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As Victoria's third largest city, Ballarat has enjoyed a rich and prosperous heritage thanks to the Gold Rush which began in 1851. News that the Ballarat region was home to the richest alluvial goldfield in the world resulted in a population explosion as people came from all over the world seeking fortune. By 1855, Ballarat had grown to a city with a population of 100,000 people. Impressive buildings sprung up, built from wealth generated by the diggings.
These days, long after the gold has run out, the city retains much of its rich gold heritage in the form of opulent buildings, fountains, and tourist attractions which celebrate the city's history. Sovereign Hill is the most popular of these attractions, being a recreated gold township of the 1850s where you can experience life back in that era. Also of interest is the Eureka Centre which is located close to the site of the 1854 Eureka Stockade Rebellion where miners and officials engaged in a bloody battle over miner's rights.
An important asset to Ballarat is Lake Wendouree, located a couple of kilometres west of the town centre. This man-made lake covers over 200 hectares and is an oasis for local bird life. The Botanical Gardens are situated next to the lake, and feature an avenue of bronze busts of all the Australian prime ministers. The annual Begonia Festival is held in the gardens during March.
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Sovereign Hill
History comes to life in this recreated gold township of the 1850s with regular demonstrations, street theatre performances, gold panning, mine tours, shopping experiences of the era and the dramatic Blood on the Southern Cross sound and light show |
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Ballarat Wildlife Park
Experience close contact with koalas, kangaroos, emus and other native animals |
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Ballarat Bird World
See the colours of Australian bird life with over one kilometre of walkways, a free flight aviary and outdoor tree top deck area |
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Kryal Castle
Medieval castle with re-enactments, shows and displays |
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Eureka Centre
Museum commemorating the Eureka Rebellion on 1854 and the ideals and sacrifices of those who lived and worked on Ballarat's goldfields |
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Gold Museum
Houses collections of gold nuggets, ornaments and coins, plus a gift shop specialising in the sale of gold nuggets, jewellery and fine giftware |
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Ballarat Vintage Tramway
An authentic tramway museum allowing visitors to view photographs, memorabilia and the museum's fleet of rolling stock |
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Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
Art and architecture meet at Australia's oldest and largest regional art gallery |
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Her Majesty's Theatre
Dating back to 1874, it is one of Australia's most historic theatres and is now a professionally equipped and staffed performing arts centre |
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Kirrit Barreet
An Aboriginal art and cultural centre exhibiting local and regional contemporary and traditional artwork and artefacts with educational talks |
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Ballarat Botanic Gardens
40 hectares of gardens, located on the western shore of Lake Wendouree, featuring marble statues, mature trees and colourful bedding displays |
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Great Dividing Trail
The 92 km "Wallaby Track" section of this walking trail starts at Mount Buninyong on the city's outskirts, then continues to the Ballarat station and onto Creswick and Daylesford |
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Enfield State Park
Located 25 kms south of Ballarat, this park is home to a large number of plant and animal species as well as many gold mining relics from last century |
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Ballarat - Skipton Rail Trail
A 54 kilometre trail which goes through native grasslands, historical gold mining sites and across a trestle bridge near Newtown |
* All the above links are external and open up in a new window
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