Ballarat Victoria
A view of Ballarat East and Eureka from Sovereign Hill. Sovereign Hill is an Open air museum in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, that depicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of Gold
Population:	85,197 (2006) [1] (19th)
• Density:	1220/km² (3159. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This list of Australian cities by population briefly explains the three different population figures given for Australian cities and provides rankings for each Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/sq mi)
Established:	1838
Postcode:	3350
Elevation:	441 m (1,447 ft)  AHD
Area:	740 km² (285. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Postcodes are used in Australia for the purposes of sorting and directing Mail. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The Australian Height Datum is a Geodetic datum for Altitude measurement in Australia. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 7 sq mi)
Time zone:  • Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+10) AEDT (UTC+11)
LGA:	City of Ballarat
State District:	Ballarat East, Ballarat West
Federal Division:	Ballarat

Ballarat (37°33′S, 143°51′E) (formerly spelled "Ballaarat"^[2]) is a city in Victoria, Australia, and one of the country's largest inland cities. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It is well-known for its history and heritage.

Contents 1 Overview 2 History 3 Transport 4 Features 4.1 Grand avenues and boulevards 4.2 Statues and monuments 4.3 War memorials 4.4 Parks and gardens 4.5 Architectural heritage 5 Industry and employment 6 Media 6.1 Newspapers 6.2 Radio Stations 6.3 Television 7 Education 8 Arts and culture 8.1 Galleries 8.2 Performing Arts 8.3 Entertainment and Nightlife 8.4 Sport 9 Climate 10 Notable residents 11 Sister Cities 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External links

Overview

It is approximately 105 kilometres (65 mi) north-west of Melbourne, with an urban population of 88,437^[3] people. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 The city lies at 441 metres (1,447 ft) AHD and consists of an area of approximately 740 square kilometres (286 sq mi), with the city occupying a built up area of approximately 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The Australian Height Datum is a Geodetic datum for Altitude measurement in Australia. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile.

Gold was discovered near Ballarat in 1851, and the influx of over 10,000 miners in less than a year transformed it from a pastoral town into Victoria's largest city. Ballarat is notable as the site for Australia's only armed civil uprising, colloquially referred to as the Eureka Stockade but more correctly titled the Eureka Rebellion, which took place on 3 December 1854. The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the

While the city's growth slowed after the 1880s and Melbourne quickly overshadowed its importance, Ballarat remains a major inland regional centre and tourist destination, having retained much of its Victorian era heritage and is known for its grand heritage listed buildings and gardens. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3

History

The site of the city was originally a stock station established by William Cross Yuille and Henry Anderson in 1838 and named Ballarat (originally under the spelling Ballaarat), which was derived from local Aboriginal dialect meaning 'resting place'. William Cross Yuille (1819 &ndash July 19, 1894) was an Australian who helped establish the Horse racing industry in Victoria Australia Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. Settlement, originally known as Ballarat, flourished in the early 1850s when gold was discovered, the Post Office opening on November 1, 1851 ^[4]. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The area where gold was found was situated northeast of Ballarat, about 3 miles (5 km) away. The total area was about 1 square mile (3 km²), and an estimated 200,000 ounces of gold are said to have been extracted from the area. This made Ballarat the wealthiest city in the district. However several other gold fields in the Ballarat area were important as well: the Berringa and Enfield Gold Fields, both were located 25 miles (40 km) south of Ballarat.

With a huge influx of population and wealth as a major participant in the Gold Rush, Ballarat was, for a time, Victoria's largest township. The Victorian Gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s

Ballarat is notable as the site for Australia's only armed civil uprising, colloquially referred to as the Eureka Stockade but more correctly titled the Eureka Rebellion, which took place on 3 December 1854. The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the The event, in which 22 miners died, is considered a defining moment in Australian history. The purported site of the rebellion contains an historical park and a memorial to the event. The remains of the original Eureka Flag are on public display in the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. The Eureka Flag was the battle flag used at the Eureka Stockade, a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

During the last 50 years of the 19th century Ballarat prospered on gold mining, being proclaimed a city in 1871. The railway came to the town with the opening of the Geelong-Ballarat line in 1862,^[5] with the current direct route completed in December 1889. The Geelong - Ballarat line is a broad gauge railway in western Victoria, Australia between the cities of Geelong and Ballarat. The Serviceton railway line (also known as the Western line) is a railway serving the west of Victoria, Australia. ^[6]

The confidence of the city's early citizens in the future of the city is evident in the sheer scale of many of the early public buildings, generous public recreational spaces, and opulence of many of its commercial establishments and housing. The period from the 1880s to the early 20th century witnessed a successful transition from a gold rush town to an industrial age city. Many industries and workshops that had been established as a result of manufacturing and servicing for the deep lead mining industry during the 19th century later made successful transition into engineering and manufacturing businesses throughout the 20th century.

In 1930 an aerodrome was established, which was ceded to the Commonwealth in 1940 as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Ballarat Airport is located Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Ballarat Aero Club Field Air and MAF-Air Services are located here along with the Ballarat The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, also known as the Empire Air Training Scheme, Empire Air Training Plan, Commonwealth Air Training Plan During WWII the base was a RAAF Wireless Air Gunners' School as well as the base for USAF Liberator bomber squadrons. During the war the airport was expanded and consisted of three sealed runways of which two were over 2,000 metres (6,550 ft) long and 45 metres (150 ft) wide. The aerodrome remained the RAAF School of Radio until 1961 when it was returned to civil operations. The City of Ballarat is the civil operator of the aerodrome. The site is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for its social and historic significance. The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria

After World War II, Ballarat expanded significantly to the North West. An acute post war housing shortage was eased with the establishment of an extensive government housing estate on the former Ballarat Common (Today known as Wendouree West). Wendouree West is a suburb of Ballarat, a city in the Australian state of Victoria. ^[7] The estate was originally planned to contain over 750 prefabricated houses. Whilst planning for the estate began in 1949, main construction occurred between 1951 to 1962. During the 1970s a further 300 houses were constructed. Private housing in the adjacent suburb of Wendouree closely matched and eventually eclipsed this by the mid 1960s. Wendouree is a suburb of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. The suburb of greater Wendouree and Wendouree West had evolved by the 1970s as the suburban middle-class heart of the city.

From the late 1970s and early 1980s urban growth slowed in Wendouree and began expanding to the Southern and Western corridors of the city. In 2007 growth of the city for the next 30 years is being planned for to the west of the city centre and through the redevelopment of inner city housing blocks, and other under-developed inner city land in the East that is being redeveloped to create a higher density housing structure. Throughout the 20th century Ballarat maintained steady economic and population growth, keeping pace with that of the Australian national average without ever experiencing any significant growth surges. Steady population and economic growth has enabled the city to mature and preserve much of its historical grandeur and beauty whilst accommodating thoughtful and modern development. Ballarat's modern architecture was designed to blend with the old with examples being the City Library, the Law Courts and Justice Centre and the Ballarat Base Hospital.

Transport

Ballarat is linked directly to Melbourne by a combination of state highway and dual carriageway freeway. Regular rail services on the Ballarat Line from Ballarat railway station run to Melbourne, in addition to Ararat Line in the opposite direction. This article is about the V/Line service For the railway itself see Serviceton railway line The Ballarat Line is a regional passenger rail Ballarat railway station is a railway station serving the city of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. This article is about the V/Line service For the railway itself see Serviceton railway line The Ararat railway line is a regional passenger Ballarat is also served by an extensive public bus service and taxi system. A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride

The city airport, located 8 km (5 mi) North-West of the CBD consists of two sealed runways (each approximately 1,400 m/4,600 ft length and 30 m/100 ft wide) as well as extensive sealed aprons, night lighting and NDB Navaid. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land The Ballarat Aerodrome is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for its social and historical significance. Ballarat Airport is located Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Ballarat Aero Club Field Air and MAF-Air Services are located here along with the Ballarat The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria In 2005 the City of Ballarat commissioned a Master Plan 2004-2014,^[8] that outlined future development and growth of the Airport. The report made a series of recommendations and forecasts that included eventual lengthening, widening and strengthening of the existing main runway up to 1800 metres (5,900 ft), consideration for expansion of the passenger terminal and recommendations for future use of aprons and development of future structures supporting larger aircraft and increased frequent usage. It is forecast that by 2012-15 regular domestic passenger services using 40-50 seat commuter aircraft may feasibly commence.

The city maintained an electric tramway system until September 1971 when services were replaced by buses. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train A short section of track continues at the western end of Lake Wendouree as a museum line operated by the Ballarat Tramway Museum. ^[9] In recent times there have been studies conducted to reinstate sections of tram line or light rail to service key tourist routes and high usage bus services between the city and Wendouree. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. Wendouree is a suburb of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia.

In late 2006, a second railway station for the city was being established in Wendouree to service direct links to Melbourne and western distributor lines. Wendouree is a suburb of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. A naming competition by the Victorian Government saw the new station dubbed Wendouree by the people of Ballarat, because of its geographical significance to the area. The station is expected to be operational in 2010.

Features

Ballarat is renowned for its cultural heritage and decorative arts, especially applied to the built environment, combined with the gold rush, this has created a picturesque urban landscape. Cultural heritage ("national heritage" or just "heritage" is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or Society In 2003 Ballarat was the first of two Australian cities to be registered as a member of the International League of Historical Cities and in 2006 hosted the 10th World League of Historical Cities Congress.

Many of its features demonstrate the breadth and depth of Ballarat's Heritage,^[10] which are celebrated during heritage weekend in May. ^[11]

Grand avenues and boulevards

Ballarat is notable for its very wide boulevards. The main street is Sturt Street and is considered among one of the finest main avenues in Australia with over 2 kilometres of central gardens known as the Sturt Street Gardens featuring bandstands, fountains, statues, monuments, memorials and lampposts. The Sturt Street Gardens are located in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia.

Ballarat is home to the largest of a collection of several Avenues of Honour in Victoria. Avenue of Honour is the term given to a memorial avenue of trees with each tree symbolising a person The fifteen kilometre (9. 3 mi) long Ballarat Avenue of Honour consists of a total of approximately 4,000 trees, mostly deciduous which in many parts arch completely over the road. Botany Autumn leaf color. See --> In Botany and Horticulture, deciduous Plants, including Each tree has a bronze plaque dedicated to a soldier from the Ballarat region who enlisted during World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Avenue of Honour and the Arch of Victoria are on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria

Statues and monuments

The city also has the greatest concentration of public statuary in any Australian city with many parks and streets featuring sculptures and statues dating from the 1860s to the present day.

Some of the other unique memorials located in the Sturt Street Gardens in the middle of Ballarat's main boulevard include a bandstand situated in the heart of the city that was funded and built by the City of Ballarat Band in 1913 as a tribute to the bandsmen of the RMS Titanic, a fountain dedicated to the early explorers Burke and Wills, and those dedicated to Monarchs and those who have played pivotal roles in the development of the city and its rich social fabric. The Sturt Street Gardens are located in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia. Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland In 1860-61 Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to The most recent memorial is dedicated to a war hero Sir Albert Ernest Coates. Sir Albert Ernest Coates OBE, FRCS (1895-1977 was an Australian Surgeon and Soldier. Sir Albert Ernest Coates was a soldier and a surgeon born at Mt Pleasant in Ballarat who served as a medical orderly at Gallipoli, trained as a doctor on his return and was worked tirelessly with minimal resources to save countless lives in Prisoner of War camps during World War 2. ^[12]

Recently (late 2006), the Ballarat "Big Miner" was erected at the eastern entrance to Ballarat. The larger-than-life statue of a miner holding a pick and pan greets visitors as they approach the city from the east.

War memorials

Ballarat has an extensive array of significant war memorials, the most recent of which is the Australian Ex Prisoner of War Memorial. The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was dedicated on Friday 6 February 2004. The most prominent memorial in the city is the Ballarat Victory Arch that spans the old Western Highway on the Western approaches of the city. A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental Archway, in theory built to celebrate a victory in war actually used to celebrate a ruler The archway serves as the focal point for the Avenue of Honour. Other significant individual monuments located along Sturt Street include those dedicated to the Boer War (1899-1901), the World War II (1939-1945) cenotaph, and Vietnam (1962-1972) (Located adjacent to the Arch of Victory).

Parks and gardens

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens are amongst the finest Botanical Gardens in Australia with extensive varieties of native and introduced species of plants and trees. The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve, located on the western shore of picturesque Lake Wendouree, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, covers Lake Wendouree hosted the rowing events for the 1956 Summer Olympics, and is a large recreational lake created out of former wetlands. Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban Lake in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne The gardens are home to the annual Ballarat Begonia Festival, and feature a modern glasshouse and horticultural centre. Also of note is the Prime Minister's Avenue which features bronze busts of every Australian Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's Avenue is a collection of busts of the Prime Ministers of Australia, located at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in Ballarat Victoria

The town is also home to the award winning tourist park Sovereign Hill, a recreated 1850s gold mining settlement that is rated amongst one of the best tourism theme parks in the world. Sovereign Hill is an Open air museum in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, that depicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of Gold

Ballarat Wildlife Park a popular tourist attraction covers 32 acres and includes a large reptile collection.

Architectural heritage

The legacy of the wealth generated during Ballarat's gold boom is still visible in a large number of fine stone buildings in and around the city, especially in the Lydiard Street area. This precinct contains some of Victoria's finest examples of Victorian era buildings, many of which are on the Victorian Heritage Register or classified by the National Trust of Australia. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria The Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT is a community-based non-government organisation committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous natural and historic heritage

Notable civic buildings include the Town Hall (1870-72), the former Post Office (1864), the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery (1887), the Mechanics' Institute (1860, 1869), the Queen Victoria Wards of the Ballarat Base Hospital (1890s), and the Ballarat railway station (1862, 1877, 1888). Historically Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide Adult education, particularly in technical subjects to working men Ballarat railway station is a railway station serving the city of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.

Other fine buildings include the Provincial Hotel (1909), Reid's Coffee Palace (1886), Craig's Royal Hotel (1862-1890) and Her Majesty's Theatre (1875). The term Coffee Palace was used in Australia to describe the Temperance hotels which were built during the period of the 1880s A history of Her Majesty's Theatre, the oldest intact and operating lyric theatre in Australia, has been written. ^[13]

Ballarat has what is considered to be the greatest concentration of historic architectural cast iron lace building decoration in the world, with lacework adorning many public buildings, commercial establishments and houses. Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to restore or rebuild some of the more significant cast iron lace verandahs that were torn down in the 1960s. The most recent significant projects include the rebuilding of the 1914 Mechanics Institute verandah and the restoration of the former Unicorn Hotel facade. Information about heritage related things to do and see is found on the City of Ballarat webpage. ^[14]

In 1998 a group of concerned citizens formed the Ballarat Citizens for Thoughtful Development with the aim of ensuring Ballarat's unique architectural heritage was given due consideration in the planning process. The group is now incorporated as Ballarat Heritage Watch.

Industry and employment

Ballarat's major industries include tourism and hospitality, textiles, small engineering, food products, brick and tile manufacture, building, prefabricated housing, automotive components, education and information technology services. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel

Other major sectors of employment in the city include retailing, service industries, state and federal government branch offices and agencies and health care.

Media

Newspapers

Ballarat has two local newspapers, both owned by Rural Press Limited, 'The Courier' is a daily, and the 'Ballarat News' is a free weekly, distributed almost universally across the city every Wednesday, and containing news of community events, advertisements for local businesses, and a real estate and classifieds section. Rural Press Limited is an Australian media company which owns approximately 170 newspaper and magazine titles The Canberra Times being the most prominent The Ballarat Courier is a daily newspaper circulating in the Ballarat region of regional Victoria.

Radio Stations

Local radio stations include '3BA', 'Power FM', 'Noise FM' and also several community radio stations. There are also local branches of ABC-run ABC Radio, Triple J and ABC Classic FM. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. Triple J is a nationally-networked government-funded Australian radio station (a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) mainly aimed

• 3BA 102. 3 FM (local "classic hits" commercial radio station)
• Power FM 103. 1 FM (local "top-40" commercial radio station)
• Noise FM 87. 8 FM (local chart music narrowcast radio station)
• Voice FM 99. 9 FM - formerly known as 3bbb (local community-access radio station)
• Triple J 107. Triple J is a nationally-networked government-funded Australian radio station (a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) mainly aimed 1 FM (Government-funded Youth Radio)
• ABC Local Radio 107. 9 FM (Government-funded local news, current affairs, light entertainment and talkback)
• ABC Radio National 621AM (Government-funded, mostly news and talkback)
• ABC Classic FM 105. ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide Radio network broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with many various programs involving News and ABC Classic FM is an Australian classical music Radio station available in major centres around the country 5 FM (Government-funded, classical music station)
• Gospel Radio 103. 9 FM (Non-denominational community-based religious station)

Television

Television station BTV Channel 6 Ballarat commenced transmission of test patterns on 17 March 1962. Among the many local programs BTV6 produced, the 90 minute live variety program "Six Tonight" (1971-1983) hosted by local Ballarat identity Fred Fargher, was one of the few live Australian programs of this type being presented in Australia.

In his 1999 book And Now Here's. . . (Four Decades of Behind the Scenes Fun in Australian Television), Mike McColl Jones fondly remembers local live television variety. ". . . and in Ballarat, Victoria, a Tonight show ("Six Tonight") was carving its name into Australian television history. The show, hosted by Fred Fargher, ran for 13 years, and managed to attract many of the top name entertainers in the world, simply by offering them a limo ride to this beautiful country centre, a no-pressure spot on the show, and then a great dinner afterwards at one of the city's excellent restaurants. The sheer bravado of the offer enticed some of show business' biggest names. "

Today Ballarat is serviced by five 'free to air' High Definition and Standard Definition Digital television services. Two television broadcasting stations are located in the city including WIN (a sub-licensee of Nine Network) and PRIME (a sub-licensee of Seven Network). WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales Australia The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney Prime Television is an Australian television network owned by Prime Television Limited. The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. These two stations broadcast relayed services throughout regional Victoria. The city also receives Southern Cross Ten (a sub-licensee of Network Ten) that is based in Bendigo but operates a local office. Southern Cross Ten is an Australian Television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, Network Ten, or Channel Ten, is one of Australia 's three major commercial television networks. Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. Ballarat television maintains a similar schedule to the national television network but maintains local demographic commercials and local/regional news. In addition to commercial television services, Ballarat receives Government ABC and SBS television services. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS is one of two government-funded Australian Public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the

Subscription television services are provided by Neighbourhood Cable, Austar, and SelecTV. Neighbourhood Cable is a telecommunications provider based in regional Victoria, Australia. AUSTAR is an Australian Telecommunications company Its main business activity is Pay TV, although it is also involved with Internet access and SelecTV is an Australian Satellite based Subscription television broadcasting service headed by CEO Jim Blomfield (previously CEO of FOXTEL

Education

Ballarat is home to two universities - Australian Catholic University Ballarat (Aquinas) and the University of Ballarat. The origins of the University of Ballarat lie in the Ballarat School of Mines, founded in 1870 and sometime affiliated with the University of Melbourne. The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector University in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The University of Melbourne is a Public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. The university consists of six campuses, three of which are in Ballarat. Two of these are located in the city (Camp Street and SMB campuses), while the main campus is located at Mount Helen, approximately 6 kilometres (3. 75 mi) southeast of the city at the foot of Mount Buninyong. Ballarat is the only regional campus of the Australian Catholic University, which has campuses in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Australian Catholic University, or ACU National, is Australia's only public Catholic university

Ballarat has six State Government-operated secondary schools, of which Ballarat High School (established in 1907) is the oldest. Additionally, there are six private day or boarding schools which provide education from Years 1 to 12; among these is Ballarat and Queens Anglican Grammar School, Ballarat and Clarendon College, Loreto College, Damascus College, and St Patrick's College. Ballarat Grammar School is an independent Anglican Church school located at Wendouree ( Ballarat) Victoria 123km west of Melbourne Ballarat and Clarendon College is an independent, Co-educational, day and Boarding school, located in Ballarat, Victoria For other schools of the same name see Loreto College. Loreto College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for girls in Ballarat Origins The College was established in 1995 after three separate Catholic colleges St St Patrick's College, founded by the Christian Brothers in 1893 is a Roman Catholic day and Boarding school, located in Ballarat

Ballarat has several public libraries, the largest and most extensive of which is the City of Ballarat Library, located on Creswick Road. Another unique library service is provided by the Mechanics Institute in Sturt Street, which contains an excellent collection of historic, archival and rare reference material. Historically Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide Adult education, particularly in technical subjects to working men

Arts and culture

Galleries

The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery houses one of Australia's oldest and most extensive collections of early Australian works. Ballarat Fine Art Gallery is the oldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia. It is considered to have the best Australian collections outside any capital city in Australia.

The University of Ballarat operates the Post Office Gallery in the Wardell designed former Post Office on the corner of Sturt and Lydiard Streets. ^[15]

Performing Arts

Ballarat has a lively and well established theatrical community with several local ensembles as well as a number of large performing arts venues. Major performing arts venues include:

• Her Majesty's Theatre - Seating 940
• Post Office Box Theatre (University of Ballarat Arts Academy, Camp Street Campus) – Flexible Seating up to 100
• Helen Macpherson Smith Performing Arts Theatre (University of Ballarat, Arts Academy Camp Street Campus) – Seating 200
• The Founders Hall (University of Ballarat, Mount Helen Campus) - Seating 600
• The Courthouse Theatre (University of Ballarat, SMB Campus) - Seating 140
• The Victoria Theatre (Sovereign Hill) - Seating 300
• Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts (Ballarat Grammar School) – Seating 900
• Gay E. Gough Theatre (Mt. Clear Secondary College) – Seating 350

Additionally the Mechanics Institute hall (seating 700) is used from time to time for travelling performances and cinema shows.

Ballarat is also the home to Australia's oldest and largest annual performing arts eisteddfod. The Royal South Street Eisteddfod is an all-encompassing performing arts festival and competition event that is conducted over twelve weeks annually. ^[16]

Entertainment and Nightlife

In the 1970s the Ballarat urban area contained no less than 60 hotels. The introduction of gaming machines in the early 1990s has brought about significant change in the city entertainment precincts. By 2006 at least 20 hotels had closed and some of those that remain have been redeveloped as dining and/or gaming venues. Gaming machines have brought significant revenue to the remaining hotels, sports and social clubs which has enabled many to expand and modernise.

The city has several dance clubs as well as a highly active live music and jazz scene. Hotels are popular meeting places for young people. The city has many fine restaurants, wine bars and eateries as well as themed restaurants located at Sovereign Hill and Kryal Castle. Sovereign Hill is an Open air museum in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, that depicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of Gold December 2006 saw the creation of BTR, an organisation within Ballarat that has begun hosting dance events in Ballarat.

A large cinema complex consisting of several theatres is located behind the facade of the old Regent cinemas in the heart of the city.

Dance parties are popular within the Ballarat area; however, the director of Ballarat Health Services (BHS), Andrew Rowe, has stated that Ballarat is "an inappropriate place to hold a rave" and has called for the Moorabool Shire Council to forbid raves (such as the one held at Kryal Castle) around the immediate Ballarat area. The Shire of Moorabool is a Local Government Area in Victoria Australia. ^[17]

Sport

Ballarat has produced many notable sports people, perhaps the most famous being marathon runner Steve Moneghetti. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 Stephen ("Steve" James Moneghetti (born 26 September 1962 in Ballarat, Victoria) is an Australian long-distance runner. The city is well endowed with parks, sport fields and organised sporting clubs and associations.

Australian rules football and cricket are highly popular in the city. Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Basketball, horse racing and rowing are also popular. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m

The city is excellently equipped with indoor stadiums and training centres for most sports. The city has three international standard cricket ovals, an international standard athletics track, two Olympic sized pools as well as an indoor 25 metre (82 ft) competition short course pool.

Notable sporting teams in Ballarat include the North Ballarat Roosters who compete in the Victorian Football League and the Ballarat Miners who compete in the South East Australian Basketball League. The North Ballarat Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Ballarat and is the current VFL Premiers History The Victorian Football Association (VFA was founded in 1877 on 17 May. Current roster SEABL (the South East Australian Basketball League) consists of two men's and one women's conferences in the Australian Basketball Association (ABA The region is home to the strong Ballarat Football League and Central Highlands Football League. The Ballarat Football League (BFL is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria Australia. The Ballarat Football Club, formed in 1860, remains one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The title of the world's oldest Football club, or the oldest club in a particular country is often disputed or is claimed by several different clubs across several different

The city has a soccer competition, known as the BDSA.

Ballarat has excellent horse and greyhound racing tracks, and the Harness Racing centre is considered to be among the best in Australia. This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Greyhound racing is the Sport of Racing Greyhounds The Dogs chase a lure (traditionally an artificial Hare or Rabbit

Ballarat is home to numerous rowing clubs, and annually hosts the Victorian Schools Rowing Championships. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 Lake Wendouree plays host to the annual 'Head of the Lake' rowing regatta- contested by Ballarat High School, Ballarat and Clarendon College, Ballarat Grammar School, St Patrick's College and Loreto College. The city hosted rowing events for the 1956 Olympic Games.

Ballarat's Eastern Oval hosted a game in the 1992 cricket world cup.

Climate

Ballarat experiences a temperate climate with four seasons. Its elevation, at 450 metres (1,476 ft) above sea level, causes its mean monthly temperatures to tend on average 2-3 degrees Celsius below those of Melbourne. The mean daily maximum temperature for January is 24. 9 °C (76. 8 °F), while for July it is 10 °C (50 °F). The mean annual rainfall is 705 millimetres (27. 75 in), with August being the wettest month (77 mm/3. 0 in). There are an average of 198 rain-free days per year. In winter, snow occasionally falls on nearby Mount Buninyong, and in very cold winters, has been known to fall heavily in the city. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. Mount Buninyong is a hill overlooking Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It is not uncommon however for snow to fall in the city during most winters.

In recent years, Ballarat (along with South Eastern Australia) has experienced a severe decrease in average annual rain fall. This is marked by the recent drying out of Lake Wendouree and heavy water restrictions being imposed on the city and many other regional centres throughout Victoria. The City of Ballarat, The Central Highlands Water Commission, and State Government of Victoria have initiated a number of projects that are designed to ensure that the city is guaranteed a steady water supply and that the lake will be regenerated using storm water and recycled water from the city's treatment plants. Many residents have become pro-active and redirect grey water from homes directly onto gardens and for outdoor cleaning as a matter of daily routine.

The City of Ballarat is further using the drought as an opportunity to dredge the lake and upgrade the international rowing course. Sadly, many decade old introduced trees have not coped well with the recent, persistent drought and many in recent times have been cut down, and replaced with Australian natives.

Notable residents

• Reginald Ansett, Businessman and founder of Ansett Airways
• Geoffrey Blainey, Former Professor of Economic History and Ernest Scott Professor of History at the University of Melbourne, and former Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University
• Sir Henry Bolte, Premier of Victoria
• Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria
• John Button, Federal Labor politician
• Sir Albert Ernest Coates, Surgeon and Soldier (Prisoner of War Surgeon)
• Raffaello Carboni, Author of an eye witness account of the uprising at the Eureka Stockade
• John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia
• Henry Daglish, Premier of Western Australia
• Jacqueline Dark, Opera Singer [1]
• Bob Davis, Geelong Football Club champion
• Alfred Deakin, Inaugural Federal Member of Parliament for Ballarat and Second Prime Minister of Australia
• Roger Donaldson, Film Producer, Director, Writer
• Warren Ellis, Musician, Composer, Member of The Dirty Three, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Grinderman Ellis has also composed music for movies such as The Proposition and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Frank Fenner, Virologist
• Edward King, Lawn Bowler
• E. Sir Reginald Myles Ansett KBE ( 13 February, 1909 - 23 December, 1981) was an Australian businessman and aviator best known Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian Historian. The University of Melbourne is a Public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG ( 20 May, 1908 - 4 January, 1990) Australian politician was the 38th and longest serving Stephen Philip Bracks (better known as Steve Bracks (born 15 October, 1954) is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria John Norman Button ( June 30, 1933 &ndash April 8, 2008) was an Australian politician who served as a senior minister in the Raffaello Carboni ( December 15 1817 - October 24 1875) was an Italian Writer. John Joseph Curtin (8 January 1885 &ndash 5 July 1945 Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia when the Australian mainland came under direct The Hon Henry Daglish ( 18 November 1866 – 16 August 1920 was Western Australia 's first Labor premier, Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Jacqueline Lisa Dark (also Jacqueline Moran) was born in Ballarat Victoria and attended the University of Ballarat from 1986 to 1988 receiving a Bachelor Robert "Bob" Davis (born 12 June 1928 is a legendary Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League. Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in the city of Geelong. Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919 Australian politician was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later second Prime Minister The Prime Minister of Australia is the Head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. Roger Donaldson (born 15 November 1945 is an Australian-born New Zealand film producer, director and writer who has made numerous successful movies Warren Ellis (born 1965 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian Multi-instrumentalist and composer most famous for his work Dirty Three are an instrumental trio consisting of Warren Ellis (violin Mick Turner (electric guitar and Jim White (drums originating from Melbourne Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band with multinational personnel fronted by Nick Cave. Grinderman is a Garage rock band formed by Nick Cave (vocals electric guitar organ piano Warren Ellis (electric Bouzouki, Fendocastor The Proposition is a 2005 movie directed by John Hillcoat and written by musician Nick Cave. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western Drama film adapted from Ron Hansen 's 1983 novel Frank John Fenner (born 21 December, 1914) is an Australian scientist with a distinguished career in the field of Virology. Edward King (also Ed Eddie Eddy refers to several persons from the English-speaking world England Edward King (British poet (1612&ndash1637 T. C James, Sprinter
• David Fleay, naturalist, and first breeder of the Platypus
• Duncan Gillies, Premier of Victoria
• David Hirschfelder, Film score composer, performer
• David Hobson, Opera Singer
• Thomas Hollway, Premier of Victoria
• William G. James, the ABC's first Director of Music. David Howells Fleay ( 6 January 1907 Ballarat, Victoria &ndash 7 August 1993) was an Australian naturalist Natural history is the Scientific research of Plants or Animals leaning more towards the Observational than Experimental methods The Platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi- aquatic Mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Duncan Gillies (January 1834 – 12 September 1903) Australian colonial Politician, was the 14th Premier of Victoria. David Hirschfelder is an Australian Film score Composer and performer. David Hobson may refer to Dave Hobson (born 1936 is an American politician of the Republican party David Hobson (tenor is an Australian Thomas Tuke "Tom" Hollway ( Ballarat, 2 October 1906 &mdash Point Lonsdale, Victoria 30 July 1971) was William Garnet ("Billy" James ( 28 August 1892 - 10 March 1977) was an Australian Pianist and Composer The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster.
• Peter Lalor, Leader of the Eureka Rebellion and colonial Parliamentarian
• Frank Little, Catholic Archibishop of Melbourne
• Tony Lockett, Australian Football League footballer, Brownlow Medallist and holder of the all-time goalkicking record
• John Lynch, Eureka identity and Author
• Arthur Alfred Lynch, Politician
• Michael Malthouse, Current coach of Collingwood Football Club. Peter Finta Lalor ( ( 5 February 1827 – 9 February 1889) was the leader of the Eureka Stockade rebellion one of Australia's Sir Thomas Francis "Frank" Little, KBE ( 30 November 1925 &mdash 7 April 2008) was the sixth Roman Catholic The Australian Football League (AFL is both the professional Australian national competition in the Sport of Australian Rules Football and its highest John H Lynch (born November 25 1952, Waltham Massachusetts) is the current Governor of New Hampshire. EUREKA, often abbreviated as "E!" is a pan-European Research and development funding and coordination organisation Arthur Alfred Lynch (16 October 1861–25 March 1934 was an Australian Civil engineer, Physician, Journalist, Author, soldier Michael "Mick" Malthouse (born 17 August 1953 is a former Australian rules footballer and current coach of Collingwood Football Club. Previous coach of Footscray Football Club and West Coast Football Club (2 Premierships in 1992 & 94).
• Sir Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia
• Sir Douglas Menzies, Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Alfred Arthur O'Connor, Miner and Politician
• Steve Moneghetti, Olympic marathon runner
• Leslie Morshead, General in the Australian Army
• Cardinal George Pell, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney
• Rosina Raisbeck, Opera Singer [2]
• James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia, 1930-31
• Henry Sutton, Inventor [3] [4]|

Sister Cities

• Inagawa, Japan
• Zhaoyuan City, China

See also

• List of Mayors of Ballarat

Notes

References

History Books on Ballarat

• Bate, Weston. Lucky City: The First Generation of Ballarat 1851-1901 (1978)
• Bate, Weston. Life After Gold: Twentieth-Century Ballarat Melbourne University Press (1993)
• Carboni, Raffaello. The Eureka Stockade (1980) first published (1855)
• Goodman, David. Gold Seeking: Victorian and California in the 1850s (1994)
• Lynch, John. The Story of the Eureka Stockade: Epic Days in the early fifties at Ballarat, (1947?)
• Fleet, James. The History of Gold Discovery in Victoria
• Moloney, John. Eureka, (1984)
• Serle, Geoffery. The Golden Age: A History of the Colony of Victoria, 1851-1860, (1963)
• Freund, P with Sarah V, Her Maj A History of Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat (2007)
• Ballarat City Council
• Victorian Heritage Register, Heritage Victoria

External links

• Ballarat Heritage Weekend
• Ballarat Tourist Association
• Ballarat Goldfields Tourism Guide Victoria Australia Tourism information for the Ballarat Goldfields tourism region including accommodation, attractions, activities, restaurants, cellar doors, events diary and more.
• Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
• Little Bendigo or Nerrena Gold field W. M. Bradford, Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Victoria, 1904. Discusses Gold field outside Ballarat; History and Geology. See also their links to articles on Berringa and Enfield gold fields by Vict. Geol. Survey.
• Ballarat City Council
• Ballarat Come To Life
• Ballarat Tourism website
• Ballarat Tourism and Accommodation Directory
• Ballarat Historical Society
• Ballarat CityGuide
• Wendouree West Community Gateway
• International League of Historical Cities
• Residents Portal
• The Courier (Local Newspaper)
• University of Ballarat
• Sovereign Hill Historical Park
• Australian Ex Prisoner of War Memorial
• Her Majesty's Theatre Ballarat
• Ballarat Walking Tracks
• Ballarat Heritage Watch
• Ballarat Tramway Museum
• Ballarat Health Services

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic