INTRODUCING GOLDEN DRAGON MUSEUM COME AND LEAD THE GOLDEN DRAGON MUSEUM The Golden Dragon Museum is a renowned tourist The museum is also home to Golden Dragons attraction in Bendigo that houses a superb Chinese Loong, Sun Loong and Dai Gum Loong, and many collection of antiquities that are rarely seen outside other parading dragons that help to proudly promote of China. Bendigo’s Chinese heritage during the Bendigo Easter Festival and at other special community celebrations. The museum serves as a permanent reminder of the contribution Chinese have made to our region, and The museum’s architectural design is based on the provides a range of educational experiences and Imperial Palace in Beijing and is authentic in every way. research facilities. Its surrounding Yi Yuan Gardens also feature a Buddhist Temple, Guan Yin Miau. It offers a living history of Chinese people from the gold rush to the present day, exhibiting priceless The next exciting chapter in the history of the museum processional regalia, carved furniture and embroidered is to re-brand and expand it to become the National costumes. Collections date back to the Shang Dynasty Chinese Museum of Australia and transform Bendigo’s 1600-1026BC. Chinese precinct into Bendigo’s Chinatown, complete with high-end hotel. A MESSAGE FROM CHAIR, DOUG LOUGOON As we strive to transition the important governance function to realise the museum’s $16M Golden Dragon Museum to the and will be expected to meet Stage 1 transition to the National National Chinese Museum of weekly with the Board Chair to Chinese Museum of Australia. The Australia, our vision is to ‘excite, progress the development of museum is a source of information engage, embrace and share’ with the museum. and research for Chinese cultural a broad spectrum of stakeholders. groups across Australia, so it is From visitors and volunteers, to The successful applicant will lead expected linkages with these the highest level of government a small but passionate team of groups will also be maintained. and with like-minded organisations staff and volunteers. They will from across Australia and abroad. be expected to have exceptional The Bendigo Easter Festival communication and engagement provides the Golden Dragon The museum has a critical role skills, strong finance and budgetary Museum with its highest period of in contributing to the cultural skills, and previous museum visitation each year. This is largely fabric of Bendigo. The museum practice experience would be due to the attraction of the Gala was founded in 1991 by the favoured, so as they can contribute Parade and the appearance of the Bendigo Chinese community, to the development of an city’s famous dragons. spearheaded by Russell and Joan ambitious exhibition program. Jack. It proudly celebrates Chinese During the 2019 Bendigo Easter heritage in Australia and the Parade new Golden Dragon Dai remarkable contribution Chinese Gum Loong made his debut in people have made to the Bendigo There is an exciting front of 80,000 people and many community since their arrival on opportunity to build on the millions more across Australia the goldfields in 1853. arrival of Dai Gum Loong and Asia. There is an exciting and the community’s opportunity to build on the The museum has over that arrival of Dai Gum Loong and the time become a highly favoured enthusiasm for a new community’s enthusiasm for a repository for rare and priceless dragon, which is a once-in- new dragon, and revolutionise the Chinese artefacts and has grown a-generation occurrence, visitor experience to the museum. to state and national significance. and revolutionise the visitor After 14 years Russell and Joan’s Bendigo has a very strong tourism daughter Anita Jack will leave experience by staging a brand that celebrates our many the General Manager position diverse range of exhibitions. attributes, such as award-winning at Golden Dragon Museum, restaurants and cafes, a renowned making way for the appointment arts and culture scene, and a range of festivals and major events. of the museum’s first Chief The Chief Executive Officer Executive Officer to further will need to have excellent develop and transition the Daily Qantas services between stakeholder engagement skills, museum to the National Chinese Bendigo and Sydney provide including maintaining relationships Museum of Australia. another opportunity to grow with Local, State and Federal visitor numbers and provide a Our organisation is sincerely governments. In particular, the further incentive for Chinese grateful to the Jack family for its Museum enjoys a strong working tourists to visit from interstate and tireless contribution to the success relationship with the City of international cities. of the Golden Dragon Museum Greater Bendigo. over almost three decades. Bendigo is a contemporary, diverse Private sector and philanthropic and vibrant regional city and the The museum building is owned by support has been critical to museum Board looks forward the City of Greater Bendigo and the museum’s current success, to appointing a Chief Executive a new corporate structure was so continuing to foster these Officer who is able to provide adopted in early 2018. The new connections will be essential great leadership, build strong Chief Executive Officer will work for the Chief Executive Officer, relationships and continue to creatively and in partnership with together with coordinating grow the positive momentum of the Board, support the Board’s marketing and advocacy activities the museum. GREATER BENDIGO WHO ARE WE? The City of Greater Bendigo is Greater Bendigo consists of an Today, Greater Bendigo is an located in the geographic centre urban area and many rural small attractive region that boasts the of Victoria and covers some 3,000 towns and villages, all of which nationally significant Bendigo square kilometres. contribute to our strong sense of Art Gallery, Ulumbarra and The community and provide residents Capital theatres, natural surrounds Greater Bendigo is part of the with a great lifestyle alternative. that provide great recreation Loddon Campaspe region Inner-city living, family homes, or opportunities, and hosts a number and neighbours Castlemaine hobby or large-scale farms can all of major events and festivals, and Maldon (Mount Alexander be found here. including Australia’s longest Shire), Rochester and Echuca ongoing community festival – the (Campaspe Shire), Maryborough The municipality recognises and Bendigo Easter Festival. (Central Goldfields Shire), Kyneton celebrates the heritage of the (Macedon Ranges Shire), and Aboriginal people of the area – the By many measures Bendigo is Bridgewater, Inglewood and Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and one of the great small cities of Wedderburn (Loddon Shire). Gurai-illam Wurrung language the world. It has the third-largest groups of the Central Kulin nation. concentrated economic base Greater Bendigo’s population in Victoria, after Geelong and is approximately 116,000 and is Greater Bendigo has a fascinating Melbourne, and the region’s gross predicted to reach about 155,000 history and was once one of the regional product is valued at by 2036. Our annual population richest cities in the world after $7.06B per annum. growth rate is 1.7 per cent. gold was discovered here in 1851. The impact of the gold rush is still The domestic tourism economic evident, particularly through our impact contributes $648M and our beautiful streetscapes and region attracts approximately 3 historic buildings. million day trippers and 1.1 million overnight visitors annually. The local economy is considerably diverse. Greater Bendigo is home to the headquarters of Australia’s fifth largest bank, the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, while other key businesses and organisations include Bendigo Health, Victoria’s largest regional hospital, La Trobe BENDIGO University, Monash University, Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm, Hofmann Engineering, Keech MELBOURNE Australia, Thales Australia, Fosterville and Mandalay Resources mines, and various Victorian Government departments. COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT LOCATION HEALTH • 2 hours by road or rail to Melbourne • $630M public hospital, Victoria’s largest regional • Dual lane Calder Highway hospital • 20 trains daily (weekdays) • Private hospital, recently undergone a $40M redevelopment SPORT ARTS, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT A range of quality sporting facilities including swimming, football, netball, hockey, soccer, badminton, basketball, • Bendigo Easter Festival, Australia’s oldest, continuously tennis, volleyball and athletics running festival • Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival EDUCATION • Groovin the Moo • Australian Sheep and Wool Show A range of excellent public and private education • Summer in the Parks providers operate in Greater Bendigo. • Bendigo Art Gallery • Two theatres, including the 1,000-seat Ulumbarra • 23 kindergartens and 20 long day care centres Theatre • 40 primary schools, including two special • Golden Dragon Museum, housing a superb collection development schools of Chinese antiquities rarely seen outside of China • 4 secondary schools, Years 7 to 10 • Bendigo Pottery, Australia’s oldest working pottery • 1 secondary school, Years 11 and 12 • Award-winning wineries and restaurants • 3 Prep to 12 schools (primary and secondary) • Bendigo Stadium, regional Victoria’s largest indoor • 1 Prep to Year 10 school sports and events centre • Tertiary/trade training providers – La Trobe University, • Beautiful natural surrounds, hundreds of kilometres of Monash University (Medical),