Central Deborah Gold Mine

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Central Deborah Gold Mine was one of over 5,500 registered gold mines on the famous Bendigo goldfields. It operated from 1939-1954 and successfully extracted 929kg of gold. Today, you can explore the underground workings and discover what life as a miner was really like.

The Central Deborah Gold Mine has a number of accessible experiences.

The mine surface exhibits are accessible via a series of gravel pathways. The paths are a fine gravel that is well compacted. All buildings are ramped and all displays are easy to access. Most of the static displays are pictorial or machinery making them suitable for all cognitive abilities.

At the rear of the site, there is a gold panning area. The panning is done in a raised tank that is suitable for both people standing and those seated in a wheelchair.

An accessible toilet is located near the main building.

The Mine Experience Tour is wheelchair accessible.

The tour is accessed via a large industrial lift and descends to a depth of 65 metres. The tour is 75 minutes in length and there are toilets available for the duration of the tour. The tour tunnel is wide and high. The surface is smooth but the only lighting is via head torch. Parts of the mine are wet and muddy, gloves are advisable.

Golden Dragon Museum

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The Golden Dragon Museum is a living history of the Chinese people of Bendigo and now as the hub of Chinese cultural activity in Australia the museum allows visitors to experience first-hand Chinese arts, history and culture.

Chinese history and heritage have been a core part of Bendigo since the gold rush. The Golden Dragon’s inevitable collection brings that history to life. 

There is an accessible entry just prior to the main set of steps over the levy.

Inside the main foyer are the gift shop, tea rooms and an accessible toilet facility.

The museum is entered through a wide doorway. The main exhibition hall is circular showing off the dragon and display costumes. Around the lower level are a series of display rooms, all of which are easily accessed.  The displays are mainly pictorial making them suitable for all cognitive levels and non-English speaking visitors.

A large doorway leads through to the exhibition hall housing an expansive collection of artefacts. The hall is well laid out making it easy to navigate by people using any form of mobility aid.

Outside the museum are the Chinese Gardens.

The entry is ramped and concrete paths are throughout the garden. There is a ramp leading up to the pavilion at the end of the garden.

Within the precinct, there is also a Chinese temple with ramped access to the door. Wheelchair users cannot enter the building due to the Chinese Door Sill at the entrance.

Bendigo Art Gallery

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Bendigo Art Gallery in Bendigo, founded in 1887, is one of Australia’s oldest and largest regional art galleries.

The parking area behind the Art Gallery of Goal Road has designated disabled parking spaces giving access to Gallery Café and the Art Gallery.

The main entrance is off View Road and ramped access is available.

The main gallery spaces are large giving plenty of room and ease of movement around the gallery.

An accessible toilet is located just past the reception counter and gift shop.

Rosalind Park – Bendigo

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Rosalind Park was the site of the Government Camp of the 1850s and so became the focus of public life and administration. Prior to 1851 the area we now call Rosalind Park was a grassy woodland with large River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) lining the Bendigo Creek that was a chain of deep permanent fresh water pools. The creek would have been an important source of food and water for the Dja Dja Wrung people who lived in this area. The park comprises 60 acres of grassy open spaces.

Accessible Toilets are located in Park Rd opposite the Conservatory Gardens and behind the Post Office Gallery off Sidney Myer Place.

The Conservatory Garden is known for its bulbs. The garden is flat and can be traversed via a fine hard packed gravel path to the conservatory building or across the lawns which have a hard underlying surface. The conservatory building has wide accessible paths through it and large double door entry.

Across the Bendigo Creek, the garden is flat and traversed by a series of wide asphalt paths. The fern garden has gravel paths with an accessible route. Some of the paths or not step free. Parts of the Fern Garden can be muddy and wet.

The paths to the Poppet Head from the garden are steep. To revisit the Poppet Head it is best to park behind the Bendigo Art Gallery of Goal Road.

Percy and Percy

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Percy and Percy is a café located on the corner of Baxter and Hargreaves streets. Access is from Hargraves through the gate and door at the rear of the building. There is seating both inside the building and outdoors in the rear garden. An accessible toilet is located in the garden area. Seating is available under the front veranda.  The café has full table service.

Handle Bar – Bendigo

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Back in 2014, a few friends came across a vacant, under-utilised area of land in middle of the Bendigo CBD.

Hidden behind a row of shops, the space was only visible from the rear utility areas of surrounding shops. The idea soon came that this unused plot could be turned into a creative commercial space, providing live entertainment and a simple beverage offer in a relaxed garden setting. Essentially a casual garden bar with a focus on independent beer and regular free entertainment.

A small wooden ramp on the entry door gives access to the bar. The bar is ramped throughout and contains a fully accessible toilet at the rear. There are plenty of seating options throughout the venue. The bar is open Thursday to Sunday.

Bendigo Pottery

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Bendigo Pottery was established in the 1850s, when Scottish migrant George Duncan Guthrie stumbled upon a local clay deposit and created a successful pottery business. Soon, it would rival the great Staffordshire potteries of 19th century England.

The car park is located along the front of the complex. At this stage, there are no designated disabled parking spaces. The site is flat throughout.

Entry is down a wide smooth brick pathway and a wide entry.

The shop area is brick paved with ample room. All shelves have the stock within easy reach with the top shelves used for display purposes only.

Adjacent to the main shop is the demonstration and potters wheel area. Classes cater for people of all abilities including high dependence disabilities.

Within the complex is an antique bazaar.  The market area is well laid out with wide aisles given good access to all stalls.

The café is located just inside the main entry doors. It is spacious and uncluttered, with moveable chairs at each table. The café caters for all dietary requirements.

The factory tour is accessible throughout including the old kilns. All displays are clearly visible. Signage is easy to read and contains both words and diagrammatic information.  

Outside that factory area, there are a series of artists workshops and studios. The pathways are all smooth brick paving and most of the doorways are wide and easily accessed. An accessible toilet is located in this area.

Balgownie Estate Winery Retreat & Restaurant

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Balgownie Estate is Bendigo’s oldest working winery established in 1969 and home of boutique Balgownie wines.

A 33-hectare winery, retreat and restaurant property overlooking Myer’s Creek at Maiden Gully. 2-hours’ drive from Melbourne CBD (10-minutes from central Bendigo).

Homestead

The homestead accommodation contains an excellent accessible room.  The bedroom has plenty of room on both sides of the bed and has an accessible entrance from the internal common space and from the external veranda. The bed has ample clearance under it to accommodate a hoist or patient lift. Lift hire can be arranged by Balgownie Estate.

The ensuite bathroom is a full wet room/roll in shower. It has a fixed large fold-down shower chair, removable shower head attached to a flexible hose and flickmaster shower control within easy reach. The toilet has handrails, backrest and raised flush buttons. The vanity unit is roll under with large mirror.

A disabled parking space is provided for guest staying at the homestead which direct access to the veranda area.

Cellar Door

The cellar door and restaurant are reached from the main car park. There are level access and wide doors into the combined area. Both the cellar door and restaurant are open with plenty of space. All chairs are moveable given a wide choice of table location.

An accessible toilet is located just outside the cellar door.

Bridgewater River Walk

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Adjacent to the Loddon Bridge Hotel is the Bridgewater River Walk. There is a designated disabled parking space next to the hotel. The walk is designated as a class 1 trail that is suitable for wheelchair users. The slopes are gentle throughout. Just below the car park is a large fishing platform with level access from the concrete path. The fishing platform has two lowered sections to cater for children or wheelchair users.

A short distance further on is a swimming platform equipped with a ladder and canoe launcher.

Above the swimming platform and accessed by a gently sloping concrete path from the fishing platform is a picnic area equipped with both an accessible picnic table and an accessible toilet facility.

Bridgewater Bakehouse

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Bridgewater on the Loddon River makes a perfect accessible lunch stop. The Bakehouse is award winning including the 2018 award for the best Vanilla Slice. There is a designated disabled parking space in front of the bakehouse. The bakehouse in entered from a level wide door with ample room inside for users of wheelchairs and mobility devices. The outdoor undercover tables on the footpath are all accessible.

There is an accessible toilet facility adjacent to the bakehouse.