| Ararat | |
Location: | 203km northwest of Melbourne on the Western Highway |
Council: | City & Shire of Ararat |
Population: | 7633 |
Postcode: | 3377 |
A rich farming and wineproducing region, noted for its top Merino wool and for being Australia's largest producer of sheep, surrounds the town of Ararat. Horatio Wills settled the area in 1834 and the town was declared in 1857, the year Chinese prospectors found the gold that began the big rush. Memorial statues to the Chinese miners can be found in Canton Lead, the site of the original discovery.
A bluestone building, originally a wool store, now holds the Langi Morgala Museum noted for its history of Chinese miners, Indian hawkers and Aborigines. Ewa Pachucka's textile and fabric works of art form a significant display in the Art Gallery, in which the decorative arts are represented by ceramics, glass and silver
In Alexandra Gardens there is a lake, fernery and orchid display. Adjacent to the gardens is the old bluestone gaol incorporating J Ward for the incarceration of the criminally insane, now a macabre but fascinating tourist attraction.
The 110km Western Vineyards Tour can be started at Ararat, Great Western, Stawell or Halls Gap and takes in a number of vineyards including Seppelt's Great Western. Ararat is the ideal base for exploring the Mt Cole Forest Ranges and the Grampians National Park.