Ballarat

Ballarat is a regional city of some 88,000 people, noted for its beauty and green spaces. Historic Ballarat combines the best of country and city living in a remarkable setting. Featuring majestic Victorian architecture, Ballarat has preserved its history and old world charm and now presents a cosmopolitan lifestyle. You could be forgiven for thinking you are entering a provincial city somewhere in Europe as you enter Ballarat’s Sturt Street, with its wide streetscape and centre strip showcasing beautiful floral bedding displays, statues and rotundas. Ballarat is a city with a captivating past and an enthralling present.

Ballarat offers a wide array of attractions and is home to parks, public gardens and lakes that are perfect for picnics and relaxation. The city also hosts a thriving alfresco dining, arts and music scene. Her Majesty’s Theatre is arguably Australia’s most historic theatre building, and the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery boasts the oldest and largest public art collection in regional Australia. Each year the city stages several exciting festivals, including the Begonia Festival, Springfest, Organs of the Goldfields, Heritage Week, Royal South Street Eisteddfod and Arts in the Park.

The community also enjoys an extraordinary variety of services. You can choose from an impressive range of educational institutions, medical services, places of worship, clubs, cinemas, shopping centres, world-class sporting facilities and celebrated tourist destinations such as Sovereign Hill, Eureka Centre and Ballarat Wildlife Park.

History

The history of European settlement of Ballarat extends back to 1838 when a squatter called William Yuille camped on the shores of the Black Swamp, now known as Lake Wendouree. The name Ballarat is derived from the aboriginal words "Balla" and "Arat", meaning resting or camping place.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Ballarat. By the following year there were around 20,000 diggers searching in the shafts of the Ballarat Goldfields. Due to this population explosion, Ballarat was proclaimed a town in 1852. Ballarat is famous as the home of the 1854 Eureka Rebellion, in which gold miners, who had no representation in the colonial Parliament in Melbourne rebelled against the corruption of gold licence checks. The miners burned their licences on 3 December 1854, taking up arms against Government soldiers. In a matter of fifteen minutes, up to thirty miners and six Government troopers were killed. One hundred and fourteen miners were taken prisoner but, within six months, the monthly Gold Tax was abolished and miners were given the right to vote. By the 1860s, the town was supported by industries such as flour mills and agriculture. When the rail came through in 1862, it opened many more opportunities such as shops, markets and trades.

Today Ballarat is a major industry city with well known companies such as Masterfoods, McCains Foods, FMP, Timken and Selkirk Bricks all established in Ballarat. Some of the area's primary industries include gold, clay, potatoes, wool and meat. Award winning attractions such as Sovereign Hill, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery and the Eureka Centre allow today’s visitors to experience what it was like back in the gold days of the 1850s.

Back to location index