Experts have swept through multiple water and gold sites dating deep into Bendigo's past.
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They are building the case for what could eventually be a major tourism win for the region.
A team from Heritage Victoria went to sites throughout the sites in the city and surrounds as experts build the case for a UNESCO World Heritage nod.
Sites included the Coliban Main Channel, Brennans Tunnel, Crusoe Reservoir, the cistern and the Specimen Hill gold diggings.
General manager water and climate strategy, Adam Crameri, said if the overall bid was successful the goldfields region would become the 21st site in Australia on the World Heritage list.
"Across our region we have a wealth of rich cultural, natural, and engineering history and we'd be excited to see this recognised on the world stage," he said.
"The goldfields region is widely known for its rich history in mining, migration and cultural values, but our focus has been specifically on showcasing our fantastic water history, including significant gravity fed channels, basins, storages and valves."
There are 15 local governments involved in the bid to have the central goldfields become world heritage listed with the City of Greater Bendigo and the City of Ballarat leading the movement.
Water was and is vital
Mr Crameri said the goldfields attracted thousands of people to the region in search of wealth.
He said the Coliban main channel allowed the people in the region access to drinking water for both people and animals.
"The Coliban main channel was a key piece of infrastructure that brought water to the goldfields in the 1860s and is still a source of reliable drinking water for Bendigo today," he said.
"Without access to water, the Goldfields and mining communities would not have been able to function or survive."
The Victorian government has committed $3.8 million in the 2023/24 budget to progress two World Heritage nomination projects, including the goldfields bid.
If the initial bid is successful, the bid will progress onto the World Heritage Tentative List, where it can then be assessed by UNESCO in coming years.
