1.
The name Bendigo originated from a world famous bare knuckled
boxer, William "Abednigo" Thompson, a shepherd on the
Ravenswood run near Bendigo was handy with his fists and became
renouned as a great fighter. He lived in his hut on a creek which
flowed through the valley where gold was found. It is said that
this shepherd, nicknamed "Abednigo" lent his name to
this rich Goldfield.
2. Like many of the towns across Central Victoria,
Bendigo owes its origins to the gold rushes of the nineteenth
century. Gold was first discovered in Bendigo in 1851. In the
1880’s Bendigo was the richest city in the world due to
its gold production. Gold production in Bendigo was sustained
right through until the 1950s and today is seeing a resurgence
with Bendigo Mining currently mining underneath the city.
3.
In 1871, the area experienced a mining boom which saw over 760
new companies floated at the Beehive Mining Exchange in Pall Mall.
4.
The City of Greater Bendigo is one of Victoria's leading regional
cities, and is located in the geographic centre of the state,
150 kms north-west of Melbourne.
5.
The City of Greater Bendigo has a population of approximately
89,000 with some 75,000 living in the urban areas.
6.
Bendigo's location on the northern fringe of the Great Dividing
Range means it enjoys a mild climate. The region averages 240
rain-free days per year with a mean January temperature of 29
degrees and 12 degrees in July.
7.
The Bendigo business community has some 4,000 enterprises and
employs in excess of 30,000 people with an economic output of
$32 billion per year.
8.
Bendigo is home to the only regionally based bank in Australia,
Bendigo Bank.
9. Bendigo also boasts the Bendigo Stock Exchange
(BSX); the hub for Telstra's national voice and data satellite
communication and the Bendigo Community Telco.
10.
Bendigo was proclaimed a city in 1871
11.
Bendigo, today is the second highest producing goldfield in Australia
and remains the seventh largest in the world.
12.
Sidney Myer opened the first MYER store in Bendigo in 1901
13.
Sir John Quick - a tireless worker for Australia's Federation
and a key draftsman of the Australian Constitution spent most
of his life in Bendigo and is buried in the Bendigo cemetery.
14.
The Chicko Roll was developed in Bendigo in 1951
15.
Bendigo's Red Ribbon Rebellion occurred on the 28th August 1853
- more than one year prior to the bloody Eureka uprising in Ballarat.
16.
The Bendigo to Melbourne train line opened in October 1862
17.
The Bendigo Racecourse has been in existence since the 1850s and
the Bendigo Cup pre-dates the Melbourne Cup
18.
Famous performers including Lola Montez and Dame Nellie Melba
visited Bendigo
19.
The Bendigo area was a major wine producer in the 19th century
winning major prizes in Europe, until the industry was decimated
in 1893 by the Phylloxera virus.
20.
The Bendigo Easter Fair began in 1871 and is Australia's oldest
ongoing festival.
21.
Bendigo's local newspaper - The Bendigo Advertiser has been in
existence since 1853, the first newspaper on the Australian Goldfields.
22.
The Alexandra Fountain was named after the then Princess of Wales,
whose Father became Edward VII. The Fountain was officially opened
in 1881 by Princess Alexandra's two eldest sons, Princes Albert
and George (later to become George V)
23.
Work first commenced on the Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1896 and
it was officially consecrated in 1977 eighty years later. The
height of the main Sacred Heart Cathedral spire is 86.64 metres
(284 feet).
24.
Pall Mall is named after the comparable one in London.
25.
Rosalind Park is named after ‘Rosalind’ in
Shakespeare's play "As you Like it"
