中国人在澳洲的淘金热

Gold rush history

The discovery of gold in the 1850s and 60s is the most significant event in the evolution of the state of Victoria.

Gold fever hits

Fuelled by extravagant stories of wealth gained at the 1849 Californian gold rush, gold fever hit Victoria following the early gold discoveries in and around Clunes, Warrandyte and Ballarat. But the real rush began with the discovery of the Mount Alexander goldfield 60 kilometres north-east of Ballarat.

Mt Alexander (taking in the goldfields of Castlemaine and Bendigo) was one of the world's richest shallow alluvial goldfields, yielding around four million ounces of gold, most of which was found in the first two years of the rush and within five metres of the surface. When eight tonnes of Victorian gold arrived at London's port in April 1852, the Times of London declared: '.. this is California all over again, but, it would appear, California on a larger sca le…'

Nuggets of the stuff

Mt Alexander goldfield's largest nugget was found in 1855 at Golden Gully by some inexperienced miners who had been sent to a 'duffer' or empty claim. On just their second day digging they discovered the 1008 ounce, 'damper-shaped' nugget and named it in honour of the area's popular gold commissioner, Mr Heron.

The small town of Moliagul became famous when a 69-kilogram gold nugget was found in 1869 at Bulldog Gully. Dubbed 'Welcome Stranger', the nugget was the largest in the world, though it was soon broken into pieces as the district lacked scales big enough to weigh the 60 by 30 centimetre nugget. Today the nugget would be worth over one million dollars. Population boom

By the end of 1852, 90,000 newcomers had flocked to Victoria in search of gold. Provincial cities like Ballarat and Bendigo grew, bringing railways, roads, libraries, theatres, art galleries, and stock exchanges.

In the 1850s the heaviest traffic in Australia was on the road from Melbourne to Bendigo, and by the 1880s, Melbourne was christened 'Marvellous Melbourne' – one of the world's biggest, booming, and cosmopolitan cities of the era.

Chinese history

Discover the rich history and remarkable legacy of the Chinese miners who came to Victoria during the goldrush.

Gardens and dragons

Get an introduction to the region's Chinese heritage in Bendigo's Chinese quarter exploring the Golden Dragon Museum and classical gardens. Visit the city's original Emu Point joss house (temple), built during the gold rush, which is still in use and has been classified by the National Trust.

Stories from the grave

Get a glimpse into the past at the White Hills Cemetery, Australia's largest Chinese burial ground. Pay your respects, trace family roots, and discover remnants of Chinese diggings, including circular shafts, introduced by Chinese miners for safety reasons.

Learn about burial customs on a visit to the Chinese sections in Ballarat's two cemeteries. See ceremonial burning towers, read about Chinese burial customs, and get a full record of all burial sites, including names and origins.

How it began

Through the 1850s, thousands of Chinese miners arrived to prospect for gold. By 1855 nearly 19,000 Chinese had landed in the colony, and by 1857 the population had risen to 26,000.

Golden Dragon Museum

Make time for the Golden Dragon Museum, a living history of the Chinese people of Bendigo from the goldrush of the 1850's to the present day.

Overview

Since the goldfields in the 1850's to the present day, Chinese heritage has been an integral part of Bendigo's history.

Opened in 1991, the Golden Dragon Museum aims to collect, preserve and care for materials of historical significance to the Chinese community, particularly items relevant to the goldfields region of Victoria.

Unique to the museum's collection and on permanent display are Loong and Sun Loong, the world's oldest and longest imperial dragon, along with their accompanying processional regalia. This living collection is used annually in the Bendigo Easter Procession.

Situated beside the Golden Dragon Museum, and designed to resemble the gardens in Beijing's famed Imperial Palace, are the serene and intimate settings of the Classical Chinese Garden.

Destinations : Victoria

Goldfields