THE BENDIGO TRUST ANNUAL REPORT, 2009/10 Celebrating 40 years... 37th Edition Annual Report 2009/10 1 I just wanted to let you know ... Just a quick note This was a terrific experience. to say how happy Can’t wait to We (family) enjoyed it more we were with our see the new this was by far my very best party on Friday night. tram museum underground experience than our Ballarat experience. The children had open next year. Janelle Andrew It was very educational. Keep a ball. Your two Day visitor Visiting Friends and Relatives staff members were up the great work! wonderful. Nothing was Vanessa Staying Overnight to much trouble for them. Thank you for John was fabulous. Very making the night a hit. Our Discovery party was fantastic! The kids good with the kids. Nicole Local Knowledge, patience and all had a wonderful time! Very good value only willing to help. The Laurie was for money. Keep up the good work! A really whole fossicking experience brilliant. I will organised party! has been a highlight of be back and suggest JC Local the kids’ school holidays. it to all friends Thank-you Sally Local and family! Anthony Daryl was informative, humorous, an Day Visitor It was the best thing that I have outstanding tour guide! Dean ever done. Day Visitor It was just a great experience Joy It was great. Caitie Day Visitor Local Great staff and service. Excellent upgrade of toilet We really enjoyed it and had a great time. It was the highlight of our the staff were very friendly, helpful and shower holiday so far and knowledgeable. A great day was had! Visitor facilities Discovery Bishop Family Touring and Caravanning Year 5/6 sleepover at Discovery 2 The Bendigo Trust Annual Report 2009/10 3 Table of Contents From the Chairman and CEO 6 The Bendigo Trust in 2009/10 Central Deborah Gold Mine 10 Bendigo Tramways 13 Discovery Science & Technology Centre 17 Bendigo Joss House Temple 18 Bendigo Gasworks and Victoria Hill 18 Finance 19 Sales and Marketing 20 40 years of The Bendigo Trust 22 Acknowledgements 30 Trust Staff and Volunteers 31 Board of Directors 32 Financial Statements are contained in a seperate insert to this report. To request a copy of the Financials please call: (03) 5443 8117 or view them online at: www.bendigotrust.com.au Left: Billy Chan and Ross Turton at work on Tram No. 84. 4 The Bendigo Trust Annual Report 2009/10 5 From the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer In the workshop, the highlight of the school sleepovers, new workshops for the Lab, year was receiving Department of Transport and funding for a new education program Before reviewing the major accomplishments and funding to restore Bendigo 16 to original based on creating stop motion animations. condition as Prahran & Malvern 84 in time for The Bendigo Trust and Bendigo Science & challenges of 2009/10, we would like to thank all of the centenary celebrations for the Malvern Technology Museum Inc also settled a new five After our staff and volunteers. The drivers and conductors, Tram Depot in May 2010. year operating agreement for Discovery. “ Bendigo Tramways staff developed – and years of presenters, guides and others who routinely earn high the board adopted – a five year Strategic Looking to 2010/11 Plan for the tramway and workshop which Priorities for 2010/11 include: preparation, praise from our visitors – and all those who work “behind further defines and elaborates on the tramway l Getting visitor numbers back on the grow elements in our Trust-wide Strategic Plan. again as the global recession fades planning, the curtain” – all deserve commendation for their efforts. l Obtaining a role for Bendigo in the we achieved Central Deborah restoration and retention of heritage trams Lloyd Cameron, Chairman, e are privileged to have had solid throughout that year. 2009/10 was a The Bendigo Trust ventured into the Victorian in Melbourne full funding The Bendigo Trust once again the opportunity different story. Bouyed by a major contract Tourism Awards for the first time last year, and l Completing the majority of depot to serve as Chair and Chief from the Victorian Department of Transport, Central Deborah earned a “finalist” award in expansion project works this year, which for the Executive, respectively, of the workshop had a busy year while visitor the heritage and cultural tourism category, will also allow us to commence trades overhaul WThe Bendigo Trust over the past year. numbers struggled. coming second to the eventual national training programs and also public tours in The Trust owes everything to the skill, Some part of this is definitely down to the winner, Old Melbourne Gaol. the workshop and dedication and care of the many dozens of Swine Flu scare that centred on Victoria during Works around Central Deborah this year l Tramway overhead upgrades in Pall Mall people who work and volunteer at Central the winter of 2009, which cost us school group included preparations for our new super tour and Bridge Street expansion Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo Tramways, bookings right through November. School to the lower levels of the mine, set to open in l Completing our overhaul of marketing and Bendigo Joss House Temple, Discovery bookings were much improved in the second early 2011. branding across the Trust by rolling out of our Centre and Victoria Hill. half of the year. The other weak spots were Both Central Deborah and Bendigo new websites for the Trust itself and for Volunteers gave over 30,000 hours last year non-school groups and general tram ridership, Tramways were successful in obtaining Bendigo Tramways Tramways across the Trust. Volunteering is essential both while Level 3 Adventure Tours at Central funding that will be spent this year upgrading l Settling a new operating agreement with Avenue “ to our operations and to our culture. Deborah and School Sleepovers at our collections preservation and management the City of Greater Bendigo Tom Seddon, CEO, Thank you! Discovery had outstanding years. capacity. l Opening our new tour of Levels 6 – 9 at The Bendigo Trust Depot. Also, thank you to our partners: As at the Tramways, Central Deborah Gold Central Deborah Gold Mine Mine also developed a five year Strategic Plan. l The City of Greater Bendigo, on whose Bendigo Tramways l Overhauling Central Deborah’s main behalf much of our work is performed After years of preparation, planning and passenger hoist l The board of Bendigo Science & working with prospective funding bodies, Discovery l Recruiting a new Joss House supervisor and Technology Museum Inc, who are we finally achieved full funding for the 2009/10 saw a new website, new showers and opening the site everyday responsible for Discovery Science & overhaul and expansion of our Tramways fire protection systems installed to support l Continued expansion of Discovery’s Technology Centre Avenue Depot. The Commonwealth l Wine Bank on View, our partners in Bendigo Government came on board with a $1 million ninesevensix Tram Restaurant grant in September 2009 and the Victorian l Our commercial sponsors, state and federal Government followed in December with $1.5 funding partners, and the philanthropic million. Added to the $500,000 commitment foundations who support our projects made by City of Greater Bendigo and taking l The Trust’s members, Discovery’s members into account the preliminary works already and Friends of the Bendigo Tramways, who completed with Heritage Victoria and Council believe in our mission and support it year funding, we were ready to proceed. in, year out. Contract Management Systems won a competitive tender for the principal building 2009/10 in Review project and works commenced in June. They Visitation will continue through 2010/11. A word on the trading environment in Other works during the year included a 2009/10 is certainly due. The global economic new stop to serve Lake Weeroona and the downturn that started in 2008 made itself Bendigo Tennis Centre, and preparations for known during 2008/09 in the Tramways’ replacement of poles and tramway fittings in workshop, however visitor numbers were Pall Mall. 6 The Bendigo Trust Annual Report 2009/10 7 education programs both in-schools and at commitment to the Trust! Discovery, especially in the Lab Another important milestone we intend to l A major upgrade of Bendigo Planetarium, celebrate in style falls very soon: on 16 October featuring a new aluminium dome. 2010, The Bendigo Trust will have operated Bendigo Tramways longer than any previous 40 years of The Bendigo Trust operator! The Bendigo Trust came into being at a meeting held on 22 August 1970. The Trust The major challenges and successes of the past is 40 years old! year are described over the next few pages. Some of our early projects have blossomed We are proud to commend this record of the (Bendigo Tramways and Central Deborah); activities of The Bendigo Trust during 2009/10 others have been handed off and gone on to our Membership. to great success with other institutions (Dai Gum San Museum and the Visitor Information Centre); and new projects have come up (Discovery and the Joss House). And, we still have in the Gasworks what will be a great Lloyd Cameron project for the future. Chairman We hope that you enjoy our recap of 40 Years of the Bendigo Trust on page 22. The most senior member of the Trust board is Dennis O’Hoy, who has been with the Trust all the way back to 1970. Dennis retires from the board at the 2010 Annual General Meeting and we are sure that all Trust members, Tom Seddon staff and volunteers past and present, join Chief Executive Officer us in thanking Dennis for his extraordinary 8 The Bendigo Trust Annual Report 2009/10 9 Central Deborah Gold Mine Karl Penrose, Mine Manager include: other groups were down over the year, almost 1.