At the peak of summer, thousands of people lined a Bendigo shopping strip waiting for their turn on the City Slider. The sun was out and the bathers were on as children, parents and even a pair of newlyweds went for a ride down View Street on an inflatable, yellow tube.

Most homes in Bendigo got a new addition to their backyard bin collection in 2016 as the City of Greater Bendigo rolled out its green waste pick-up scheme. It was not always a popular move, with many arguing for an exemption, but the program has already earned one worker an international award.

Shoppers bid farewell to Jimmy Possum this year after founders Margot and Alan Spalding announced they would close the design business. The couple said the decision was motivated by many factors, including Mr Spalding’s health. The closure began a hunt for someone to buy their View Street home and flagship store, as well as for new positions for their staff.  

More and more million-dollar properties were listed for sale in Bendigo this year. Historic CBD buildings and recently built residential homes were among those with seven-figure asking prices. Some were snapped up by buyers, while others are still looking for their new owner.  

Summer started early when firefighters were called to a blaze in Lancefield in late 2015. Kyneton had its own fire to contend with in January. And the hot weather did not ease quickly, with temperatures recorded in the 40s until the middle of March.

The hot weather broke eventually, and when the rain arrived, it would not go away. Wet weather culminated in September floods across large stretches of central Victoria. Towns like Charlton and St Arnaud faced the threat of inundation again just years after they were last affected by floodwaters.  

In August, the Bendigo Advertiser invited you to take one photograph every day for the month. Hundreds of you responded with clever and beautiful entries, giving our audience an insight into some of the region’s hidden treasures. 

When 22-year-old Luci White was told to leave the Bendigo Marketplace food court while breastfeeding her son, she had no idea what was about to happen. Her story raised an army of new mothers who occupied the food court in a defiant display of breastfeeding pride. The message was clear: breastfeeding in public is a right.   

It’s been a long time in the making, but the finishing touches were applied to the new Bendigo Hospital in 2016. In early December, the doors were thrown open to members of the public lucky enough to secure tickets for a preview of the state-of-the-art health facility. The project cost $630 million to complete. 

2016 was the Year of Marilyn as the Bendigo Art Gallery opened its exhibition dedicated to the blonde screen siren. But its most memorable artwork could be found outside the gallery. Seward Johnson’s Forever Marilyn sculpture took pride of place in the Rosalind Park piazza for months and drew visitors from all over the country.