Your Self-Guided Street Art Tour of Bendigo

1. Chancery Lane

Exploring at your own pace, kick start your morning with a laneway coffee and wander through the uber cool Chancery Lane. Flourishing with ever changing wall art this laneway is constantly being added to. Check out the vibrant street art mural El Callejón Azul by Louise Davis, Tomi McManus & Wes Franklin commissioned work at the Hargreaves Street end. Chancery Lane is a beautiful space to explore day or night, from coffee to cocktails.

Next, walk 600m via Williamson Street to the corner of Myers and Mitchell Streets.
 

2. Minna Leunig

Watching over this busy intersection you’ll find Leunig’s hard to miss and very distinct iconic natives. The natural world mural pays homage to the bush and Australian landscape bring a sense of playfulness to the area.

Next, walk across and down Mitchell Street for 150m and turn left into King Street. In 100m you will find Dimples Lane on the right.
 

3. Dimples Lane

Affectionately named Dimples Lane by local street artists, you will a mix of commissioned and non-commissioned works, as it’s a popular spot for local street artists to share their mark with the world.

You’ll find quirky Tim Burton-inspired characters here and at many other corners of Bendigo by prolific local artist, Nathan Sims, aka Mr Dimples.   

And at the other end of the scale you’ll find a colourful mural by artists, Geoffrey Carran and Rowena Martinich, depicting endangered birds from the region. Beautiful!

Next up, turn left into Queen Street and walk 120m and turn right into Edward Street. Walk 170m down to The Good Loaf to find the Djaara Lights precinct.
 

4. Djaara Lights

Heading back down towards the city centre, near The Good Loaf, you'll find Djaara Lights. Located along Oscars Walk, neighbouring Bendigo Creek and Bendigo's Telstra Exchange building, you can explore the spectacular display of Djaara Lights. The installation features neon artworks, street art and augmented reality telling the stories of the Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples.

Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta men, Drew Berick and Troy Firebrace, are the leading artists of this culturally significant art project. Dsicover the 9.6m large-scale illuminated mural 'I am Djaara', an inspiration artwork for all Djaara People. Admire mural, The Cultural Flower, is a symbol of healing and coming together as a community.

And use your mobile phone to view artworks along Bendigo Creek via augmented reality app. By day or night, this is a beautiful art installation and a must see.

Next, take the very short stroll into Bath Lane. 

5. Bath Lane Precinct

The Bath Lane precinct is a hub of creative spaces with plenty of hidden and unsuspecting spaces filled with colour and personality! Making your way through Bath Lane towards Mitchell Street, on the righthand-side you’ll find Jack Fran’s stunning Girl with Wattle tipping her hat and Pennyweight Walk, an ever-changing open air gallery running between Bath Lane and Hargreaves Street.  

Crossing to the other side of Bath Lane and a short walk to Laity Lane on your left you’ll come face-to-face with the colourful and geometric mural of Daisylegs, representing a map of Bendigo. Venture further into Laity Lane to find renowned street artist, Baby Guerilla’s Flying Man, scaling the Bendigo Bank building. Depending on your point of view, the suited office worker appears to be either floating, falling or levitating in the space.

In addition, you’ll find sculptures at both ends of the lane paying homage to the laneway’s history, a Reel and Hamlet’s Bath, once the Lyric Theatre, home to public baths and a local pig market.

Next, you’ll make your way through the city centre leaving Bath Lane and turning left onto Mitchell Street. Walk 150m across the heart of the city and past Alexandra Fountain to the bottom of View Street.
 

6. View Street

Renowned as the ‘arts precinct’ of Bendigo, View Street has a diverse range of arts experiences on offer, including contemporary artwork at La Trobe Art Institute and one of Australia’s oldest and most highly regarded public galleries, Bendigo Art Gallery, currently exhibiting Elvis: Direct from Graceland. Both host permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the highest calibre. 

You’ll find a diverse range of sculptures placed throughout View Street, including:
•    UooUoo @ MsBatterhams painted by artist Mike Makatron.
•    Sometimes the Dead are More Alive than the Living @ Bendigo Art Gallery is a marble sculpture by Alex Seton.
•    Folly @ Bendigo Art Gallery was designed purely for decoration in its 18th century ornamental garden design by artist Sebastian Di Mauro.
•    Chase the Dragon @ Dudley House is a sculpture by Westley Tully and represents to lasting legacy and friendship forged between the City of Greater Bendigo and the City of Onkaparinga.
•    Happy Ending? @ Bendigo Art Gallery (rear of the building) is a shimmering black fibre glass sculpture depicting a teddy bear, tree and a bird capturing a moment of undisclosed narrative.
•    Peter Stared into the Vast Unknown @ Bendigo Art Gallery (rear of the building) is an alert and curious rabbit by artist Matt Calvert.

This is also a great opportunity to rest your legs for a moment and grab a coffee, lunch, wine or even a locally inspired cocktail – yum!

Next, make your way back down View Street or via Rosalind Park to the city’s centre to the Piazza, approximately a 300m walk.
 

7. BENDIGO Letters

Whilst at different times of the year The Piazza stands still watching over the city’s centre, at other times it comes alive and is home to some incredible installations. You can view the Bendigo Letters, with rotating seasonal artwork.

Today you can see it dressed for Fiesta Bendigo, in celebration of the Bendigo Art Gallery's exhibition Frida Kahlo: In her own Image.