Bendigo Gold Walk

Recommended duration:  1 hour
Total distance:  2 kilometres
Highlights:  The Cascades, Old Post Office (Visitor Information Centre), Bendigo Town Hall, Shamrock Hotel.

The Bendigo Gold Walk is a great way to see the city, its beautiful Victorian buildings and discover its colourful history.

The grandeur of Bendigo’s historic buildings is testimony to the incredible wealth found in Bendigo’s quartz reefs, which stretched 3,600 hectares underground. That wealth funded major periods of building activity in the 1880s and 1890s and resulted in fine public buildings such as the Bendigo Town Hall (1885), The School of Mines (1887), The Art Gallery (1887) and the Law Courts (1896).

No expense was spared – buildings were ornate, combined many architectural styles. The Shamrock hotel (1897) was rebuilt three times, each more lavish than the last.

German architect Charles Vahland and his business partner Robert Getzchmann created buildings that remain at the centre of Bendigo’s cultural and commercial life and house such institutions as the Performing Arts Centre (Masonic Hall), Health Care Group (Bendigo Base Hospital), the public space of the refurbished Town Hall and the Sandhurst Club. A good place to see Vahland’s ornate designs is the former National Bank building on High Street, which now houses Mully’s Cafe.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral (1896) and the Bendigo Joss House (1860s) are on opposite ends the architectural spectrum, and worth a visit as poignant reminders of Bendigo’s diverse religious heritage.

For further information about Bendigo’s architectural heritage, or to organise a specialised tour contact the Bendigo Visitor Information Centre.