This is
my opinion of Bendigo. It's a great place to bring up kids and there's lots to do, even for us bigger kids. I agree with everything Emmalouise has said. However, like everywhere it seems these days, there are problems and one does not generally get to hear about them during one's research.
For example, the local government running Australia's most progressive city have an admirable Skilled Migration Scheme...
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The Bendigo Skilled Migration Program has been in operation since February 2005; and aims to attract and retain new migrants to the City, in order to help address regional Victoria’s skilled labour shortage.
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The several staff employed directly by the local government will tell you that there is very little incentive to stay, or at least they would but they've all left. [last sentence removed for fear of receiving a negative impact on our
PR application]
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The project is consistent with the aims and objectives of the Council Plan and also links in with the Bendigo 25+ Community Plan’s longer term objective of increasing the City’s multiculturalism.
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Secondly, Bendigo is institutionally racist. In truth this is mostly directed at the Aboriginal population but the people here are very Anglo-Saxon. I cannot accurately substantiate these remarks and they are largely based on what others have told me but if it helps in any way, I have only ever seen one Aboriginal and one black family in my 12 months here. You might look at early settlers who were typically white, middle-class, European Protestants and Presbyterian. They even sell a cheese here called Coon, I mean, what more evidence do you need?
Further evidence for the Anglo-Saxon or WASP label might be the fact that Bendigo is not a particularly transient place, based on several families that have not dispersed and remain influential in local government and business. The fact that Bendigo has also been referred to as 'cliquey' might be related.
I also have an inside ear on the levels of child abuse, rising gun crime and the knife culture in the area. It's not huge but it's a growing problem.
Apologies for the somewhat negative slant on life in Bendigo but as you asked for views and opinions. I will say that it's a very good place to bring up a family and what I have mentioned is very true of practically any town or city. I remember moving to Dawlish in Devon and thinking 'what a nice quiet little seaside town'. Dawlish has a disproportionately large drug problem that the tourist office failed to mention. Please don't let me put you off Bendigo as the good vastly outweighs the bad.
We chose Bendigo for a number of reasons and included the fact that skiing is only 3 hours drive and Melbourne (beaches, shopping and nightlife) 90 minutes or so. You can also walk ten minutes and you're in the bush
