Gold Mines Hotel Bendigo and other Victorian treasures.

The hotel quickly represented the prosperity derived from Bendigo gold. Held by a family for 140+ years, the property stands as test­ament to self-made David Sterry and the energetic Sterry women who continued his legacy after his death. The elegant Vic­torian Gold Mines Hotel was funded by Sterry while he was Bendigo Mayor in 1878-79, min­utes from other beauties: View St Arts Prec­in­ct, Fortuna Villa, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Alexandra Fountain.

Gold Mines is a double-storey stucco brick hotel, featuring a formal en­t­rance with the original glass lantern and the hotel’s name. The façade, with its very ornate veranda and glass pan­el­ling, was the focus of recent restoration works - to the floor and balcony, and the recasting of broken cast iron lace panels.

Inside a grand cedar central staircase with fine st­ained glass wind­ows, opulent os­trich feat­her marble-look walls in the grand en­t­rance and up­st­airs hall­ways, hand grain­ed pine panel doors, deep architraves, frames and skirts, ar­ch­ed sash windows, rich Victorian detailing inc­luding dec­or­ative pl­asterwork and arch­ways with gold leaf trappings. Note the ornate ceil­­­ing roses and herit­age light fitt­ings, tim­ber and brass picture-rails, brass footstands, built-in cedar cabinetry and arched built in robes, tall height ceil­ings, orig­inal thick Bal­tic pine floors and pressed metal dad­os. There are 10 fire­places, beautiful marble and timber mantles, cast iron inserts and decorative mirrors.

1.2 acres of historic gardens were designed and laid out by the St­­erry family as their private retreat, and made public later. They include garden rooms sep­ar­ated by sandstone walls, tiered garden beds and stone paths. Majestic peacocks used to roam­ around, but now the garden features gazebos ov­er­looking a stream. A covered area was made into an out­side bar, to cater for larger fun­ctions. This space was created from the stone-walled court­yard gar­den that adjoins the beautiful two storey stone building. This was part of the original 1857 Iron Bark Hotel housing the min­ers’ ball­room on the 2nd floor and now the comm­ercial kitchen and beer garden bar below. Its used for alfresco dining and live music.

The Gold Mines Hotel is of hist­oric sig­nificance through its re­lation­ship with the large Victoria Hill dig­g­ings and with Sterry, Mayor of Bendigo and Member of Parliam­ent. The Gold Mines Ho­te­l is arch­itectur­ally distinguished via its stucco facade and el­eg­antly proportioned cast iron veranda and bal­c­ony. Note the slend­er columns, and the pair­ed columns and pediment in the central bay of the veranda and balcony. And note the small bar rooms charact­eristic of hotels back then.
Conclusion
The Nat­ional Trust listed Gold Mines Hotel as having a unique place in Bendigo life. The Heritage Protection Statement of Significance said: The prominent and free­­st­anding Gold Mines Hotel, designed in 1872 by the important Bend­igo architect­ural firm Vahland and Getzsch­mann for David Sterry, is a largely original example of a Victorian gold­­fields hotel. Some elements date back to 1857.

Only 19 UNESCO recog­nised sites are in Australia, including Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and Royal Exhibition Building Melbourne. Now historians say gold rush era architecture over the region should be included in the bid for listing by UNESCO­’s World Heritage Con­vent­ion, to recognise the collective import­ance of widesp­read sites inst­ead of only individual buildings.

So the imminent gold­­fields’ UNESCO bid should include mines, architectur­ally signif­icant buildings and natural landscapes i.e the Mining Exch­ang­e, stock ex­change of the Gold­fiel­ds, historic street­scapes hotels, churches, post off­ices, town halls and court houses.