Bendigo is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban population is 89,995. It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Bendigo which encompasses both the urban area and outlying towns spanning an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,158 sq mi). Inhabitants of Bendigo are known as Bendigonians.

Originally taking its name from the Bendigo Creek, the name became official in 1891.

Bendigo is one of the most significant Victorian era boomtowns in Australia. Gold was discovered in 1851 at The Rocks on Bendigo Creek and the Bendigo Valley was found to be a rich alluvial field where gold could easily be extracted. News of the finds intensified the Victorian gold rush bringing an influx of migrants to the city from around the world within a year and transforming it from a station to a major settlement in the newly proclaimed Colony of Victoria.

Bendigo is notable for its Victorian architectural heritage and gold mining history. Since 1851 over 22 million ounces of gold have been extracted from its goldmines, making it the highest producing 19th Century goldfield in Australia in the nineteenth century and the largest gold mining economy in Eastern Australia. It is the largest finance centre in Victoria outside of Melbourne as home to Australia's only provincially headquartered retail bank, the Bendigo Bank, and the Bendigo Stock Exchange (BSX).

Urban structure

The central area (CBD) of Bendigo consists of approximately 20 blocks of mixed use area. The main street is the McIvor Highway, the section running through the CBD is also known "Pall Mall" while the main shopping area is centred around Hargreaves Mall.

Suburbs
Bendigo is a major regional city and has expanded with several suburbs some of which (such as Eaglehawk) were once independent satellite townships and many which extend into the surrounding bushland. Bendigo's suburbs include: Ascot; Big Hill; California Gully; Eaglehawk; Eaglehawk North; Epsom; Flora Hill; Golden Square; Ironbark; Kangaroo Flat; Kennington; Maiden Gully; North Bendigo; Quarry Hill; Sailors Gully, Spring Gully; Strathdale; Strathfieldsaye; West Bendigo and White Hills.

Architectural heritage

As a legacy of the gold boom Bendigo has many magnificent ornate buildings built in a late Victorian colonial style. Many buildings are on the Victorian Heritage Register and registered by the National Trust of Australia. Prominent buildings include the Bendigo Town Hall (1859, 1883–85), Post Office, Law Courts (1892–96), Shamrock Hotel (1897), Institute of Technology and Memorial Military Museum (1921) all in the Second Empire-style.

Architect Vahland, encouraged European artisans to emigrate to the Sandhurst gold fields and so create the Vienna(Wien) of the south.

Bendigo's Sacred Heart Cathedral, a large sandstone church, is the third largest cathedral in Australia and one of the largest cathedrals in the Southern Hemisphere. The main building was completed between 1896–1908 and the soaring spire between 1954 and 1977.

Fortuna Villa is a large surviving Victorian mansion, built for Christopher Ballerstedt and later owned by George Lansell.

Many other examples of Bendigo's classical architecture rank amongst the finest classical commercial buildings in Australia and include the Colonial Bank building (1887) and the former Masonic Hall (1873–74) which is now a performing arts centre.

Bendigo's Joss house, a historic temple, was built in the 1860s by Chinese miners and is the only surviving building of its kind in regional Victoria which continues to be used as a place of worship.

The historic Bendigo Tram Sheds and Power Station (1903) now house Bendigo's tramway museum.

The Queen Elizabeth Oval still retains its ornate 1901 grandstand.

Parks and gardens

The central city is skirted by Rosalind Park, a Victorian style garden featuring statuary and a large blue stone viaduct. The main entrance corner of the park is on the intersection known as the Charing Cross, formerly the intersection of two main tram lines (now only one). It features a large statue of Queen Victoria.

The Charing Cross road junction features the large ornate Alexandra fountain (1881) and is built on top of a wide bridge which spans the viaduct. The park elevates toward Camp Hill, which features a historic school and former mine poppet head.

Further from the city is Lake Weroona, a large ornamental lake, adjacent to the Bendigo Botanical Gardens first opened in 1869.

Tourism is a major component of the Bendigo economy, generating over AUD$364 million in 2008/09. Bendigo is popular with heritage tourists and cultural tourists with the focus of tourism on the city's gold rush history. Prominent attractions include the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Golden Dragon Museum and the Bendigo Tramways (all three of which are managed by The Bendigo Trust, a council-intertwined organisation dedicated to preserving Bendigo's heritage).

Bendigo is connected via the Calder Freeway to Melbourne, which is less than two hours by car. The remaining section of highway nearest Bendigo was recently upgraded to dual carriageway standard ensuring that motorists can travel up to speeds of 110 km/h for most of the journey. Many other regional centres are also connected to Melbourne via Bendigo, making it a gateway city in the transport of produce and materials from Northern Victoria and the Murray to the Port of Melbourne and beyond.

Regular passenger rail services to Melbourne operate over the Bendigo railway line that was upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project completed in 2006. The line is owned and operated by V/Line. There are also additional train services to and from Swan Hill, and Echuca. Bendigo, along with Ballarat and Geelong is to benefit from the Regional Rail Link, which will enable more passenger services to connect Melbourne and Bendigo, allowing for growing patronage to be accommodated in the future and providing Bendigo with a direct link with Southern Cross Station in central Melbourne.

Bendigo is also served by an extensive bus network which radiates mostly from the CBD towards the suburbs. The city is also serviced by several expansive taxi services.

Trams in Bendigo have historically operated an extensive network a form of public transport, however the remains of the network was reduced to a tourist service in 1972. Short trials of commuter tram services was held in 2008 and 2009 with little ridership.

Bendigo is served by Bendigo Airport, which is located to the north of the city on the Midland Highway. The Bendigo Airport Strategic Plan was approved in 2010 for proposed infrastructure upgrades including runway extension and buildings to facilitate larger planes and the possibility of regular passenger services from major cities in other states.
 

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