The Little Lonsdale Street excavation in the late 1980s (which became known simply as Little Lon) demonstrated that historical archaeological remains, in remarkable condition, did exist in parts of the State. Since that time, archaeology projects across Victoria have continued to make surprising discoveries that have captured headlines and captivated the public. Over the last few years archaeologists have, for the first time, understood why many of the state’s archaeological sites have survived in remarkable states of preservation. This presentation will highlight four of Victoria’s most significant archaeological discoveries and explain why many of our sites are so well-preserved.
Jeremy Smith is Heritage Victoria’s Principal Archaeologist and is an Honorary Fellow in Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. He has published widely on the subject of the state’s historical archaeology with a focus on the archaeology of Melbourne. He was a key contributor to the award-winning book Ned Kelly Under the Microscope (CSIRO Publishing, 2014).
This talk is presented as part of the Public Program supporting Golden Dragon Museum’s temporary exhibition, ‘Victoria’s Goldfields: Chinese Curiosities from Heritage Victoria. The exhibition closes 10 November.
This project is funded through the City of Greater Bendigo Community Grants Program
Golden Dragon Museum’s Collection Redevelopment Project has been a key driver in our work to best care for, store and research our world-leading Collection.
In Highly Commending the Project, the judges at the recent Awards recognised this in their citation:
The judges commended this project as a remarkable two-year initiative that brings new life to the museum’s significant collection, particularly important to the Chinese community in Australia. By prioritising collection redevelopment and access, the museum has shown impressive innovation, despite limited funding. It not only enhances the preservation of cultural history but also engages interns and students, ensuring that its positive impact will be felt for years to come.
The Museum thanks the City of Greater Bendigo and Helen Macpherson Smith Trust for their support of this Project. More information can be found here.
Photo credit: Jess White Photography
Photo credit: Jess White Photography
Golden Dragon Museum, Yi Yuan Gardens and Guan Yin Temple are open every day during Victorian school holidays.
Monday 23 September – Sunday 6 October Fabulous Floor Talks return. From Monday, every day at 11.00am join a 15 minute introductory talk and learn about the Museum’s Collection and why there are Dragons in Bendigo.
Every Monday and Wednesday at 2.00pm there is a Curator’s Talk about our current temporary exhibition ‘Victoria’s Goldfields: Chinese Curiosities from Heritage Victoria.’ This collaborative exhibition between the Museum and Heritage Victoria presents small vignettes of the Chinese presence across Victoria from the mid-1800s into the 20th century. The exhibition marks the return of temporary exhibitions to the Museum after many years absence and closes on 10 November, 2024.
Golden Dragon Museum’s Temporary Exhibition program and its associated activities are funded through the City of Greater Bendigo Community Grant Program.
Victoria’s Goldfields: Chinese Curiosities from Heritage Victoria is a collaborative exhibition between Golden Dragon Museum and Heritage Victoria. It presents small vignettes of the Chinese presence across Victoria from the mid-1800s into the 20th century and showcases the significant collection of artefacts held by Heritage Victoria that relate to and show evidence of the Chinese diaspora across the state.
With objects that are frequently small in size, but significant in their stories, Victoria’s Goldfields shows items that help to locate Chinese communities throughout Victorian history and shine a light on stories and times that have been all too often lost to history. The exhibition also speaks to the archaeological method of investigation, analysis, and identification used by heritage archaeologists as they search for relics from the past and strive to reveal their hidden and sometimes elusive stories.
More Associated Activities
More Associated Activities will be listed here throughout the exhibition’s run.
Figure, Stone. Mid 19th century
Heritage Victoria Historical
Archeology Collection
This program of Temporary Exhibitions and its associated activities are funded through the City of Greater Bendigo’s Community Grants Program.