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| The historic Victorian Goldfields is considered the most extensive and best surviving gold rush landscape in the world. (Supplied: Trove/Lawrence) |
By Tyrone Dalton and Shannon Schubert
The Victorian Goldfields have overcome their first formal hurdle on the way to UNESCO World Heritage status.
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| Central Deborah Gold Mine was one of more than 5,500 registered gold mines on the famous Bendigo goldfields. (ABC Central Victoria: Shannon Schubert) |
Victoria's Goldfields — home to the most extensive and best-surviving gold-rush era landscapes in the world — has today been added to Australia's World Heritage Tentative List.
The Victorian Goldfields region spans from Ballarat and Bendigo, west towards the Grampians, and includes parts of north-east Victoria and Gippsland.
The main attraction is Bendigo's Central Deborah Gold Mine, which operated from 1939–1954, extracting a total of 929 kilograms of gold.
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| People immigrated from all over the globe to places like Fryerstown in Victoria to find gold in the 1850s. (Supplied: Heritage Victoria) |
Victorian Premier and Bendigo-based MP Jacinta Allan said World Heritage sites were proven to boost local economies.
"From the historic streets of Bendigo to the grand buildings of Castlemaine and the untouched mining landscapes of Walhalla — the Goldfields stand as a living testament to those who came to Victoria, seeking a better life and how they transformed the state," she said.
"World Heritage sites are on bucket lists of tourists worldwide, and our historic Goldfields are on their way to be right there among them."
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| Chinese miners operated a gold mine in Guildford, near Castlemaine in 1861. (Supplied: Heritage Victoria) |
From this point, the group behind the bid said full World Heritage status could take three years.
The Victorian government expects the number of visitors to grow by an extra 2.2 million visitors within 10 years of the Victorian Goldfields being listed as a world heritage site.
Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said the Goldfields deserved to be celebrated and protected.
"These places tell our unique story," Ms Plibersek said.
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| Central goldfields towns like Maldon and Newstead are renowned for their unique streetscape. (Supplied: Mount Alexander Shire Council) |
"International recognition protects our heritage and attracts visitors from all over the world."
Fifteen councils from these areas and tourism organisations from across regional Victoria joined forces in 2018 and employed former political rivals and former premiers Denis Napthine and John Brumby as patrons for the bid.
Other Australian landmarks on the World Heritage List include the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the Sydney Opera House.
First published at ABC News, January 31, 2025
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