World Art
Love arts, love Bendigo. Immerse yourself and find local, national and international works in renowned galleries and on our streets.
Australia’s largest and most impressive regional art museum, Bendigo Art Gallery superbly contrasts modern architecture with it’s historic facade. Showcasing 19th century artworks to world first exhibitions.
Local artists Gail Tavener, Yvonne George and Sonia Brit of ‘bob boutique’ are likewise loved and a must to visit for serious inspiration. Each has uniquely embraced their local surrounds to bring you their take on the region.
Be entertained by our proud and ever-growing performing arts scene at The Capital and Ulumbarra Theatres.
Street Art
Discover cool, contemporary street art, right alongside past masters in Bendigo.
Local artist Yvonne George has contributed some of the city’s best-loved sculptures.
Yvonne says the Bath Lane’s over-sized film reel, and the gates she made for nearby Chancery Lane, have been her best-loved commissions. “But I’m still waiting to do a
sculpture that I would class as my favourite,” she says.
Chancery Lane’s Gaudi-inspired black steel gates are a fitting welcome to this creative strip of boutiques, cafes, and street art on old brick walls.
They were made at Yvonne’s studio at the Bendigo Pottery. Eight other artists also work there in quirky pottery outbuildings. “We have a great group who support each
other,” she says, adding visitors are more than welcome to meet them at work.
Make more creative discoveries in Pennyweight Walk, the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre on View Street, on board the Schaller Studio tram, at the Bendigo Visitor Centre’s Living Arts Space and behind the Bendigo Art Gallery; behold the giant teddy bear, Happy Ending.
Culture City
Bendigo’s rich culture is being embraced all over the city, from a humble pomelo tree to grand architecture.
Just behind the Golden Chinese Museum, grows a modest pomelo tree, believed to be planted over a century ago by Gladys Ah Dore. Once a year its leaves feed the world’s longest Imperial dragon Sun Loong, sustaining him on his Easter procession performance, and for the year ahead.
The museum tells its story, and many more from the time when Bridge Street hummed with Chinese traders. Bendigo’s Joss House is another much-loved, authentic Chinese cultural treasure. It was built in the late 1860s from handmade bricks, painted red as a symbol of strength and vitality. Another temple of prayer is steadily rising in the bush north of Bendigo.
Set to be the largest Buddhist temple in the Western World, the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion welcomes visitors of all faiths, and its festivals are something to behold.