Men from south China joined the rush to the Bendigo gold diggings
in 1853. They worked cooperatively washing gold, and lived in small
camps
The Chinese were actively excluded from the quartz mining which
developed from the mid 1860s, but continued to pan for alluvial
gold in the gullies. Some Chinese were subsequently contracted by
the large consolidated quartz mining companies to wash mine
tailings for gold dust which had escaped the company’s
machines.
By the late nineteenth century, the centre of Chinese Bendigo
life was at the Ironbark Camp in the north east and a strip of
shops in Bridge St just beyond the town’s chief public buildings.
They met to relax with friends over tea and a hearty meal, gossip,
gamble and smoke. Four josshouses and a Chinese Anglican mission
catered for their spiritual concerns. The Ironbark camp was also
where celebrations were held for New Year, and it was from there
that the Chinese contingent marched into town for the annual Easter
Fair procession.
In 1856 in a blatant act of discrimination the colonial
government of Victoria imposed a ten pound poll tax on Chinese
disembarking at the Port of Melbourne bound for the rich goldfields
of central Victoria. Also ship captains were only allowed to sail
with a number of Chinese per tonnage of the ship that was lower
than the number of Europeans per tonnage. To avoid paying this poll
tax ship captains bypassed the Port of Melbourne and sailed onto
South Australia firstly landing Chinese at Adelaide then Kingston
and finally at Robe where the great majority disembarked.
Between January 17th 1857 and August 1st 1863, 16261 Chinese
males and 1 female disembarked at the Port of Robe and began the
long walk to the Victorian Goldfields a distance of around 500
kilometres. This extraordinary movement of human beings is one of
the great journeys of Australian history.
Bendigo is one of two Imperial Dragon cities outside of China
and while the dragon heritage is well over a century old, this only
came about when the Chinese living in Bendigo were levied by the
Bendigo Chinese Association and from the money raised decided to
have a dragon and other ceremonial regalia brought out from China
to be part of the Bendigo Easter Fair. This tradition not only
remains but is stronger and more vibrant than ever.
This multicache will take to you to three spots which highlight
the Chinese community’s presence in Bendigo.
The coordinates will take you to the entrance of the temple of
Guan Yin (Kuan Yum) near the Golden Dragon Museum which is well
worth a visit, where you will gather the information for the next
waypoint.
At the temple locate the relevant information for the next
location.
A = The year of the official consecration
– 603
B = The number of manifestations of Guan Yin in the temple area +
weeks the project
took + the number of local artists involved + 427
S 36 44 A
E 144 17 B
This second location honours Kwan Gung who was a Chinese general
and the miners worshipped him as a judge, guide and protector.
Nearby you will find several information boards along a recently
developed pathway to provide the information for the cache
location.
Add the years Kwan Gung was born to the years he died and
then add 316 = C
The outside landscaping was completed in the DEFGs – 1023 =
H
The cache is located at:
S 36 43 C
E 144 17 H
On retrieving the cache you could complete the experience by
dining at one of the many fine Chinese restaurants or at the café
at Lake Weroona (no affiliation) which was originally a replica
Chinese tea house at an exhibition in Melbourne.
The cache is a regular sistema containing objects appropriate to
the cache. Its location has been subjected to much vandalism and
the locals are vigilant towards suspicious activity. You should be
able to park your car in such a way as to hide what you are up to.
The cache has been located by a friendly muggle who keeps an eye on
it and contributed the pamphlets in it.