Celebrating Christmas with Fosterville Gold Mine

Kim Lowe
18 hours ago
3 min read

In 2024, I had the absolute pleasure of designing and printing Christmas cards for the entire team at Fosterville Gold Mine – all 700 of them! It was a project that combined my love for quirky sketches of Bendigo’s landmarks with the joy of creating something meaningful for a local workforce.

As many of you know, I’m passionate about capturing the character of historic buildings and iconic Bendigo sites in my artwork. With Christmas approaching, I reached out to several Bendigo businesses to see if they might be interested in purchasing my cards or commissioning a unique design.

Just a few days later, I received a reply that made my heart leap:

“Your artwork is beautiful and we really like the idea of using it for our employee Christmas cards this year. I think a unique Fosterville design would be great!”

And so began a creative journey that turned into one of my favourite projects to date.

Designing for 700 Employees

Through conversations with Ellie, Senior Engagement & Development Advisor at Fosterville, I learned that the mine had a workforce of 700 people. That scale inspired me to go bigger than a single design – I offered to create three unique cards, each reflecting a different facet of Fosterville’s identity.

Ellsemere Pit: I wanted to capture the dramatic open cut, with its earthy colours and winding road leading down to the mine entry.
The Mill: Its striking, industrial structure spans hundreds of metres across the site, a symbol of scale and strength.
The Fosterville Tram: At Ellie’s suggestion, I illustrated the tram wrapped in gold, proudly carrying the motto “Bendigo – Built on Gold.” This design pays homage to Bendigo’s golden heritage and its ongoing prosperity, sparkling in the sun as part of Bendigo Tramways’ Vintage Talking Tram fleet.

The designs needed to capture the Aussie traditions, support for the local Bendigo Community and the scale and nature of the business. I believe I captured this through the three designs.

Keeping It Local

It was important to me that the cards were produced locally, so I partnered with a Bendigo printing company. To make the cards even more special, I added a postcard design inside each one. This gave recipients the chance to reuse the card – sending a little piece of Bendigo art on to family or friends.

A Favourite Project

This collaboration quickly became one of my most cherished projects. The combination of artistic freedom, community connection, and the sheer scale of the task made it unforgettable. Upon completion, I received this amazing testimonial from Agnico Eagle (Fosterville Gold Mine):

"Fosterville Gold Mine had the pleasure of commissioning Christmas cards from Kim at 2inspire, and we couldn't be happier with the results. The artwork was absolutely stunning, capturing Fosterville Gold Mine landmarks and the festive spirit perfectly. Each card was a unique masterpiece, showcasing Kim's incredible talent and attention to detail. The vibrant colours and intricate designs brought so much joy to everyone who received them. Kim was professional, responsive, and a delight to work with throughout the entire process. I highly recommend Kim for any custom artwork needs. Thank you for making this holiday season extra special with your beautiful creations!"

And the story doesn’t end there – earlier this year, in 2025, I was thrilled to receive another email from Fosterville Gold Mine asking me to design a new set of cards. I’m incredibly grateful for their continued support and can’t wait to share this year’s designs with you soon!