Description

The Golden Dragon Museum is situated in the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The museum is dedicated to the history and culture of the Chinese people who immigrated to the region. Built on the historical site of one of Bendigo's Chinatowns, the museum's precinct also includes Chinese Gardens and a temple to Kuan Yin. Through the museum accreditation program, it was the first accredited museum in Victoria.HistoryThe Golden Dragon Museum opened in 1991. The current site for the museum is the area of one of Bendigo's Chinatowns. The Bridge St Chinatown was the centre for Chinese activity in the region from the late 19th century to 1964. The old buildings of Chinatown were bulldozed by the city council to make room for a car park. It was in the 1980s that Russell Jack pushed forward his vision for a Chinese museum in the area. Once the funding was acquired, Harry Charalambous was chosen as the architect. His design incorporated Chinese symbolism and architecture with distinctly Australian materials like corrugated iron and red brick. In this way the building of the Golden Dragon Museum reflected the history of the Chinese of Bendigo.Chinese heritage constitutes a significant part of the town of Bendigo's cultural identity. The goldrush saw thousands of Chinese migrate to Bendigo in the latter half of the 19th century. Most of these people were young men from the Guangdong province. They were seeking greater economic opportunities for them and their families. Once they arrived in Bendigo the Chinese formed their own community and began raising money for charities. In the 1870s, the local Chinese were invited to take part in the annual Easter festival. The Chinese elders of the region raised money to purchase extravagant costumes and regalia for the event. These costumes form the basis of the museum's collection and are well preserved garments, made from silk and gold bullion thread.