On 22 August 1970 the Mayor of the time, Cr Clark Jeffery, convened a meeting to discuss the future of the mine. It was decided that a committee would be established to prepare a constitution and work on the first stages of its redevelopment the mine.

At its first public meeting later that year, membership to The Bendigo Trust was invited and a provisional Board was formed. It was in the same year that The Bendigo Trust was successful in its first venture, when work started on the preservation of the Central Deborah Gold Mine, and the surface of the mine was opened to tourists.

Central Deborah Gold Mine is now Australia’s premier underground tourist mine experience, telling its 15 year history and the story of the richest of Australia’s Goldfields—Bendigo.

What we do
Since then, The Bendigo Trust has continued to run the Central Deborah Gold Mine, while overseeing some of Bendigo’s other cherished historic assets, including reviving the Bendigo Tramways, which had operated in Bendigo since 1890.

In September 2002, The Bendigo Trust took responsibility for the Discovery Science & Technology Centre, one of the premier science centres in the country, and the oldest centre outside a metropolitan area.

While the Bendigo Tramways, Central Deborah Gold Mine and Discovery Science & Technology Centre make up the core business of The Bendigo Trust, it also has some responsibility for the Bendigo Gasworks, closed in 1973, and Victoria Hill, site of some of the earliest gold workings in Bendigo from the 1850’s.

Interestingly, The Bendigo Trust was also responsible for the establishment of Bendigo’s first Visitor Information Centre, a service now provided by Bendigo Tourism.

Partnerships
The Bendigo Trust works closely with the City of Greater Bendigo in the running of all of its tourism services. While The Bendigo Trust oversees the daily operations of these services, it is the City of Greater Bendigo who owns many of the physical assets.

The City owns the Tramways Depot, the Central Deborah Gold Mine and Mining Authority, the Bendigo Gasworks and Victoria Hill sites. The Bendigo Trust does own the fleet of trams, and has funded or sourced funding for major works at the Tramways Depot, Central Deborah Gold Mine and Bendigo Gasworks.

Status
The Bendigo Trust became incorporated in October 1973, in order to operate the Vintage ‘Talking’ Tram service and to preserve other aspects of Bendigo’s heritage.

The Bendigo Trust is organised as a company limited by guarantee, with members from the local community and beyond forming its board of Directors. The Trust is registered as a charity and deductible gift recipient. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.