Planning Minister Justin Madden today toured Bendigo’s Golden Dragon Museum and met the staff who produced a new catalogue highlighting the Museum’s unique processional collection, partly funded by a grant from Heritage Victoria.
Visiting the museum as part of the Brumby Labor Government’s Bendigo Region Community Cabinet, Mr Madden said the catalogue and collection was a fantastic example of the community projects undertaken throughout Victoria to preserve our heritage and history.
“A small team of volunteers in the 1970s began cataloguing and conserving this collection of Chinese regalia, some dating back to the early 1800s,” Mr Madden said.
“The collection includes Loong the Chinese Dragon, the oldest imperial processional dragon in the world.
“It also includes intricately detailed costumes dating back to the 1880s and worn in festivals and parades held in Bendigo.
“Preserving this collection and producing the catalogue demonstrates the vision and foresight of the volunteers who have sought to protect this unique part of Bendigo and Victoria’s history.”
Mr Madden said many Chinese people came to Victoria during the 19th century, particularly during the gold rush.
“The promise of gold led thousands of Chinese men and women to the Bendigo Goldfields,” he said.
“This collection has immense importance for its association with the history of the Chinese people in Victoria and the tradition of elaborate festivals the Chinese community brought with them.”
Mr Madden said ten projects in the City of Greater Bendigo had benefited from nearly $300,000 in Victoria’s Heritage Grants funding since 2007 including:
- the upcoming restoration of Queen Elizabeth Oval Cottage which dates back to 1857. Works will include repairs to chimneys, weatherboards and the verandah framing;
- restoration works of the façade at The Capital theatre;
- roof works to the Bendigo Tram Depot; and
- preservation of photographic collections from the Sandhurst Football Club, founded in 1861 and one of the ten oldest in Australia. Photographs from this club’s collection will be digitized and displayed as part of the clubs 150th celebrations in April 2011.
“The Heritage Grants Program is a central part of the Brumby Labor Government’s heritage strategy,” Mr Madden said.
“These community-based initiatives find and preserve those small pockets of history that are all part of the rich tapestry of Victoria’s heritage.”