Bendigo

Bendigo Community

Bendigo’s community life includes neighbourhood houses, volunteer networks, cultural groups, learning circles and practical projects. People can share skills through gardening, repair, local history, cooking, craft and environmental action, while others may be looking for food-relief pathways, carer support or information about local participation. The organisations below cover Bendigo and nearby communities, with activities ranging from member-led learning to community-controlled services.

There are different ways to take part: join a group, attend a community activity, contribute practical skills or seek support for a particular circumstance. Each organisation has its own membership, age or access arrangements, so the description under each listing identifies the relevant conditions.

🏘️ Neighbourhood & Community Centres

Bendigo Neighbourhood Hub

Based at Strathdale Community Centre, Bendigo Neighbourhood Hub offers social, educational, recreational and support activities for Bendigo residents. Activities include English and computer learning, social baking and craft groups, peer support, help with everyday tasks and volunteering. The hub is governed by a volunteer committee and is a registered charity, providing both regular participation and one-to-one assistance.

Strathdale Community Centre, 155 Crook Street, Strathdale. ☎ 03 5441 2515 — general enquiries and one-to-one assistance.

Eaglehawk Community House

Eaglehawk Community House brings together social, learning and practical activities, including art and craft, photography, community lunches, cooking classes, food assistance and adult learning. Volunteer roles can involve food preparation, gardening, administration and emergency food-relief activities, making the house a place for both shared interests and practical contribution.

19 Bright Street, Eaglehawk 3556. ☎ 03 5446 8322 — general enquiries.

Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre

Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre is a non-profit, community-governed centre serving Long Gully and the wider City of Greater Bendigo. Walking and social groups, community lunches, learning opportunities and a community garden create several ways to participate. The centre also provides information and referral, with membership, volunteering and tutoring available as supported participation routes.

52–54 Derwent Drive, Long Gully VIC 3550. ☎ 03 5442 1165 or 03 5443 0998 — centre enquiries.

The Old Church on the Hill

This volunteer-run community hub, auspiced by Neighbourhood Collective Australia, hosts resident-led cooking, gardening, dance and workshop activities. It also supports cultural connections and the inclusion of newly arrived community members, creating opportunities for people to contribute to activities while meeting across cultures.

36 Russell Street, Quarry Hill VIC 3550.

🙋 Volunteering & Local Contribution

Bendigo Volunteer Resource Centre

Bendigo Volunteer Resource Centre supports volunteering across Central Victoria. It provides information and resources to help people consider where and how they would like to participate, and connects organisations with volunteer involvement and training resources. It is a useful starting point for people who want to contribute skills or explore different types of community work.

Bendigo Central. ☎ 03 5441 1404 — volunteer resource centre enquiries.

Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

Bendigo Historical Society is a volunteer-supported, non-profit historical society operating History House. Public talks, walks, tours, local-history collections and membership provide ways to explore the region’s past. Volunteers help preserve and share Bendigo’s history, so involvement can suit people interested in research, storytelling, collections or local public programs.

History House, 11 Mackenzie Street, Bendigo. ☎ 03 5442 1005 — general enquiries.

📚 Friendship & Shared Interests

U3A Bendigo

U3A Bendigo is a member-run lifelong learning organisation for people no longer in full-time employment. It offers courses and activities in venues across the Bendigo area, with membership enabling course enrolment subject to enrolment-period conditions. Members can also contribute as prospective tutors or office volunteers, supporting a learning environment shaped by its participants.

Bendigo. Membership is required for course enrolment, with enrolment-period conditions applying.

Bendigo Family History Group

Bendigo Family History Group is volunteer-led and affiliated with Family History Connections. Volunteers assist visitors and respond to research enquiries, while the group’s resource base at Bendigo Goldfields Library supports people exploring family and local histories. Information about membership is available through the group.

1st Floor, Bendigo Goldfields Library, 259 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo.

🧸 Youth & Family Participation

Bendigo Community Toy Library

Bendigo Community Toy Library is a member-run, non-profit service for children from birth to school age. Members borrow toys, puzzles and play equipment, with an inclusive borrowing session and click-and-collect option for families of children with disability, developmental delay or sensory sensitivities. Membership includes an annual fee, and members are requested to volunteer during the year.

156 Spring Gully Road, Spring Gully. ☎ 0439 504 857 — toy library enquiries.

Girl Guides Victoria – Bendigo units

Girl Guides Victoria lists Bendigo-area units in Golden Square, North Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye for children and young people aged 5 to 17. Activities are delivered through age-based Guide units, with meeting locations and age ranges published by the operator. The units provide a structured way for young people to take part in ongoing group activities.

Golden Square, North Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye. Activities are for children and young people aged 5 to 17.

🫂 Carers & Peer Support

Bendigo Health Carer Support Services

Bendigo Health Carer Support Services assists unpaid carers across the Loddon Mallee region, including Greater Bendigo. Support includes information, planning, respite, counselling, coaching, carer groups and events. The service is for people providing unpaid, ongoing care for a family member, friend or partner, with stated eligibility conditions applying to access.

Bendigo and Loddon Mallee. ☎ 03 5454 7719 — Carer Support Services; ☎ 1800 068 978 — Carer Support Services freecall and 24-hour emergency contact.

🌈 Cultural & Newcomer Connections

Multicultural Connect Central Victoria

Multicultural Connect Central Victoria is a community of people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, friends and allies working across six local-government areas, including Greater Bendigo. In Bendigo it predominantly works from The Old Church on the Hill, with grassroots initiatives focused on connection, advocacy, leadership and community-led placemaking.

Bendigo and Central Victoria, with Bendigo activity predominantly based at The Old Church on the Hill.

Magna Minds Cultural

Magna Minds Cultural is a non-profit multicultural association serving Bendigo and surrounding areas. Social occasions, cultural events, workshops and outreach activities invite people from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds to share traditions, experiences and networks. Its work offers a practical setting for cultural exchange and community participation.

12 McConnell Drive, Junortoun, Bendigo VIC 3551. ☎ 0489 180 054 — general enquiries.

Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative

Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative is an Aboriginal community-controlled co-operative with membership, programs and services in Bendigo. Its North Bendigo facility is identified as a gathering place for Community, and its website provides information about accessing BDAC services and community programs.

119 Prouses Road, North Bendigo, Victoria 3550. ☎ 03 5442 4947 — general enquiries.

🌱 Community Projects & Environment

Bendigo Sustainability Group

Bendigo Sustainability Group brings people together around sustainable living and grassroots environmental action. Its community projects and events include Sustainable House Day, while advertised volunteer roles have included event delivery, media, photography, hosting and committee work. Participation can therefore range from attending a project to helping organise and communicate it.

23A Somerville Street, Flora Hill. ☎ 03 5443 5244 — general enquiries.

Bendigo Share and Repair Shed

Bendigo Share and Repair Shed operates a tool library and repair café, supporting practical skill-sharing and reuse. Tool-library borrowers must be over 18, register, verify identity and maintain membership. Repair-café and tool-library sessions are listed by the organisation, offering different ways to learn, repair, share equipment or contribute to a less wasteful community.

120–126 Garsed Street, Bendigo VIC 3550. ☎ 03 5406 0739 — general enquiries.

❤️ Practical Help & Community Support

Bendigo Foodshare

Bendigo Foodshare supplies food to more than 90 partner organisations across Central Victoria rather than providing food directly to individuals. Its food-relief partner directory helps people locate local programs, while volunteer activity includes work connected with the Bendigo Book Fair. The distinction is important: assistance is accessed through partner organisations, not directly from Foodshare.

Bendigo and Central Victoria. ☎ 03 5444 3409 — general enquiries.

Bendigo offers many starting points for taking part, from a neighbourhood lunch or learning group to family history, cultural connection, environmental action or volunteering. Practical support is also available through organisations with specific roles and access conditions. Local groups, charities, volunteer teams and community organisations with relevant Bendigo activities are warmly invited to add or update their listing so residents and newcomers can discover more ways to connect and contribute.

⚠️ Accuracy Note: We do our best to keep this information useful and up to date, however details can change over time. If you notice anything that appears incorrect or out of date, please let us know and we will review it. Local business owners and community leaders can also help keep local information accurate by logging in and creating or managing their own listing and useful content on bendigo.city.