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Rich alluvial gold was first discovered in BENDIGO in 1851, and once it was exhausted shafts were sunk into a gold-bearing quartz reef. Bendigo became the greatest goldfield of the time, and had the world's deepest mine. Mining continued here until 1954, long after the rest of central Victoria's goldfields were exhausted, so it's a city that has developed over a prosperous century: the nationwide department store Myer began here, as did Australia's first building society in 1858. Although in many ways more magnificent than Ballarat, Bendigo is considerably lower key, never having turned itself into a purely tourist town. Its most visited sights are legacies of the mining days - the Chinese Joss House and the Central Deborah Mine .

At the heart of Bendigo is the vast Rosalind Park , and three important religious buildings constructed through money from gold-digging - All Saints Church, St Pauls Cathedral and Sacred Heart Cathedral . Local Catholics imported stonemasons from Italy and England, and their craftsmanship can be seen in the design and details of Sacred Heart, begun in 1897 in English Gothic style. The interior has beautiful woodcarvings of the Twelve Apostles, and the crypt is the burial place of local bishops. Wanting to give Bendigo a sophisticated air reminiscent of London, the newly prosperous citizens called its central crossroads Charing Cross . Pall Mall runs off to the east, while View Street, with its many fine old buildings, climbs north off Pall Mall. Mitchell Street leads south to the train station and High Street (the Calder Highway) is the main exit west out of the city. The other important street is Hargreaves, parallel to Pall Mall one block south, with its impressive town hall and a bland shopping mall.