Item HT 4971 Leaflet - Bendigo, 'Northern Capital of Victoria', circa 1928

Summary

Leaflet advertising Bendigo as a Tourist Destination, printed by Bolton Bros. Pty. Ltd., Bendigo in the late 1920s.

Physical Description

Four page (9 faces) leaflet that was originally stapled in the centre (but they have since been removed and the leaflet folded in half, which is actually part of its design). The front cover has a central black and white photograph of Bendigo on a orange/yellow 'sunburst' motif background. The interior has both printed text and black and white images.

Significance

This and other tourism documents reflect notions of Victorian and Melburnian identity in the period before and after World War I. They provide an idealized view which emphasizes the majesty of government buildings, bustling but clean streets well-serviced by transport, orderly public gardens, industry (at a safe distance), private schools, popular events such as regattas and horse races, and trips to the 'wilderness' enjoyed by respectably attired people. These selections reflect a sense of economic well-being, social order and control of the environment, and an aesthetic ideal rooted in orderly, symmetrical and repetitive forms.