gum san chinese heritage centre

viking21081950

For anyone interested in the history of Ararat and also information about the Chinese people who played such a large part in the Australian gold rush period this is a great place.

192carolynp

I went to the museum with my young son, husband and parents and sister in law, who are Singaporean Chinese, for a family outing. Very impressed with the guides, displays with interactive parts and the preservation of Ararat's Chinese history.

726jenni

What a great place to visit. My family and I went there for my granddaughters 7 th Birthday. We had a fabulous time looking at the interesting artifacts, reading about the history of the first Chinese in the Ararat district, and participating in the interactive displays; including gold panning. Plenty of gold to be found that day!! The little gift shop has some interesting things at quite cheap prices. Staff are very helpful and friendly.Good parking available although you need to cross a highway to get into the museum( there are traffic barriers for safety)

Z5191QEdanielm

Our kids really enjoyed the calligraphy and panning for gold. The museum is interactive with videos and exhibits. Really interesting to understand the role the Chinese played in the gold rush, the hardships they endured and the legacy they left. The staff are really helpful and great with kids. Well worth going upstairs to view the ornate roof and enjoy the view.

222heatherh

I only went for an evening event, but what a fascinating place, completely unexpected in a little town like this. Well cared for and worth a visit

BruceM530

Well worth a visit. The centre tells the story of the thousands of Chinese who came to Australia to work in the goldfields. It is well laid out and highlights the plight of the Chinese in that time and how they organised themselves to work the mines compared to the way Europeans did it. Many of the exhibits are directed at children and allow the kids to learn the story through interactive displays. I was very interested in the display at the end telling what some of the Chinese did who stayed in Australia after the goldrush. Many of them became highly placed and respected civic leaders, especially for the Chinese community throughout Australia.

johnk121

Some interesting displays but not much of local antiquities. More for the kids. Good to tell history of Chinese origins of Ararat.

xstacey87

Amazing architectural building & gardens. Worth the visit as their is so much to do for both adults & kids. You can spend a couple of hours here with videos, gold panning and calligraphy to keep you occupied.

BSO873

Excellent place to visit, very interesting and informative. Staff very helpful and friendly. Gave a great insight into the Chinese history within the Victorian goldfields and the hardships they faced. The roof of the building is a beautiful piece of Chinese architecture.

cflum

We found this museum to be a very interesting look at history which was unknown to us. The items on display are in excellent condition. The women at the front desk are passionate about the museum. A very enjoyable and learning hour.

LonghornTours

This was a surprise find with a substantial, attractive and interesting museum located in the regional town of Ararat. It tells the story of Chinese miners and other "Celestials" who travelled from China to find riches to take home to their poor families in China. There are displays, movies, clothes, dioramas and more. The roof itself is an interesting story with tiles donated from a sister city in China and a number of tilers sent out to construct the roof due as they had the expertise. Staff were friendly - thanks Heather for taking the time to provide us with so much information.Recommend a visit.

551Estelle

Loved this place. Staff very friendly. Lots to learn. Young children will also enjoy this place, with some activities they can do there. The shop has some lovely gifts

314PaulT

A wonderful facility showcasing the Chinese history of life on the Victorian goldfields through to today's multicultural associations with sister towns in modern day China. This heritage has followed through to today and explains some of the contributions of the Chinese to Victoria's evolving economy and community. The artifacts on display are fascinating, the stories told enlightening, and don't miss the story of the roof and and it's donation and installation. Go up the 29 steps to get a close up of the traditional figurines.

TogretM

We had a couple of hours to kill while waiting for the art gallery to open, but ended up spendin 3 hours at the richly interactive, aimed at all age groups CHinese HeritageCentre. I have studeied this period of Australan history, but I learned a good deal, as much fromt he charming, knowledgeable and informative guides as from the exhibits and activities themselves. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to understand the history of ethnic minorities in Australia as welll as a broder perspective on our history. What a stirring story the artifacts, photos, video and guides told us! The highlight of our trip to the Wimmera/Goldfields region.

shashab33

Its strange, yet an exciting find as we toured through the gold- field towns of Victoria. This is an authentic recreation of a traditional two-storey Chinese building,set in traditional Chinese gardens. You know its different,as you look up at the ornate roof with its curled up hips,so typical of Chinese design. My favourite adornment..the dragons and other mythical creatures make this place a unique and striking feature of the Ararat skyline. Interesting fact is that the roof tiles were donated by the Chinese government and fixed into place by four specialist tradesmen contracted from the city of Taishan. Inside,all the pieces fall into place. Interactive and static displays attest to the history of the Chinese Miners in a way that makes their influence on the economy,the culture and social development of Australia. We experimented with gold-panning with great success but never-the-less,am not richer in gold nuggets. However, it was great fun as was trying our hand at calligraphy. The artifacts,including costums,dragons and a mining tunnel,exude the scale of hardship,endurance and ingenuity of these dynamos of the gold-fields.