The Glory Of The Goldfields

The Victorian gold rush of the 1850s has left a legacy of stately towns that are a magnet today for tourists and conference planners alike.

The main streets of Ballarat and Bendigo – as well as other smaller towns in central Victoria – are lined with grand hotels and public buildings, and fascinating museums and galleries are there to tell the tale in their own ways.

>> Ballarat conference venues

One of the best places to learn about gold-rush history is at one of the region’s historic attractions, the recreated mining town of Sovereign Hill. Sovereign Hill faithfully depicts Ballarat’s first 10 years after the discovery of gold in 1851, and it’s easy to see why it has been a popular destination since it opened in late 1970. More than half a million people visit Sovereign Hill each year, among them many convention delegates. A highlight is the spectacular sound and light show, Blood on the Southern Cross.

Across the road from Sovereign Hill is the interesting Gold Museum, which has an extensive and valuable collection of gold nuggets, alluvial deposits, gold ornaments, coins and much more.

An insight into another landmark event in Australian history can be gained at The Eureka Centre, in East Ballarat, which describes the nation’s only armed rebellion in 1854. To see the original blue-and-white Eureka flag – as well as a superb collection of Australian and European works – head to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

The new 1,000 seat convention centre for Doherty Ballarat Lodge Ballarat is scheduled to open in mid 2006. Once complete, the facility lays claim to being the largest, pillar-free convention centre in regional Victoria, with the capacity to host up to 1,200 cocktail guests, 1,000 people theatre style or 700 guests for dinner. Along with a sophisticated audiovisual system, the centre will boast 350 square metres of pre-function space, natural light, retractable walls and a high load-bearing floor.

In addition to the new venue, the 4½ star Doherty Ballarat Lodge Ballarat has 19 functional conference and syndicate rooms. The property is located in the heart of Ballarat, only one hour from Melbourne Airport, and has 71 guestrooms, a Thalgo Sanctuary Day Spa, two restaurants, Heritage Lounge and many more resort amenities.
In Bendigo, The Golden Dragon Museum is a colourful record of the town’s Chinese heritage, which has been an integral part of the community since the 1850s. The museum is home to Sun Loong, the world’s oldest and longest Imperial Dragon. Next door to the museum, and designed to resemble the gardens in Beijing’s Imperial Palace, is the Classical Chinese Garden.

>> Bendigo conference venues

Another major attraction in Bendigo is the Central Deborah Gold Mine, where visitors can experience underground mining and see how goldminers lived and worked in Australia between 1939 and 1954. Donning miners hats and lamps, visitors are carried 20 storeys beneath the ground and walk in the footsteps of the miners who discovered $17 million dollars worth of gold here.

On the surface, there’s a chance to try gold panning or climb to the top of the poppet head for a bird’s-eye view of the mine and the city of Bendigo.

One of the largest conference/function complexes in regional Australia, the multi-award-winning Quality Resort All Seasons Bendigo has 10 separate rooms to cater for between 10 and 1,100 delegates.