Bendigo Library

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Bendigo Library A modern, dynamic library service enriching the Greater Bendigo community. Proudly located on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

If you're in town for FunLoong Fun Day, why not pop in and make a dragon at Bendigo Library? We've got all the materials...
16/10/2026

If you're in town for FunLoong Fun Day, why not pop in and make a dragon at Bendigo Library? We've got all the materials; all you need to bring is yourself and some creativity 🐉

Great to cut the two-ply on our new t***s today!Here’s CEO Mark, Maree Edwards MP and our board member Jess being good s...
16/10/2026

Great to cut the two-ply on our new t***s today!

Here’s CEO Mark, Maree Edwards MP and our board member Jess being good sports at the official opening of our foyer and toilet renos.

“It’s not often you get to attend the opening of a toilet, so the opportunity for a little humour can’t be passed by,” Mark said.

“But this is an important space and another step in creating a safer place for our community. And, it’s not just toilets, it’s also office, meeting and event spaces as well.”

The works, completed with such care by locals Franklin Projects, were thanks to funding from both the State Government and City of Greater Bendigo.

“When we invest in libraries through the Living Libraries Program, it’s also about investing in community, not only the library,” Maree said.

“We’re making sure the library continues to be the heart of Bendigo, and the most important part of Bendigo.”

We’ll flush to that!

Golden Dragon Museum 金龍博物館 Researcher Leigh and Curator Fiona are awakening more of Bridge Street's history and the Chin...
15/10/2026

Golden Dragon Museum 金龍博物館 Researcher Leigh and Curator Fiona are awakening more of Bridge Street's history and the Chinese community’s enduring place within it.

An exhibition at the museum currently combines new insights from the archives with citizen records, memories, photographs and artefacts.

The pair will talk about their work this History Month for our regular Discovering History session, in partnership with La Trobe University, Bendigo.

“Our research is a dialogue between community memory and documented history,” Leigh said.

Fiona added they were looking forward to taking the stories out of the museum and into the library, and potentially connecting with people who can further their findings.

“It’s always the fun part, we’re not just in the archives,” she said.

Do you have any treasures to share? Come along and celebrate local history at the October 29 event, in the library or via Zoom.

Learn more on our website. https://www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/2026/new-research-awakens-central-victorias-chinese-past/

Did you attend The Creativerse? We loved being part of this beautiful event for families. If you did too, let the organi...
13/10/2026

Did you attend The Creativerse? We loved being part of this beautiful event for families. If you did too, let the organisers know and go in the draw to win a family pass to next year's event.
Take this short survey to be in the running.
https://forms.gle/VGNMuVSEpA8o4kiMA

(Photo by Brendan McCarthy)

Are Bendigo readers bonding over crime fiction? The audience largely came in two-by-two for a Chris Hammer-inspired date...
13/10/2026

Are Bendigo readers bonding over crime fiction? The audience largely came in two-by-two for a Chris Hammer-inspired date night on Thursday for our full house author talk.

He's a popular guy, in person and on the page. Library manager Robin, who interviewed Chris, said: “At the library we measure success by circulation stats, and every copy of Chris’ books are circulated more than 750 times. The copies of ‘Full Circle’ are only just starting to arrive and already the reservations are growing.”

Chris was here thanks to booksellers Bookish, who were also on hand to ensure the audience could support a hardworking, passionate local business, and buy a book to be signed by Chris.

His latest title deviates from the tough rural settings of previous novels (think gritty opal fields and drought-ravaged rivers), to take place in affluent Sorento.

We learnt Chris first experienced the seaside town at a writer’s festival four years ago, and inspired by his glimpse of the uber rich lifestyles and limestone mansions, set about finding a story to match. Cue hedge fund crime and plenty of motives for murder.

“I was thinking about fictionalising the town, but my publisher, who’d come with me to the festival, said no, let’s keep it as Sorento,” Chris said.

“Which made it harder, because you’ve got to get it right, and be careful not to defame someone!”

Luckily, Chris had a proofreader who’d once lived there, and was able to point out his character wouldn’t have stopped for fuel in town, as there are no petrol stations in Sorento.

Read between the lines of any Chris Hammer book and you’ll see the settings are all based on real landscapes and towns he's travelled to, fictionalised or not.

Perhaps after this week’s visit, he’ll be inspired to ground his next novel in Bendigo? That would be thrilling!

Thanks to Chris for a fantastic, entertaining, and evidently romantic event. And to Bookish for bringing the action into the library.

Vale Bev Porteous
11/10/2026

Vale Bev Porteous

Novelist Pip Williams was just four days post publication of ‘The German Ward’ when she joined us last night.“It’s nice ...
07/10/2026

Novelist Pip Williams was just four days post publication of ‘The German Ward’ when she joined us last night.

“It’s nice doing events in the first few days, because no one knows if the book’s any good yet,” she laughed.

Some die-hard fans at The Capital knew, having already powered through Pip’s new historical novel – a story of forbidden love against the backdrop of WWI.

Pip and interviewer Astrid Edwards spoke about the fascinating first-hand research that informed the story, which, like her first two best-selling titles, brings women’s perspectives to a history that didn’t account for them.

Thanks to all who joined us, to Pip and Astrid, booksellers Bookish, and to City of Greater Bendigo and The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas for partnering with us to bring quality literary events to local readers.

Even as taxidermy, the powerful owl packs a punch, with its piercing orange eyes, mottled chocolate feathers and long cu...
05/10/2026

Even as taxidermy, the powerful owl packs a punch, with its piercing orange eyes, mottled chocolate feathers and long curved talons. You can take a close look at this apex predator and more in the library, thanks to a display of local endangered, threatened or major species.

City of Greater Bendigo senior biodiversity officer Mark Hall says this vulnerable owl is not only one to watch, but one to act for.

“These owls need a large hollow for their nest, and we just don’t have many around because we’ve lost a lot of our big trees,” Mark says.

He says the city is placing nesting boxes in strategic locations to compensate, with one breeding pair currently using a box on Big Hill.

The elegant bush-stone curlew is likewise receiving attention. This locally critically-endangered bird lays its eggs on the ground, providing an easy meal for foxes.

“It’s a really good example of a species that we really don’t have many of in Bendigo anymore,” Mark says, adding a captive breeding program is currently underway in Lockwood South, resulting in the curlew being recently released on fox-free Phillip Island.

The city tours its taxidermy collection to raise awareness of local animals, including elusive nocturnal critters, such as the echidna and glider.

This display may even change your perspective on the controversial, yet endangered grey-headed flying foxes in Rosalind Park.

“This is really good opportunity for us to create that awareness, and spring is a good time to engage with these things,” Mark says.

It’s also Wildlife Awareness Month – learn more upstairs in the library.

Discovery Centre Bendigo brought its amazing inflatable planetarium to the library today. Harry and Geordie ran six big ...
04/10/2026

Discovery Centre Bendigo brought its amazing inflatable planetarium to the library today. Harry and Geordie ran six big sessions welcoming all ages into the space to experience the night sky. Thanks to everyone who joined us. Next stop is Woodend Library on October 15.

02/10/2026

Raid the comedy display at Bendigo Library and grab your tickets to Bendigo Comedy Festival while you’re at it! Flyers and a QR code to the event website are right there on the shelf 🙌

Address

251-259 Hargreaves Street
Bendigo, VIC
3550

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 7pm
Friday 9:30am - 7pm
Saturday 9:30am - 2:30pm

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