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The White Hat Guide to Ballarat

What can I say about Ballarat? It is the place where I grew up. As the twig is bent . . . 

I thought all large country towns had main streets with gardens and statues in the middle. I thought all large towns had trams. I thought that all kids in Australia could hop on a bike and as long as they were back before sunset nobody would be too worried. I thought that the hills known as Warrenheip and Buninyong were mountains because they were called Mount Warrenheip and Mount Buninyong  (even though they were not as challenging as Mount Hollard-Smith - but you will need to ask a local about that). I thought all towns had large botanical gardens with statuaries. I thought all gardens had bloated roses known as begonias (see the White Hat newsletter of 26th February 2003). I thought that when anyone's grandfather got sick they would go to the cemetery to consult the 'chinaman'.  I thought that all lakes had reeds and black swans. I thought all large towns had a School of Mines. I thought that Melbourne was big and imposing and where neighbouring teenage girls went for mysterious operations and Melbourne started at the Sunshine railway gates.

But then I went to university in Melbourne, and that is where the rot set in . . . 

This area contains Beaufort, Creswick, Linton, Casterton and Buninyong. An alternative spelling of Ballarat was Ballaarat which still appears in many older documents, and in fact the lyrics of the city song proclaim:

"B A double L double A R AT,
It spells Ballaarat and it's home sweet home to me.

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

Australia's oldest regional gallery. and home of  the original Eureka Flag. A particularly impressive collection of Heidelberg School and Colonial paintings.

Purchase a Smartvisit Card to obtain free entry to this attraction

10.30am-5 pm, daily
Enquiries: (03) 5320 5858

Attractions & Places to Visit in Ballarat

The White Hat Map of Ballarat

To find the location of an attraction, click on the desired link on the right hand side and then use the controls to zoom in or change to satellite view.

Events

What's On and Things To Do in Ballarat

Jewellery Fundraiser for BHS Special Care Unit - Maternity Ward We are offering an excellent opportunity to get real quality Jewellery at a hugely discounted price, as well as help out the BHS Maternity Ward. Goods are to be paid for on the day of Fundraiser and delivery of items is 3-4 weeks after the event. So either bring along your credit card or cash to help out this great cause. We have a display with some items that can be ordered and catalogues too. Prices from $9.95 to the thousands. Contact Leah 0400917693 or Roshelle 0413543531 for more information 10am to 4pm, Saturday 11th October 2008 Ballarat City Oval Bowling Club 1406 Sturt St, Ballarat -

Ballarat Begonia Festival A major lifestyle and gardening festival. 7 to 9 March 2008 Ballarat Botanic Gardens - Enquiries:1800 656 374

Markets White Hat - THE place to find markets in Victoria Over the years White Hat has become recognised as THE place to list and find markets in Melbourne & Victoria and our markets pages consistently receive over 1,000 visitors a day with over 3,000 a day at weekends. Unlike many websites which merely LIST markets, White Hat VISITS markets as witnessed by the photographs. Although we visit hundreds of markets every year we can never cover all of them so please let us know if any of our information is out of date. With details on over 400 markets, users regularly tell us that the White Hat listing is the best and most comprehensive source of markets in Victoria available either on the web or in print. Markets in Ballarat Ballarat Antique Market This large antique market with a wide range of items is located on two floors of an old school building and also contains a museum with a small entry charge.It is morein the nature of a very large antique store and does not appear to have the space to cater for casual stallholders. When White Hat last visited (in April 2008) there was also a specialist coins area. 10am to 5pm, daily   Antique & Collectables Centre, 9 Humffray Street North, - Ballarat (Mel ref 609 A12) Enquiries: (03) 5331 7996 Ballarat Computer Swap Meet A large number of stalls selling new and second hand computer equipment and related goods. A small entry fee applies. (Note - the dates and venue of this event can vary. Click here to confirm the current information on this event. 9am—4.30pm, 2nd Saturday of month   Ballarat Secondary College, Ballarat - Enquiries: (03) 9886 1466 Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Arts Market With original fine arts, acoustic musicians and artists at work. 9.30am-3.30pm, 2nd Sunday of month   Ballarat Fine Arts Gallery, - Ballarat Enquiries: (03) 5320 5858 Ballarat Lakeside Farmers Market A true Farmers Market. Situated on beautiful Lake Wendouree, the Ballarat Lakeside Market dishes up some of Victoria's freshest produce. While enjoying the live jazz band you can sample & buy from over 50 specialist boutique stalls featuring fresh fruit, herbs & vegetables, free range poultry and meat, deli style foods, regional wine, coffee and a gourmet sausage sizzle. The Lake has never tasted so good. 9am to 1pm,2nd & last Sat of month (except Dec which is 2nd & 3rd Sat)   Wendouree Parade, Lake Wendouree - Ballarat (next to Pipers Restaurant) Enquiries: (03) 9569 4767 Ballarat Trash & Trivia Market Over 400 stalls selling secondhand goods, crafts,etc. 8am - 2pm, Sundays   Ballarat Showgrounds,Creswick Rd, - Ballarat (Mel ref 609 A12) Enquiries: 0418 518 106 Beaufort Market Craft and Produce Market. Located on the Western Highway between Ballarat and Ararat, a beautiful drive approx. one and a half hours from Melbourne. 1st Saturday of the month, 9:00am - 1:00pm in Memorial Park, Western Highway, Beaufort. Market operates from September to April. Local gourmet food, produce, arts & crafts. 9am to 1pm, first Saturday of month (Sept—April)   Memorial Park, Havelock Street - Beaufort Enquiries: (03) 5349 1184 Buninyong Country Market An indoor/outdoor market selling hand made and home grown goods. 10am to 2pm, First Sunday of month   Buninyong Town Hall, Learmonth Street - Buninyong Enquiries: 0410009000 or (03) 5334 3380 Buninyong Craft Market An indoor/outdoor market featuring home made and home produced goods only 10am-2pm, 1st Sun of month   Town Hall, Learmonth Street, - Buninyong (Mel ref 611 A1) Enquiries: (03) 5341 3950 Buninyong Farmers Market Fresh local produce direct from the producer together with live music and entertainment. 10am-2pm, 3rd Saturday of month   Desoza Park, - Buninyong Enquiries: (03) 5341 3080 Camp Street Market Featuring goods and service which are locally made, grown, designed or manufactured. Selected Sundays   Mining Exchange, Lydiard to Camp Street, - Ballarat Enquiries: (03) 5334 4590 Computer Swap Meet Featuring local and Victorian traders. 9am-4pm, 2nd Saturday of month   Ballarat Secondary College, East Campus, - Ballarat Enquiries: (03) 9886 1466 Pleasant Street Craft Market A large indoor/outdoor market featuring craft, produce and more. 9am - 1pm, 4th Sunday of the month (10am-1.30pm during winter)   Pleasant Street Primary School (next to lake), - Ballarat (mel ref 609 A12) Enquiries: (03) 5333 2349 Please note that the above are the official trading hours. At many markets, a number of stalls close early, so you need to be there well before official closing time. Other markets in Victoria Submit a market for listing on these pages

Forthcoming Events These events are ones which have run in the past and we expect to run in the future. As yet we do not have confirmed details, dates and contact details. To be informed of those details when they become available you can subscribe to our newsletter "Great things to do in Melbourne".   Anderson's Mill Food, Wine & Jazz Festival The Anderson's Mill Festival is a showcase for the excellent food, wine, and music of the region. An eclectic mix of local produce, boutique wineries, entertaining music, arts and crafts, heritage artisans, mill tours and kids entertainment. Magnificent setting of the majestic bluestone mill and picturesque valley. April 2008 ? Anderson's Mill, Smeaton (near Ballarat) Annual Doll and Teddy Fair Dolls and teddies on display and for sale supporting the Bone Marrow Registry and St Vincents Hospital Melbourne. October 2008 ? Sebastapol Secondary College, Ballarat Australian Community Writers Inc Conference "Where Fantasy and History Meet". Book launches, competitions and workshops. September 2008 ? Ballarat Mechanics Institute Hall, Sturt Street, Ballarat Ballarat & District Flower Festival Presented by the Australian Plants society and featring demonstrations and sales. October 2008 ? Ballarat Ballarat Autumn Day Ride Fully supported tours of 50 or 100kms. Lunch at Haddon, approx 500 riders. May 2009 ? Starts from Pleasant Street State School, Ballarat Ballarat Cup Carnival Live music, fashions on the field and the big race. November 2008 ? Ballarat Ballarat Model Railway Club Model Railway Spectacular June 2009 ? Ballarat Orchid Society Inc Orchid Show Displays of many variety of orchids. October 2008 ? Ballarat Horticultural Centre, Wendouree Ballarat Rodeo January 2009 ? Ballarat Showgrounds, Ballarat Ballarat Show The Agricultural & Pastoral Societ's annual show with entertainment, fireworks, showbags, sideshows, livestock & craft competitions. November 2008 ? Ballarat Showgrounds, Ballarat Ballarat Writers Festival Readings, workshops and events suited to both aspiring and established writers. October 2008 ? Australian Catholic University, Aquinas Campus, Ballarat Ballarat Writers' Festival An annual literary festival also featuring local food and wine October 2008 ? Minimg Exchange, Lydiard Street North, Ballarat Buninyong Film Festival A film festival with socialising & sightsseing. May 2009 ? Bunninyong Town Hall, Buninyong Gold King Festival This annual festival takes place in the historic township of Bunninyong nestled underneath the dizzying heights (well not quite) of Mount Bunninyong and features a street parade as well as a varieties of entertainment and stalls. February 2008 ? Desoza Park, Bunninyong Central Highlands Historical Association Family Histoy Expo Annual expo featuring family and local history resources, seminars and book sale, this year including 150 years of railways in Victoria. October 2008 ? Ballarat Dance Sports Festival Ballarat A festival with over 200 competitors. March 2008 ? Miner Dome, Ballarat Ekiden Relay A road relay of marathon distance consisting of 7 laps of Lake Wendouree for corporate and junior teams. October 2008 ? Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Festival of Flowers & Music Ballarat churches , florists and local organisations display themed floral arrangements. Also featuring classical music and hymns. October 2008 ? St Peter's Anglican Church, Sturt Street, Ballarat Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields A festival of fine music in historic venues. Artistic director Sergio de Pieri. January 2009 ? Ballarat and district Rainbow Serpent Festival Did you miss this event? Then subscribe to our free email newsletter to receive advance notice of events such as this one. A new age festival with world music, arts, crafts and communal environment. Featuring entertainment, a market with over 100 stalls, workshops and lifestyle and art displays. January 2008 ? Beaufort Skipton Rose Festival A rose display with stalls and open gardens. November 2008 ? Springfest Market Sunday Over 400 sites with crafts, food wine and much else together with family entertainment, buskers ans displays. Proceeds to support Rotary. November 2008 ? Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Statewide Philatelic Congress The largest fair outside Melbourne with over 30 dealer and club members' tables, Militaria and badges. October 2008 ? Ballarat Stuffest Youth Festival With BMX events, bands, workshops and dance. September 2009 ? Ballarat Super Southern Swap Meet The largest swap meet in Australia with an enormous range of everything to do with cars. February 2009 ? Ballarat Airport, Ballarat Winter Classic Car Rally June 2009 ? Ballarat Light Car Clubrooms, Ballarat Airport These events are ones which have run in the past and we expect to run in the future. As yet we do not have confirmed details, dates and contact details. To be informed of those details when they become available you can subscribe to our newsletter "Great things to do in Melbourne".

Page last updated: 20 August, 2008 URL:

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