What a crazy weekend in Bendigo, Open House Saturday and Sunday of which I got to a few places including inside the Beehive building on Pall Mall, the Bendigo Agricultural Show Friday and Saturday (I went Saturday night), Moonlight Market which I missed and I got to do a 4-6am work thing Sunday morning.

We have some amazing architecture in Bendigo, some of the places I didn’t even know existed whilst others I’ve just been wanting to see inside for quite some time. I was quite excited to see something different than just the outsides that I’ve shot so many times already!.

I managed to get to eight places over the weekend and take over 300 photos.

Saturday

First up the Bendigo Chapel at the Quarry Hill Cemetery which was built in 1873 and is a multi-denominational chapel. This is a location that I want to shoot under the stars sometime soon!

My favorite photo of the chapel, asked if I could move a small podium from the right to improve the overall image and symmetry. Also waited until there was a gap in people to get one with just the building!

Next stop was BRIT (Bendigo TAFE) and in particular the octagonal reading room. This is something I didn’t even know existed until I saw an image on this years Open House website.

Love this roof but it is so large that even with my super wide angle at 7mm on Micro Four Thirds I just couldn’t fit it all in the one shot. I was sitting on the ground and was trying to align the centre chandelier with the roof above, any tiny move… — Love this roof but it is so large that even with my super wide angle at 7mm on Micro Four Thirds I just couldn’t fit it all in the one shot. I was sitting on the ground and was trying to align the centre chandelier with the roof above, any tiny movement with a lens this wide makes hugh changes just like a telephoto!

Last stop for Saturday was the Law Courts. I have many images of the outside but this is the first time I’ve been able to take photos on the inside and wow! Just amazing, I’ve made some of the photos black and white as I think the colour versions don’t do it justice.

Blown away by the inside of the Bendigo Law Courts!

Sunday

The plan for Sunday was to get to the Beehive building as this was the one I most wanted to get to but the line was around an hour long so decided to check out a few others and come back later and hope the line wasn’t so long. Turns out only just, still had to wait 50 minutes to get in, but totally worth it. I was hoping to go up to the first level but it wasn’t on the tour.

First up was the RACV Tiny Home which was near the Charing Cross intersection right where Marilyn Stood for a few months a while back. I only got the one shot of this awesome concept, to many people around for an external one.

Next stop was the Bendigo Tramways Workshop and Depot. I’d never been past the visitor centre building so it was great to see into the large shed/workshop and see some of the old trams and some being worked on.

Finally after a 50 minute wait the Beehive Building (Bendigo Mining Exchange) I got to go in and I have not seen Allans Walk for some now as it’s been boarded up. Got a 10 min tour with one of the heads of the company that is restoring the building and it should be absolutely amazing when it opens mid next year, I can’t wait and I’m glad I got to see it in its current state and have recorded my own version of it’s history.

Unplanned extras

I somehow managed to get into the last tour of the Soldier’s Memorial Institute that requires a booking by being in the right place at the right time. I was offered a spare ticket as someone was unable to make it, turns out this person knows who I am via Facebook and I went to school with her daugher many years ago, small world! This was my first time going into the building and it looks like it will be an amazing display and achievement by those involved, the new extension is a museum quality passive building design.

No photos allowed on the inside as it’s not officially opened until November 16 but I did learn something very interesting.

The poppet head on top of Rosalind Park once lived on the site where this building is. It’s the one depicted in the drawings of Bendigo from the past, amazing! The footings for it are still under the floors and the mine shaft that is also under the floors has been capped.

Back to the photos, got to go outside up on the top level and take in a view of Bendigo I’ve never experienced before.