includes a 10-minute stop at the tram depot … home to our heritage tram fleet. We highly recommend staying a bit longer to do the free self-guided tour.

Free all-day parking is available at each tram stop except within the CBD (Tram Stop No. 2). We hope you enjoyed one of the great attractions in Bendigo.

Address: 1 Tramways Avenue, Bendigo VIC 3550
Phone: (03) 5442 2821