The Golden Dragon Museum of Bendigo

Running Head: BENDIGO GALLERY
BENDIGO GALLERY

Running Head: BENDIGO GALLERY
How Changeable is Australia? A Study: Bendigo Art Gallery and Golden Dragon
Museum
Overview
The Golden Dragon Museum of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia is a motif of the
welcoming nature of the nation towards its immigrants. The museum is built on a site of
historical context, Bendigo's Chinatown, and is adorned with Chinese gardens and a temple.
Built in 1991 to fulfill the vision of Rusell Jack, the Golden Dragon Museum's fundraising
began in 1988, also the Chinese year of the Golden Dragon. It derived its name from the most
notable artefact in the museum, a processional dragon called Wah Yan Gum Loong,
anglicized as 'the golden dragon' (Bendigo Art Gallery, 2019). The Bendigo Art Gallery,
located in Australia, holds similar symbolic values of the nation's acceptance and diversity.
Being a regional art gallery, the place hosts a variety international artefact as well, along with
regional artefact. The art gallery is yet another symbolic token of the intermingling of various
international subcultures and the homeland Australian culture. The gallery derives its logo
from Ettore Cadorin's statue called, Venus tying her sandals (1913), who was an Italy born
American citizen and much appreciated in Australia. The borrowing of cultural elements
from all over the globe is a clear giveaway of the ideology of the nation to consider diversity
as strength (Butler, Holloway & Marriott, 2019).

Running Head: BENDIGO GALLERY
Facts and figures
Studies have shown that every one out of 4 people in Australia is a non-native or a
'foreigner'. However, the ground reality is that Australia has a cosmopolitan culture and
owing to the diversity in the population and as a consequence, in the way of life, it is difficult
for a certain group of people to feel alienated or 'foreign'. Owing to this acceptance and
friendly living conditions, Australia is one of the most sought after travel and work
destination, especially among students, owing to prestigious universities in the country and
more importantly, the friendly living conditions that enable an immigrant to migrate overseas
to a new place.
Australia's culture is heavily influenced by the Western culture, primarily Britain, a culture
whose elements are spread throughout the world. It is yet another reason that a foreigner can
adjust well in the country, as one may find various practices and symbols of the Western way
of life just like one may find them in one's own hometown. The resemblance of Australia to
the whole world by virtue of cultural resemblance makes it easy for a foreigner to settle and
home in Australia (Scerri, Edwards & Foley, 2019).
Being an egalitarian society, Australia and Australians are firm believers of 'fair go' in
all walks of life from education to healthcare. The pursuit to attain equal opportunities for
everyone, irrespective of nationality, also manifests in the publicaly financed healthcare and
education system. This is, however, in total contrast to the living environment of Australia's