Renowned central Victorian artist and author Geoff Hocking has recently released a new book Sandhurst: Genesis to Federation 1935-1910 – a richly illustrated story of the development of Victoria and the Bendigo Goldfields.
The book features more than 300 historic photographs, engravings, original artworks (including a few works produced by the author), and items of goldfields ephemera.
Sandhurst places the rush to gold in central Victoria alongside the development of the colony. It traces the events that formed the City of Bendigo as it is known today; from the first Europeans, the Dja Dja Wurrung, the discovery of gold, the squatters’ runs, the Red Ribbon Agitation, the Chinese, George Lansell and the pioneers whose enterprise was vital in the early days.
For the first 40 years, after the first rush began in 1851, the early settlement of Bendigo was officially known as Sandhurst. By contrast, the diggings were always known as the Bendigo diggings, named after the champion bare-knuckle bruiser from Nottingham, William ‘Abednego’ Thompson ‘Bold Bendigo’. Following a plebiscite in 1891, the name changed to Bendigo.
Sandhurst is one of many titles Hocking has published, retelling stories of the goldfields including; Gold, A Pictorial History of the Australian Gold Rush, Eureka; The Rebel Chorus, and Castlemaine, From Camp to City.
“After writing the Castlemaine book I thought, given that I had grown up in Bendigo, that this would be easy,” Geoff said.
“I soon discovered how wrong I was!
“I decided I need to do a lot more research and put it aside in 2012. During the pandemic I thought, ‘I’ll finish the book on Bendigo’, only to discover that all I had done was the design for the front cover, the title, and the format of the book!” Geoff laughed.
Like so many local authors Geoff put the pandemic lockdowns to good use and finally penned the long awaited book which has been released just in time for Christmas.
Sandhurst: Genesis to Federation 1935-1910 is available for purchase now at Stoneman’s Bookroom 101 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine, and the Castlemaine Market Building 44 Mostyn Street.