| Ballarat | |
Location: | 112km west of Melbourne on the Western Highway |
Council: | City of Ballarat & Shire of Ballarat, Borough of Sebastopol, Shire of Bungaree, Shire of Buninyong, Shire of Grenville |
Population: | 64 980 |
Postcode: | 3350 |
Located in the Central Highlands, at the junction of the Western and Midland Highways, Ballarat is the State's largest inland city and regional centre. It is an elegant city which has retained and restored much of its classic Victorian character and keeps alive its colourful and exciting history.
In 1851, news of the discovery of the richest alluvial goldfield in the world near Ballarat spread like wildfire to the far corners of the globe. Land that had been used for sheep pasture was soon transformed into a landscape dominated by tents as hopeful diggers swarmed to the field. Within four years the population had risen to 100,000!
The tents soon gave way to more substantial buildings and within 20 years, Ballarat had become an impressive city built with wealth from the diggings. The city's founding fathers had grand plans; their city was designed with wide streets, space for parks and gardens and many ornate and neoclassical buildings. In the 1860s they even cleaned and dammed a swamp to become Lake Wendouree and established a botanical and zoological garden.
A significant event in Australia's history took place in Ballarat in 1854. Led by Peter Lalor, the miners rebelled against licensing laws that they considered unfair. Their refusal to pay the Government licence fees cumulated in a clash with police and armed soldiers that resulted in 22 miners and 5 soldiers being killed. The battle became known as the Eureka Stockade - the nearest thing to a civil war in Australia's history. The site of the Eureka Stockade is on Bakery Hill, and here a lifesize diorama records the story of the rebellion.
A majority of visitors to Ballarat come to experience for themselves the thrill and excitement of life in an early gold town at Sovereign Hill, an awardwinning recreation of Ballarat's first ten years and one of Victoria's leading tourist attractions. This living town incorporates diggings, shops, bakery, newspaper office and a mining museum with mine tunnel tours. The latest addition to its attractions is a sound and light show entitled 'Blood on the Southern Cross'.
Ballarat is a lively city with many other attractions for visitors - galleries, museums, antique and craft shops, historic streets and buildings and a wide choice of restaurants and nightspots. Major attractions include the Art Gallery which features many major Australian artists; Botanic Gardens adjacent to Lake Wendouree; the Gold Museum housing a priceless collection of alluvial gold, nuggets and gold coins; the Wildlife & Reptile Park which is allied to Melbourne Zoo; and just outside Ballarat, on the slopes of Mt Warrenheip, is the fun Medieval world of Kryal Castle.