One of the world’s oldest surviving processional dragons has been added to the Victorian Heritage Register.
Now situated at Sovereign Hill, ‘Loong’ is the oldest surviving processional dragon in Australia, imported from Southern China to Victoria in 1897.
It was commissioned for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in June of that year and was paraded in community celebrations until the 1960’s.
President of the Chinese Australian Cultural Society of Ballarat, Michelle Phillips, says she doesn’t believe many realise something so significant is in the city.
“A credit to Sovereign Hill for having that vision to have him registered as a significant item of cultural heritage.”
“We don’t give probably enough credit or awareness of what the Chinese have done for the city and the part that they’ve played right back to the Goldfields,” she said.
