STEP behind the scenes of the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, as guides take visitors on a tour of historic Chinese cultural artefacts.<\/p>\n
Head of collections and curatorial Lauren Bourke said the aim is to highlight the \u201cmoving\u201d role the Chinese community has played in Ballarat since the 1850s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese story here is so important, and the Chinese were a big part of the transformation that gold had on Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were thousands of Chinese miners living here, and at one point, one in four people on the diggings were Chinese, with many going on to stay, to start their own families in Ballarat, and become a big part of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result, we have one of the most significant collections of objects and items relating to Chinese cultural heritage in Ballarat, and Australia, so we\u2019re opening up our back-of-house, bringing the public into the vaults, and sharing the stories which have been hidden, embedded in the objects we\u2019re caring for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The collection includes pieces like Loong the processional dragon, intricate temple boards, and headdresses.<\/p>\n
The event is designed to deliver on the centre\u2019s aim to elevate the living museum\u2019s collections and let as many people engage with the archives as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have over 150,000 objects in the collection, and a small proportion have been on display,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The event is set for this Tuesday, 30 May from 10.45am, but will run regularly in rotation with the centre\u2019s artifact, and fashion and textile tours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
STEP behind the scenes of the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, as guides take visitors on a tour of historic Chinese cultural artefacts. Head of collections and curatorial Lauren Bourke said the aim is to highlight the \u201cmoving\u201d role the Chinese community has played in Ballarat since the 1850s. \u201cThe Chinese story here is […]<\/p>\n