There is a huge selection of Chinese artifacts here. In fact many of the artifacts were donated by…read morea collector in his will, so there is quite a lot to look at. They also keep the dragon here, which is pretty big. In fact it curls around the entire room. Along with that are other, smaller dragons, and of course details discourses on the Chinese population in Bendigo, at least going back to the gold rush era, when many were sent down here by the Emperor to bring back gold to the empire. It certainly is quite interesting, and definitely worth checking out as well.

Once upon a time, in the days of rust and dust and gold, Bendigo was known as "gold mountain"…read more Thousands and thousands came from around the world to try their luck at finding fortune. A large portion of these treasure hunters came from China, leaving behind their families in hopes of bringing them a better life. Golden Dragon Museum pays tribute to these Chinese migrants and the huge cultural impact they brought to the region. Bendigo's Easter celebration hosts some of the biggest Chinese Dragon parades in Australia, and in this special museum, you can see many of the dragons used in the last 150 years. The longest and oldest Chinese dragons of Australia are all here, and wow! are they impressive. Flash-free photography is welcome, although a bit challenging as lights are kept dim to preserve the aging silks. Outside the museum are two beautiful Chinese gardens, including a koi pond and a Buddhist temple honoring the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy. At $11 for adult entry, this is a beautiful way to spend an afternoon in Bendigo.

Okay, this isn't a particularly big museum, but it is still pretty cool. Then again I generally…read moredon't expect museums out in the country to be all that big, though this is certainly bigger than normal. As you can probably deduce, this is a museum that happens to be devoted to the humble car. There are a few here, and of course they tend to be somewhat older than the ones that happen to parked outside, but they are quite interesting, and lovingly restored as well.

I paid a visit to this museum and it was fantastic, they have a huge range of vehicles on display,…read moreand the guide Leo gave me a great deal of information on all aspects of the museum, he was very knowledgable, it was a great experience

I do love the fact that some of the places that had their tramways ripped up have kept parts of the…read moreold tracks, and the trams, as museum pieces. This place is certainly no exception, and they have a few trams that they use on the weekends, which trundle along the lake, or at least a part of the way where the tracks are still sitting. Of course, they also have some trams in the workshop that they are still working on, but in a way this is certainly a rather delightful place, and I do really appreciate the fact that they have retained some of the heritage in Ballarat. Now, if only they would actually start laying proper tram tracks down.