Ballarat is one of Victoria’s largest provincial cities. It has its roots deep in the history of the Australian Gold rush days and was the place where one of the countries largest gold discoveries was made. Today, Ballarat is a booming rural city with all the facilities that you would expect to find in a city of its size. It is located only one hours drive along Melbourne’s western freeway and is now almost an outer suburb of Victoria’s largest city.

Ballarat was first gripped by gold fever in 1851when gold was discovered at Sovereign Hill. Here the Red Hill mine still operates today and there are underground tours of the mines workings available. You can still see a gold bar worth $ 50,000 being poured. The history of Ballarat through the gold rush years and the battle of the Eureka stockade in 1854 have become part of Australia’s folklore. The Eureka stockade incident took place when disgruntled miners took up arms against a corrupt and inefficient gold field management regime. Years of oppression led to a bloody armed struggle that is seen as the birthplace of democracy in Australia.

Today, Ballarat is a magnificent city with many reminders of its heritage past. Magnificent old heritage buildings have been restored and form part of the new city. There are many galleries and museums whose displays show the struggle and the hardships of the early miner’s life. These now exist side by side with modern shopping malls, universities and commercial office buildings amid a busy business centre. Ballarat has many things to do and attracts many tourists who are keen to share its historic past and its modern accommodation while experiencing an interesting country holiday. The surrounding regions are filled with spectacular mountain scenery that can be found in places like the Grampians and the majesty of the incredible coastal scenery of the Great Ocean Road. It is a great place to base yourself while you explore the central Victorian countryside.

The city itself has plenty of excellent accommodation in hotel and apartment configurations. There is also plenty of places to dine out or just relax with a great cup of coffee while you take in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of this great city. Ballarat and its surrounding regions are a great place to visit on any Australian holiday itinerary.

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