A historic gold rush city with Victorian-era buildings, trams and Australia's oldest regional art gallery. Home to the Eureka Stockade rebellion of 1854.
Ballarat, Victoria's third-largest city, lies 110km northwest of Melbourne. In the 1850s, gold discoveries transformed this area into a wealthy mining center. Today, you can watch blacksmiths forge tools at Sovereign Hill, see Eugene von Guerard's paintings at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, or spot black swans gliding across Lake Wendouree. The city maintains an active cultural calendar with festivals, theater performances, and a growing food and craft beer scene.
Exploring Sovereign Hill
Step into an 1850s gold mining town at Sovereign Hill, where staff in period clothing demonstrate metalworking, candlemaking, and other 19th-century skills. You can pan for gold in the creek, descend into underground mines, and watch a wheelwright shape wagon wheels. During winter evenings, the Winter Wonderlights show transforms Victorian-era buildings with moving light projections that tell gold rush stories.
Art and Culture
The Art Gallery of Ballarat occupies an 1890s building with cast-iron columns and elaborate plasterwork. Its collection includes 11,000 artworks spanning Australian art from colonial times to now. Her Majesty's Theatre has operated in its original 1875 building, presenting local productions and touring shows. The city comes alive during annual events like the Ballarat Begonia Festival in March and the Rockabilly Festival, which brings 1950s music and fashion to the streets.
Around Lake Wendouree
A 6-kilometer walking track circles Lake Wendouree, passing through wetlands and reed beds where you can spot native birds. The Ballarat Botanical Gardens, dating from 1857, include marble statues, a Victorian-style greenhouse, and the Prime Ministers Avenue with bronze busts of Australian leaders. You can ride restored 1930s trams along the lake's western edge, or watch rowing teams practice on the same waters used for the 1956 Olympic rowing events.
Local Food and Drink
The cool climate around Ballarat creates ideal conditions for pinot noir and chardonnay wines, which you can sample at Eastern Peake Winery. Aunty Jacks brewery teaches brewing techniques and holds tastings, while Hop Temple serves craft beers in a converted warehouse. Armstrong Street has evolved into a dining hub with Korean barbecue and wood-fired pizzas, while Mair Street's restaurants serve Asian fusion and modern Australian cuisine.
Getting Around and Trails
The Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail extends 53 kilometers through eucalyptus forests and past old mining equipment, with stops at former railway stations. Along the Yarrowee River Trail from Gong Gong Reservoir to Magpie, you'll pass wetlands, forest sections, and open paddocks. Trains run between Ballarat and Melbourne every 30 minutes during peak times, taking about 75 minutes. Within the city, 50 kilometers of bike paths connect major sites and neighborhoods.
