Ballarat in central Victoria was born out of the tumultuous 1850s gold rush era when - lured by the promise of gold - men in their thousands deserted the cities, left their jobs and their families and rushed to the region to make their fortune in the goldfields. The city is the State's oldest inland city and with a population of 60,000 Ballarat is Australia's third largest inland city.

As well as the site of Australia's largest gold discovery, Ballarat was the site of Australia's only civil battle, it was in the goldfields outside the city that miners clashed with police and troops in what has now become known as the legendary Eureka Stockade of 1854.

140 years on the rush may be over, but steeped in the history of its colonial gold digging origins, the Ballarat region continues to draw thousands; today this grand city holds enchantment not only for those seduced by the lure of gold but for those wanting to enjoy a diverse range of attractions and leisure activities as well as the excitement of living history.

Historical Attractions

The opulence born of Ballarat's golden era is mirrored in the city's heritage buildings, its soaring cathedral and a lively arts culture. The wealth of the goldfields and a time of extraordinary optimism saw the construction of a number of ornate and flamboyant buildings and a towns layed with elaborate gardens and streetscapes. Today the city has maintained much of its grand Victorian style and there are a number of wonderful heritage sites particularly in Eureka Street where the golden era continues to shine.

There are also hundreds of former miners cottages and dozens of hotels remaining from the 1850s. In Lydiard Street a Post Office, the Mining Exchange, Craig's Hotel and Her Majesty's theatre are few of the wonderful buildings to be found.

The Avenue of Honour is another of Ballarat's fine streets, it is here that trees stand proudly in rows as a living memorial to the brave local soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War. The 23km Avenue, along with the Arch of Victory was opened by the young Prince of Wales in 1920 and is one of the city's famous landmarks.

Other historical attractions include the 1850s built Montrose Cottage, one of the State's last original miner's blue-stone cottages and the 13th century Kryal Castle, a piece of medieval England that has been transplanted complete with moat and drawbridge - here visitors can discover life as it was for bold knights, fair ladies and their serfs.

Bentley's Eureka Hotel is Australia's oldest man made tourist attraction and it along with the Old Curiosity Shop and the Eureka Memorial Park - with memorials to the infamous rebellion - join to provide visitors to Ballarat with a valuable insight into the colourful history of the region.

One of Victoria's acclaimed historical attractions is Ballarat's Sovereign Hill, a fascinating and faithful recreation of an old goldmining town of the 1850s. Here visitors can experience every aspect of life in a restored and fully operational gold mining settlement and for those that would like to spend more than a day in the 1850s, comfortable, affordable accommodation is available in The Government Camp based on the original plans of the 1850s barracks and officers' quarters.

At Sovereign Hill visitors can see gold workings in operation and accurate displays of the mining of alluvial gold in both shallow shaft mines and workings on the surface. Guided tours of the fascinating underground mine tell the story of quartz reefs and there are steam-driven stamper battery thunders to see in operation, those used to crush gold from gold bearing quartz as well as the cradles and other gold mining equipment of the day to be seen.

Wandering through the 1850s township and seeing the buildings on Sovereign Hill's Main Street, visitors gain a sense of the town as it was and how the city developed. The buildings where store keepers and trades people ply there wares overlook the tents and slab huts of the determined prospectors and miners who flocked to the area in search of gold and it is here at the Red Hill Gully diggings that the city began.

According to folk legend there is still a big strike to be found in the Ballarat fields and visitors are encouraged to try their luck alongside as the prospectors of old. Within the township itself there are a number of other rewards to be found including many wonderful old stores and craft workshops.

The Clarke Brothers' Grocery, complete with the smell of exotic spices and fresh ground coffee is largely as it was during the 1850s, while a fascinating Apothecaries Hall and the Hope Bakery where delicious cakes, pastries and breads are baked fresh in wood fired brick ovens each day are also a delight.

There are many craftspeople at work throughout the town including a blacksmith, coach builder, a tin smith, a potter and a furniture maker and while wandering through the town visitors can enjoy a variety of interesting works on display.

At Sovereign Hill visitors can have their photograph taken in period costume, enjoy riding the famous five-in-hand Cobb & Co coaches to the diggings and the township and choose from a number of wonderful places to enjoy a light snack or a meal. As well as the interesting period style street theatre can also enjoy light hearted comedy sketches presented in the elegant Victorian Theatre at Sovereign Hill. While exploring the diggings, the township and the mining museum, visitors will also discover much of the history behind the events which lead to the infamous 1854 Eureka Stockade uprising.

'Blood on the Southern Cross' is a new attraction which adds to the Sovereign Hill experience, an exciting night-time performance which takes place across the whole 25 hectares of Sovereign Hill.

Leading visitors around the township, the performance graphically re-creates the series of anger fuelled events from October to December 1854 which were to culminate in the Eureka Stockade uprising of Sunday December 3 1854 where a brief but bloody battle changed Australia forever.

A clever use of light and sound and a captivating performance stirs the imagination and involves audiences in this dramatic chapter of Australian history. The Eureka Stockade was the first time on Australian soil that men had fought and died under their own flag - the Southern Cross- in Australia's only armed civil battle. Eureka encouraged the development of democracy in Australia it is this sensational piece of history that is brought to life in 'Blood on the Southern Cross'.

Museums and Arts

Sovereign Hill's Gold Museum has a world class collection of alluvial gold and nuggets along with coins artefacts and an assortment of gold rush memorabilia. The Museum has a number of exhibits relating to Ballarat's history including the Eureka exhibition which details the events leading up to, and the consequences of, the Eureka rebellion.

In Eureka Street Ballarat, Priscilla's Tea Rooms a charming 1860s style cottage complete with open fires and Golda's World of Dolls with its unique collection of over 2000 dolls offer visitors a charming look at history. The Orpheus Radio Museum also offers a fascinating look at the past as does the Old Curiosity Shop with its rare collection of early Australian glassware and furniture.

The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery provides visitors with a wonderful sense of history and a superb collection of artworks. The Gallery, located in historic Lydiard Street, was the first regional art gallery to be established in Australia and this superb building - central to Ballarat's architectural heritage - is over 100 years old.

The Gallery houses a fine collection of early and contemporary Australian art including a collection of paintings from the Heidelberg School and the Lindsay Gallery where works of art by Lionel Lindsay and other members of this talented family are displayed. The Gallery also holds the only remaining items from the Lindsay family home in Creswick, the sitting room from the Lindsay home is another of the Gallery's prized exhibits.

It is at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery that original Eureka Flag flown in the 1854 uprising can also be found. The flag was donated by the widow of a trooper who fought in the battle at Eureka and is now one of the Gallery's most valued items.

Natural Attractions

Ballarat has a great deal to offer visitors including unique attractions and a variety of leisure activities. Sailing on Lake Wendouree is a popular activity as is water skiing on the waters of Lake Learmouth , fishing and swimming.

The Ballarat Wildlife Park in Fussell Street is the perfect location for experiencing the Australian bush up close. The Wildlife Park, located in 15 hectares of native bushland with open parkland and a lake, is home to a number of free ranging Australian native animals including kangaroos, wallabies and emus. The Park also has a wonderful koala display and visitors can also see wombats, Tasmanian devils and a collection of native reptiles and birds.

The Ballarat Botanical Garden is another of Ballarat's attractions. This delightful garden offers over 40 hectares of magnificent plants and trees, a beautiful conservatory and hot houses. There are also 12 superb Italian marble statutes placed around the Gardens, the statues, including the famous flight from Pompeii, were all donated by Scotsman Thomas Stoddart. While enjoying the gardens, visitors can also take a tourist tram, and paddle steamer which tours the lake and the rowing course of the 1956 Olympic Games.

Other Attractions

Yellowglen the original site of Australia's great gold rush is one of the area's unexpected attractions. As well as its historical value, Yellowglen now produces one of Australia's finest champagne style wines and is open for tours and tastings 10am -5pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 5pm Sunday.

Wallace Cheesery is part of the historic Wallace Dairy Factory built over 90 years ago, visitors are welcome to view the factory in operation and to see how butter and cheeses are made. Visitors to the Dairy can also sample a wide range of quality cheeses, local wines and honey and can enjoy a traditional Ploughman's Lunch at the Cheesery.

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