Trams that tell a tale

Press, 19 October 1982, Page 33

Trams that tell a tale

A novel way of seeing Bendigo and learning something of its history is to take an Bkm ride on one of the city’s "talking trams,” which, the locals claim with pride, travel at 100 years an hour. The trams, which leave from outside the Central Deborah mine, play a pre-re-corded documentary of the area's colourful history. The fleet of 23 trams includes cars dating back to 1913. The commentary reveals that Bendigo once had over 400 hotels, and describes the typical timber houses designed by local architect William Vahland: a front door with a window on each side, a corrugated iron roof and four posts supporting a veranda with iron lacework.

Many Chinese came to Bendigo and the joss house they built as a place of worship at Emu Point has been faithfully restored by the National Trust. It can be reached on the talking tram or simply by following the tram tracks from the Central Deborah gold mine. Bendigo's Chinese community is also proud of the 100 m long “Sun Long” Chinese dragon which takes part in the famous Bendigo Easter Fair. Other attractions include the Dai Gum San wax museum, and Bendigo pottery where hand-made, salt-glazed pottery is produced, as in the 1860 s, in bottle kilns fired by wood and coal.