Maldon Museum and Historic Archives is hosting a Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid (VGWHB) information display as part of the World Heritage Bid Roadshow from Monday 28 October to Sunday 18 November.

You may be aware of the bid for the Victorian Goldfields to become World Heritage listed. When you live amongst or in historic gold rush buildings, surrounded by former goldfields and regaled by gold stories regularly (even in this newspaper, a survivor from that time!), it is easy to forget the international significance of the 19th Century Gold Rushes.

The VGWHB is a reminder of the extraordinary and unique cultural landscape that our region represents. It aims to share this with the world to create benefits and opportunities for communities in the area and it suggests that this will work best if communities are involved.

The Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid information display aims to engage and inform the public about the benefits, opportunities, and next steps in the VGWHB process, which involves the State Government and 15 local government areas.

Visit the display on Wednesdays and Sundays, 11.30am until 2pm at Maldon Museum and Historic Archives, 93 High Street, Maldon. Visitors will have the chance to learn more about the bid and participate in the ‘Let’s Get World Heritage Ready’ survey. Residents are also invited to a Community Information Session on Saturday 9 November at 2.30pm at Maldon Community Centre, 6 Francis Street. Everyone is welcome to attend, enjoy a cup of tea, and learn about the World Heritage bid. For further information about the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid, visit: goldfieldsworldheritage. com.au.

Image: Richard Daintree and Antoine Fauchery, ‘Washing out a good prospect’ ca. 1858 (detail), photograph: albumen silver, 14X20.6cm, Sun Pictures of Victoria: the Fauchery-Daintree collection, State Library of Victoria, H84.167/34.

This article appeared in the  Tarrangower Times, 20 September 2024.