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112-747: The movement to form a Town Association (Progress) began early in 1905 in reaction to the non-responsiveness of the Brunswick Council to the concerns of residents. It was the first such body established in the Melbourne metropolitan area. It is likely the Brunswick Progress Association was the second one established in Australia, as a progress association was established at Ballarat in 1904. Australian Labor Party State Member of Parliament, and later Federal member for

224-643: A claim of child sexual abuse to the Diocese of Ballarat between 1980 and 2015, and 21 alleged perpetrators were identified in these claims. Seventeen of the 21 alleged and convicted perpetrators were priests, which is 8.7% of the priests who ministered during this period. About 45 victims are estimated to have committed suicide. Ballarat lies at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in Central Western Victoria. Also known as

336-663: A delegate to the Federal Convention on Australian Federation. Women won the vote in Western Australia in 1899. Female suffrage was granted in New South Wales in 1902, Tasmania in 1903, Queensland in 1905 and Victoria in 1908. Western Australia and Queensland had racial restrictions and few Indigenous people exercised their right to vote in the other colonies (later states) before 1962 (see below). The Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 gave women

448-612: A large population of convicts and former convicts could be trusted with self-government. The Australian Patriotic Association was formed in 1835 by Wentworth and William Bland to promote representative government for New South Wales. Adelaide City Council was established in 1840 and the City of Sydney in 1842. The right to stand for election was limited to men who possessed £1000 worth of property and wealthy landowners were permitted up to four votes each in elections. The first parliamentary elections in Australia took place in 1843 for

560-415: A moderate oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) with four distinct seasons. Its elevation, ranging between 400 and 630 metres (1,310 and 2,070 feet) above sea level, causes its mean monthly temperatures to tend to be on average 3 to 5 °C (5 to 9 °F) below those of Melbourne, especially in winter. The mean daily maximum temperature for January is 25.1 °C (77 °F), while

672-541: A more restricted property franchise. Responsible self-government was granted to Tasmania (1 May 1855), South Australia (24 June 1856) New South Wales and Victoria (16 July 1855), Queensland (6 June 1859) and Western Australia in 1890. An innovative secret ballot was introduced in Tasmania on 4 February 1856, Victoria (13 March 1856), South Australia (12 February 1856), New South Wales (1858), Queensland (1859) and Western Australia (1877). A form of postal voting

784-485: A new suburb to be known as Lucas to be created. New activity centres have been developed at Delacombe and Alfredton. Ballarat is renowned for its Victorian architectural heritage. 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. The city's history

896-514: A number of surrounding retail parks including a strip shopping centre along Howitt Street including the large retail chain Harvey Norman . Elsewhere are small suburban hubs with supermarkets such as IGA (supermarkets) and small stretches of shopfronts. Unlike Melbourne, Ballarat does not have a defined urban growth boundary . This has put continuing pressure on the city council to approve development applications for subdivisions outside of

1008-513: A plan directing that growth of the city over the next 30 years is to be concentrated to the west of the city centre. The Ballarat West Growth Area Plan was approved by the city and state government in 2010, planning an extensive fringe development consisting of 14,000 new homes and up to 40,000 new residents including new activity centres and employment zones. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse final report, published on 15 December 2017, found that 139 people made

1120-523: A prosperous economy based around a shift to deep underground gold mining . Confidence of the city's early citizens in the enduring future of their 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 private housing. A local steam locomotive industry developed from 1854 with the Phoenix Foundry operating until 1906. The railway came to

1232-462: A regular sight. Snowfall typically falls on nearby Mount Buninyong and Mount Warrenheip several times a year, but in the urban area only once or twice, particularly during heavy winters. Snow has been known to fall heavily with several centimetres accumulating even in the CBD. Heavy snow seasons occurred in 1900–1902 and 1905–1907 (with record falls in 1906), and moderate snow seasons were recorded during

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1344-438: A result, a huge influx of immigrants occurred, including many from Ireland and China, gathering in a collection of prospecting shanty towns around the creeks and hills. Within a few months, numerous alluvial runs were established, several deep mining leads began, and the population had swelled to over 1,000 people. The first post office opened on 1 November 1851, the first to open in a Victorian gold-mining settlement. Parts of

1456-527: A thriving boomtown that for a time rivalled Melbourne , the capital of Victoria, in terms of wealth and cultural influence. In 1854, following a period of civil disobedience in Ballarat over gold licenses, local miners launched an armed uprising against government forces. Known as the Eureka Rebellion , it led to the introduction of white male suffrage in Australia , and as such is interpreted as

1568-640: Is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria , Australia. Ballarat has a population of 119,096 as of March 2024 making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria. Within months of Victoria separating from the colony of New South Wales in 1851, gold was discovered near Ballarat, sparking the Victorian gold rush . Ballarat subsequently became

1680-685: Is a large mixed-use office and retail district bounded to the north by railway lines, to the west by Drummond Street, to the south to Grant Street and to the east by Princes Street and spanning the floodplain of the Yarrowee River. Lydiard, Sturt Streets, Armstrong, Doveton, Dana Street and Bridge Street (known as Bridge Mall) along with the historic centre of East Ballarat—Main Street and Bakery Hill have retained stands of commercial and civic buildings of state and national heritage significance. The inner established suburbs were initially laid out around

1792-672: Is a major focus of the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History , part of Federation University Australia , and is located at old Ballarat Gaol . 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

1904-549: Is a primarily low-rise city. The City of Ballarat defines two Major Activity Centres within the urban area – the Central Business District (CBD) and Wendouree with a high concentration of business, retail and community function based primarily on the Melbourne 2030 planning model and a further 11 neighbourhood activity centres. The tallest building in urban Ballarat is the seven-storey Henry Bolte wing of

2016-487: Is central to the city's western suburbs and beyond Winter's Swamp and the large Lake Burrumbeet wetland complex. Almost all of the other numerous bodies of water have been created artificially and include several reservoirs, the largest being the White Swan Reservoir and smaller suburban lakes such as Lake Esmond. The contiguous urban area of Ballarat covers approximately 90 km (35 sq mi) of

2128-468: Is encouraged including a low interest council Heritage Loans Scheme. and the prevention of demolition by neglect discouraged by council policies. Since the 1970s, the local council has become increasingly aware of the economic and social value of heritage preservation. This is in stark contrast to the 1950s and 60s when Ballarat followed Melbourne in encouraging the removal of Victorian buildings, verandahs in particular. Recent restoration projects funded by

2240-554: Is no prisoner disenfranchisement in the Australian Capital Territory or South Australia. American lawyer Megan A. Winder argues that the disenfranchisement of prisoners serving three years or more constitutes indirect discrimination and racism against Aboriginal people as they have a disproportionately high representation in the prisoner population. The High Court in Roach v Electoral Commissioner held that it

2352-564: Is notable for its very wide boulevards. The main street is Sturt Street with over 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) of central gardens known as the Sturt Street Gardens featuring bandstands, fountains, statues, monuments, memorials and lampposts. Ballarat is home to the largest of a collection of Avenues of Honour in Victoria. The 15-kilometre-long (9.3-mile) Ballarat Avenue of Honour consists of a total of approximately 4,000 trees, mostly deciduous which in many parts arch completely over

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2464-757: Is the Ballarat Victory Arch that spans the old Western Highway on the Western approaches of the city. 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). Ballarat has

2576-439: Is the chilly winter, often accentuated by driving winds. In 2023, a journalist for ABC Ballarat wrote that Ballarat "is notorious for its frosty winters and the near year-round puffer jacket uniform of its residents". When measured by mean temperatures, Ballarat is the coldest city in Victoria. Temperatures can dip below freezing from May to September, however, a low of 0-2 °C is more common - widespread frosts and fog are

2688-442: Is under sentence or subject to be sentenced for any offence … punishable by imprisonment for one year or longer." In 1983, this disenfranchisement was relaxed and prisoners serving a sentence for a crime punishable under the law for less than 5 years were allowed to vote. A further softening occurred in 1995 when the disenfranchisement was limited to those actually serving a sentence of 5 years or longer, although earlier that year

2800-826: The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) published the report "Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws". The report recommended the removal of the "unsound mind" provision stating that it arguably violates Australia's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) , to guarantee that persons with disability can "effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including

2912-610: The Brunswick Town Hall on Sydney Road and replace it with a five story Civic Centre, costing in excess of $ 2 million. The Council plans were stopped with a poll of residents resulting in a no vote won by seven to one. In 1975 the Brunswick Progress Association instituted a campaign to get a Community Health Centre complex, the Brunswick City Council opposed it, the Centre was won with wide support from

3024-416: The Central Highlands , it is named so because of its elevated position and moderate hills and terrain with a lack of any alpine mountains that are situated a few hundred kilometres NE. The city lies within a mostly gently undulating section of the midland volcanic plains which stretch from Creswick in the north, to Rokewood in the south, and from Lal Lal in the south-east to Pittong in the west. Geologically,

3136-757: The Commonwealth Electoral Bill was enacted giving Aboriginal people the right to vote at Commonwealth elections if they were enfranchised under a State law or were a current or former member of the defence forces. The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1961 removed the disqualification on Africans and Pacific Islanders, and the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 gave Indigenous Australians the option of enrolling to vote at Commonwealth and Northern Territory elections. The Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Act 1983, introduced compulsory voting for Indigenous Australians from 1984, as had been

3248-460: The Eureka Rebellion (colloquially referred to as the "Eureka Stockade") which took place in Ballarat on 3 December 1854. The event, in which 22 miners were killed, is considered to be a defining moment in Australian history. The city earned the nickname "The Golden City" in the 1850s. The gold rush population peaked at almost 60,000, mostly male diggers, by 1858. However the early population

3360-795: The Keating government had been planning legislation to extend voting rights to all prisoners. Disenfranchisement does not continue after release from prison. The Howard government legislated in 2006 to ban all prisoners from voting; but in 2007, the High Court in Roach v Electoral Commissioner found that the Constitution enshrined a limited right to vote, which meant that citizens serving relatively short prison sentences (generally less than 3 years) cannot be barred from voting. The threshold of 3 years or more sentence will result in removal of

3472-940: The Victorian Heritage Register or classified by the National Trust of Australia . 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). Other historic buildings include

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3584-561: The 1860s to the present. Some of the other notable 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

3696-483: The 1880s, promoting votes for women and a range of social causes. Female suffrage, and the right to stand for office, was first won in South Australia in 1895. This was the first legislation in the world permitting women also to stand for election to political office. In 1897, Catherine Helen Spence became the first female political candidate for political office, unsuccessfully standing for election as

3808-461: The 1890s and 1900s. Some jurisdictions introduced racial restrictions on voting from 1885, and by 1902 most Australian residents who were not of European descent were explicitly or effectively excluded from voting and standing for office, including at the Federal level. Such restrictions had been removed by 1966. Today, the right to vote at all levels of government is held by citizens of Australia over

3920-403: The 1940s and 1980s. Snowfalls in the urban area have occurred in recent years: November 2006 (light), July 2007 (heavy), June 2008 (light), August 2008 (light), August 2014 (moderate) and June 2016 (light), July 2017 (light), June 2018 (moderate), May 2019 (light), and August and September 2020 (light and heavy). The mean annual rainfall is 693 millimetres (27.3 inches), with August being

4032-533: The 1970s, a further 300 houses were constructed at Wendouree West. Private housing in the adjacent suburb of Wendouree closely matched and eventually eclipsed this by the mid-1960s. The suburb of greater Wendouree and Wendouree West had evolved as the suburban middle-class heart of the city. Charles, Prince of Wales visited Ballarat on 28 October 1974 during which he toured Sovereign Hill, the Ballarat College of Advanced Education's new Mt Helen Campus and

4144-680: The Australian House of Representatives. The member had limited voting rights and did not count for the purpose of forming government. Indigenous people were excluded from voting for the representative. In 1947, the territory was granted a Legislative Council with six elected members and seven members appointed by the Administrator for the Northern Territory. Adult European residents of the territory were entitled to vote. In 1962, all Aboriginal Territorians were granted

4256-512: The Ballarat Base Hospital (1994). Beyond the central area, urban Ballarat extends into several suburban areas with a mixture of housing styles. Predominant styles are 19th-century villas, Victorian terraces, Federation homes and Georgian red brick homes. Settlement patterns around Ballarat consist of small villages and country towns, some with less than a few thousand people. The central business district (located in Ballarat Central )

4368-482: The Ballarat include the reconstruction of significant cast iron lace verandahs including the Mining Exchange, Art Gallery (2007), Mechanics institute (2005–) on Lydiard Street and in 2010 the restoration of the Town Hall and the long neglected Unicorn Hotel façade on Sturt Street. Ballarat Citizens for Thoughtful Development formed in 1998 and was incorporated as Ballarat Heritage Watch in 2005 to ensure that

4480-626: The CBD. The city is home to nationally significant heritage structures. These include the Ballarat Botanical Gardens (established 1857), with the greatest concentration of public statuary, the official Prime Ministers Avenue , the longest running lyric theatre building (Her Majesty's Theatre, established 1875), the first municipal observatory, established 1886, and the earliest and longest war memorial avenue (the Avenue of Honour , established between 1917 and 1919). Ballarat

4592-418: The City of Ballarat. While deep, the depression was also brief. The interwar period proved a period of recovery for Ballarat with a number of major infrastructure projects well underway including a new sewerage system. In 1930, Ballarat Airport was established. By 1931, Ballarat's economy and population was recovering strongly with further diversification of industry, although in 1936 Geelong displaced it as

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4704-555: The Commonwealth Parliament at the first federal elections in 1901. In 1911, however, the Northern Territory was transferred to the Commonwealth government. The territory was placed under the direct control of the federal Minister for External Affairs and the population had no parliamentary representation or voting rights at the territory or federal level. In 1922 the territory was granted one representative in

4816-479: The National Trust, which had begun campaigning to protect some of the city's most historic buildings. By the 1970s, Ballarat began to officially recognise its substantial heritage, and the first heritage controls were recommended to ensure its preservation. With the opening of Sovereign Hill , the city made a rapid shift to become a major cultural tourist destination, visited by thousands each year. During

4928-741: The New South Wales Legislative Council under the New South Wales Constitution Act 1842 (UK). The Council had 36 members, of which 12 were appointed by the Governor and the remainder were elected. The right to vote was limited to adult men with a freehold valued at £200 or a householder paying rent of £20 per year, both very large sums at the time. The property qualification meant that only 20 per cent of males were eligible to vote. In 1850, Britain granted Van Diemen's Land, South Australia and

5040-523: The Provincial Hotel (1909), Reid's Coffee Palace (1886), Craig's Royal Hotel (1862–1890) and Her Majesty's Theatre (1875), the oldest intact and operating lyric theatre in Australia and Ballarat Fire Station (1864, 1911) one of Victoria's oldest fire fighting structures and the Jewish synagogue (1861) the oldest surviving synagogue on the Australian mainland. Restoration of historic buildings

5152-739: The Victorian Environment Protection Authority in 1972. In 1971 the Brunswick Progress Association combined with the West Brunswick Progress Association to object significantly to council plans to demolish the Mechanics' Institute , which was built in 1868. The National Trust also objected and the Mechanics' Institute was saved from the wreckers. In 1973, the Association was active in opposing council plans to demolish

5264-722: The Victorian government for decentralisation , the greatest success being the Victorian Railways opening the Ballarat North Workshops in April 1917. The Great Depression proved a further setback for Ballarat, with the closure of many institutions and causing the worst unemployment in the city's history, with over a thousand people in the dole queue. The city's two municipalities, Ballarat East and West Town Councils, finally amalgamated in 1921 to form

5376-692: The White Swan Reservoir and spoke at Civic Hall. Ballarat played an important role in the Stolen Generation throughout the 20th century, where the Ballarat Orphanage saw Aboriginal children who had been taken from their families. The Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC) was established by members of the Ballarat and district Aboriginal community in 1979. It became a co-operative to deliver health, social, welfare and community development programs to local Aboriginal people. In 2017, local Aboriginal community elder Ted Lovett

5488-399: The Yarrowee River and Canadian Creek valley to the fringe of Buninyong. The central city is situated low in the valley of the Yarrowee River and surrounded by hills such that the city skyline is visible only from the hills and the lower lying inner eastern suburbs. The reach of the Yarrowee River toward Ballarat Central becomes a stormwater drain and is completely covered over as it flows under

5600-470: The Yarrowee Valley, which became known as the Ballarat diggings. Yields were particularly high, with the first prospectors in the area extracting between half an ounce (which was more than the average wage of the time) and up to five ounces of alluvial gold per day. As news of the Victorian gold rush reached the world, Ballarat gained an international reputation as a particularly rich goldfield. As

5712-458: The Yuilles. William Yuille established a hut on the northern edge of the swamp which would be called Yuille's Swamp, later Lake Wendouree. Archibald Yuille named his property "Ballaarat", from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal words, balla and arat , meaning a camping or 'resting place', with the word 'balla' meaning bent elbow. Both 'Ballaarat' and 'Ballarat' were used interchangeably until

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5824-569: The age of 18 years, excluding some prisoners and people "of unsound mind". The first governments established after 1788 were autocratic and run by appointed governors . The governors were subject to English law and were also responsible to the British parliament and relevant minister. A legislative body, the New South Wales Legislative Council , was created in 1825, which was an appointed body whose function

5936-527: The area consists of alluvial sediment and volcanic flows originating from now-extinct volcanoes such as nearby Buninyong (750m, 2460 ft) and Warrenheip (746m, 2446 ft), which are the area's tallest peaks. As a result, the basin contains large areas of fertile agricultural soil. Ballarat itself is situated on an alluvial basin of the Yarrowee catchment and its tributary creeks, penetrated by sub-ranges of schists composed of granites and quartz. Along with

6048-659: The area were an August 1837 party of six men, including Thomas Livingstone Learmonth and Henry Anderson, who scaled Mount Buninyong . Some of this party set off again in January 1838, this time with others including Thomas' brother Somerville Learmonth and William Cross Yuille and his cousin Archibald Buchanan Yuille. The Yuille cousins arrived in 1838 and took up a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) sheep run at Ballarat. The first houses were built near Woolshed Creek (Sebastopol) by Henry Anderson and taken over by

6160-521: The armed services under 21 had the vote in some states, and in World War II, the Commonwealth and some states made the same change. The states had lowered the voting age to 18 by 1973, the first being Western Australian in 1970. The voting age for all federal elections was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1973. At Federation , the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 disenfranchised those "attainted of treason, or who had been convicted and

6272-560: The case for other Australians since 1924. At the state level, the Queensland Elections Act Amendment Act 1959 enfranchised British subjects who were natives of Asia or Africa. In 1962, Western Australia enfranchised Indigenous Australians and those of Asian, African or Pacific Islander descent. On 1 February 1966, Queensland extended voting rights to all Indigenous Australians, the last Australian jurisdiction to do so. Voting in colonial elections

6384-475: The city fringe. In response to lobbying by landholders, the Ballarat West Growth Area Plan, a major greenfield land development plan, was prepared and has approved by the city and state government to allow for planned fringe communities consisting of 14,000 new homes and up to 40,000 new residents, effectively doubling the city's urban area by extending the urban sprawl from Sebastopol, Delacombe and Alfredton west toward Bonshaw , Smythes Creek and Cardigan with

6496-452: The city's architectural heritage is given due consideration in the planning process. The Ballarat Botanical Gardens (established in 1858) are recognised as the finest example of a regional botanical gardens in Australia and are home to many heritage listed exotic tree species and feature a modern glasshouse and horticultural centre and the Prime Ministers Avenue which features bronze busts of every past Australian Prime Minister. Ballarat

6608-420: The city, and the following day the rowing events were held at the lake. On 2 March 1958 the Queen Mother visited Ballarat. During the following decades, the city saw increased threats to its heritage. In 1964, the Ballarat City Council passed laws banning pillar-supported verandahs in the CBD, which threatened the removal of historic cast iron verandahs in the city. The by-law was met by staunch opposition from

6720-444: The cold war atmosphere of 1953 the Brunswick Council passed a resolution not to enter into any correspondence with any person who is a communist or communist sympathiser. In council elections in 1954 the Mayor and several councillors were defeated and in a meeting of Council the 'Anti-red law' was rescinded 18 votes to 4. In 1965 the Progress Association was at a low ebb of activity. Two new members, Vic Little and Vida Little, enlivened

6832-564: The community. The Merri-bek Community Health Service is now a multimillion-dollar community organisation servicing the health needs of the residents of the City of Merri-bek , with major centres on Glenlyon Road in Brunswick, and Bell street in Coburg. Other campaigns included: The Association met at the now-demolished Clarrie Wohlers Citizens' Centre, Fleming Park, on the corner of Albert and Cross Streets, East Brunswick. Ballarat Ballarat ( / ˌ b æ l ə ˈ r æ t / BAL -ə- RAT ) ( Wathawurrung : balla arat )

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6944-470: The death of dozens of Ballarat residents, and in August 1909, a great storm lashed the city, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of seven others, as well as the destruction of numerous homes. Ballarat's significant representation in World War I resulted in heavy human loss. Around this time, it was overtaken in population by the port city of Geelong , further diminishing its provincial status. In response, local lobbyists continually pushed

7056-488: The defence of Australia against a Japanese invasion and decommissioned on 29 August 1944. Usually consisting of four tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($ 1,800,000). In the post-war era, Ballarat's growth continued. In response to an acute housing shortage, significant suburban expansion occurred. An extensive Housing Commission of Victoria estate

7168-404: The development of the city and its rich social fabric. These include, Robert Burns , Peter Lalor , Sir Albert Coates , Harold Edward Elliott (Pompey Elliot), William Dunstan , King George V , Queen Victoria and more. Ballarat has an extensive array of significant war memorials, the most recent of which is the Australian Ex Prisoner of War Memorial . The most prominent memorial in the city

7280-453: The district were first surveyed by William Urquhart as early as October 1851. By 1852 his grid plan and wide streets for land sales in the new township of West Ballarat, built upon a plateau of basalt , contrasted markedly with the existing narrow unplanned streets, tents, and gullies of the original East Ballarat settlement. The new town's main streets of the time were named in honour of police commissioners and gold commissioners of

7392-414: The eastern colonies to draft constitutions enabling self-government. The constitutions for New South Wales, Victoria and Van Diemen's Land (renamed Tasmania in 1856) gained royal assent in 1855, and that for South Australia in 1856. The constitutions varied, but each created a lower house elected on a broad male franchise and an upper house which was either appointed for life (New South Wales) or elected on

7504-423: The first royal visit, the occasion was met with great fanfare. The Prince Room was prepared at Craigs Royal Hotel for his stay. The city's first civic centre—Prince Alfred Hall—erected over the Yarrowee between the two municipalities, was named in his honour during his visit. The later attempt by Ballaratian Henry James O'Farrell to assassinate the Prince was met with shock and great horror from locals. Ballarat

7616-460: The jurist and politician Sir John Madden . The first electricity supply was completed in 1901, and that year a bluestone power station was built at the corner of Ripon Street and Wendouree Parade with the main aim of electrifying the city's tramway network. Despite such advancements, mining activity slowed at this time and Ballarat's growth all but stopped, leading to a decades-long period of decline. The Sunshine rail disaster in 1908 resulted in

7728-454: The key mining areas and include Ballarat East , Bakery Hill , Golden Point , Soldiers Hill , Black Hill , Brown Hill , Eureka , Canadian , Mount Pleasant , Redan , Sebastopol and Newington . The post gold rush era has seen a boom in expansion, extending the conurbation north, south and west. To the west, Ballarat has expanded West to Lucas , Alfredton , Delacombe To The North West Wendouree , Wendouree West and Miners Rest To

7840-474: The local government area's 740 km (286 sq mi). Approximately 90% of the urban area's land use is residential and suburban. From the city centre this area extends approximately 6 kilometres (4 miles) north to the hills around Invermay, approximately 7.5 km (4.7 mi) east to Leigh Creek in the foothills of Mount Warrenheip, approximately 7 km (4 mi) west along the plains to Lucas and approximately 8.5 km (5.3 mi) south along

7952-494: The loss of two lives. Prolonged drought (an average annual rainfall with falls averaging as low as 400 mm (16 in) per year since 2001) caused Lake Wendouree to dry up completely for the first time in its history between 2006 and 2007. More recently higher rainfall levels have been recorded including 95.0 mm (3.74 in) in the 24 hours to 9 am on 14 January 2011, ending a four-day period of flooding rains across much of Victoria and Tasmania, and contributing to

8064-446: The mean minimum is 10.9 °C (52 °F). In July, the mean maximum is 10.0 °C (50 °F); average July minimum is 3.2 °C (38 °F). Ballarat has 55.2 clear days annually, with the grand majority in summer and early autumn. Ballarat has very rainy winters. The city has a reputation for unpredictable and extreme weather, ranging from snowfall to intense heatwaves. Perhaps the most infamous feature of Ballarat's climate

8176-570: The newly created colony of Victoria semi-elected Legislative Councils on the New South Wales model. Elections for the Legislative Councils were held in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Van Diemen's Land in 1851 and produced a greater number of liberal members who agitated for full self-government. In 1852, the British Government announced that convict transportation to Van Diemen's Land would cease and invited

8288-418: The north it has expanded to Ballarat North , Invermay Park , Invermay, Victoria Invermay and Nerrina ; to the east to Warrenheip and south to Sebastopol , Mount Clear and Mount Helen with the urban area encroaching the large town of Buninyong . Wendouree is currently the only major suburban activity centre with a large indoor shopping mall—Stockland Shopping Centre (expanded in 2007 ) and also has

8400-487: The organisation, which steadily grew in members as campaigns were launched on local issues and concerns of residents. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Association was very active in opposition to the proposed F2 Freeway along the Merri Creek , ran a successful campaign for clean air, as Brunswick was then said to be the second most polluted city in Victoria. The clean air campaign in the 1960s was instrumental in establishing

8512-484: The origin of Australian democracy . The rebellion's symbol, the Eureka Flag , has become a national symbol. Proclaimed a city on 9 September 1870, Ballarat's prosperity, unlike that of many other gold boomtowns, continued until the late 19th century, as the city's fields experienced sustained high gold yields for many decades. By the turn of the century, Ballarat's importance relative to Melbourne rapidly faded with

8624-508: The other colonies (later states) before 1962 (see below). Propertied women in the colony of South Australia were granted the vote in local elections (but not parliamentary elections) in 1861. Henrietta Dugdale formed the first Australian women's suffrage society in Melbourne , Victoria in 1884. Societies to promote women's suffrage were also formed in South Australia in 1888 and New South Wales in 1891. The Women's Christian Temperance Union established branches in most Australian colonies in

8736-504: The present spelling was officially adopted by the City of Ballarat in 1994, when the city amalgamated with surrounding local government areas. The first publicised discovery of gold in the region was by Thomas Hiscock on 2 August 1851, in Buninyong to the south. The find brought other prospectors to the area and on 19 August 1851, more gold was found at Poverty Point. Within days, a gold rush began, bringing thousands of prospectors to

8848-612: The prisoner from the federal electoral roll, and the person must re-enrol upon release. Each state has its own prisoner disenfranchisement thresholds. For example, prisoners in NSW and Western Australia serving a sentence of longer than one year are not entitled to vote in State elections. In Victoria, persons are struck off the electoral roll if serving a prison sentence of 5 years or more. In Queensland elections, people serving prison sentences of 3 years or longer are not entitled to vote. There

8960-515: The racial restrictions. From 1863 to 1911, the Northern Territory was a part of South Australia . In 1890, South Australia made the Northern Territory a separate electoral district with two parliamentary representatives and granted the vote to its adult males (and adult females from 1895). Indigenous Australians also had the right to vote. The status of South Australian voters also qualified them to vote in elections for both Houses of

9072-592: The requirement that all voters reside at a particular address for a specified period. Before 26 January 1949, people born in Australia were known under Australian law as "British subjects", and there was no legal distinction between them and other British subjects. From 1949, anyone born in Australia was officially termed an Australian citizen , although British subjects retained voting rights in Australia. All British subjects who were enrolled to vote in Australia before 26 January 1984 retain voting rights at federal and state elections in Australia . As of that date,

9184-413: The right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, including the right and opportunity to vote and be elected". The ALRC report made recommendations as to how to support Australians with disabilities in voting. The Human Rights Law Centre has stated that the exclusion of persons of "unsound mind" from the franchise "is vague, stigmatising and overly broad, and does not reflect

9296-434: The right of other British subjects to enrol to vote was abolished. A right to vote has been grandfathered : a British national who was enrolled to vote before 26 January 1984 can re-enrol at any time, even if his/her enrolment has lapsed subsequently for any reason. British nationals on the electoral roll, like all other people enrolled to vote in Australia, are subject to compulsory voting , and are required by law to attend

9408-406: The right to vote and stand for election for federal parliament but there were racial restrictions for both sexes. Four women stood as independents at the 1903 federal election but were unsuccessful. In 1901, the six Australian colonies united to form the federal Commonwealth of Australia . The first election for the Commonwealth parliament in 1901 was based on the electoral laws at that time of

9520-585: The right to vote and stand for election to federal parliament. However, the Act excluded "natives of Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands (other than New Zealand)" from the federal franchise, unless they were already enrolled to vote in an Australian state. This meant that Australia was the second country, after New Zealand, to grant women's suffrage at a national level, and the first country to allow women to stand for parliament, although subject to

9632-493: The right to vote in territorial and federal elections. In 1974, a fully elected Legislative Assembly was established and the Northern Territory had its first representative parliament. All adult Territorians were entitled to vote at the territory and federal level without racial restrictions. In 1911, the Commonwealth introduced compulsory enrolment for voting at the federal level. Police were engaged to visit every Australian household and register eligible adults. Compulsory voting

9744-425: The road. Each tree has a bronze plaque dedicated to a soldier from the Ballarat region who enlisted during World War I. The Avenue of Honour and the Arch of Victory are on the Victorian Heritage Register and are seen by approximately 20,000 visitors each year. 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

9856-481: The rolls. In 1922, the Commonwealth government made regulations preventing Indigenous people from voting in elections for the newly created Northern Territory representative in the Commonwealth House of Representatives. In 1925, British-Indians who met the residency requirements of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and naturalised Asian Australians were exempted from the disqualification. In 1949,

9968-485: The seat of Bourke, Frank Anstey (1865-1940), was elected on the first Executive Committee of the Brunswick Town Association (Progress). Anstey had a long association with the organisation until his death in 1940. Maurice Blackburn succeeded Frank Anstey as Federal representative for the seat of Bourke and also maintained an active interest in the affairs of the Brunswick Progress Association. In

10080-454: The six colonies, so that those who had the right to vote and to stand for parliament at state level had the same rights for the 1901 Australian federal election . In 1902, the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 , which established a uniform franchise law for the federal Parliament. The Act granted British subjects, male and female, over the age of 21 years who had been living in Australia for at least 6 months

10192-592: The slowing of gold extraction. It has endured as a major regional centre and is the commercial capital and largest city of the Central Highlands, as well as a significant tourist destination. Ballarat is known for its history, culture and well-preserved colonial-era heritage, with much of the city subject to heritage overlays. The Ballarat region was first populated by the Wadawurrung people, an Indigenous Australian people. The first Europeans to sight

10304-536: The state's second largest city. During World War II an expanded Ballarat airport was the base of the RAAF Wireless Air Gunners' School as well as the base for USAAF Liberator bomber squadrons. In 1942, Ballarat became connected to the state electricity grid by a 66,000 kV line. Prior to this, power supply was generated locally. During World War II , Ballarat was the location of RAAF No.1 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD) , completed in 1942 in

10416-405: The time, with the main street, Sturt Street, named after Evelyn Pitfield Shirley Sturt ; Dana Street named after Henry Dana ; Lydiard Street after his assistant; Doveton Street after Francis Crossman Doveton, Ballarat's first gold commissioner; Armstrong after David Armstrong; and Mair Street after William Mair. These officials were based at the government encampment (after which nearby Camp Street

10528-707: The town with the opening of the Geelong–Ballarat line in 1862 and Ballarat developed as a major railway town . As the city grew the region's original indigenous inhabitants were quickly expelled to the fringe and by 1867 few remained. From the late 1860s to the early 20th century, Ballarat made a successful transition from a gold rush town to an industrial-age city. The ramshackle tents and timber buildings gradually made way for permanent buildings, many impressive structures of solid stone and brick mainly built from wealth generated by early mining. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh visited between 9 and 13 December 1867 and as

10640-909: The true capacity of people with disabilities to make decisions about voting". Further information: Voter Suppression Apart from legal disenfranchisement, there have historically been other forms of voter suppression on racial and other grounds. While there were no specific restrictions in legislation on Indigenous people voting in most jurisdictions, other barriers often prevented them exercising that right and there were instances where those with voting rights were discouraged from voting. Between 1858 and 1926, New South Wales disqualified persons receiving aid from "any public charitable institution" from voting, and anyone living in Aboriginal reserves were considered to be receiving aid. Some exceptions were afforded to landholders and " half-caste " Aboriginals. In South Australia, most Indigenous people did not meet

10752-446: The visible river and creeks, the catchment basin has numerous active and inactive aquifers and natural wetlands, which are used for urban water supply, agriculture and recreation. There are numerous densely forested areas around Ballarat; however due to historic wood milling and land clearing there remain no old-growth forests. The major natural bodies of water are in the west and include the former shallow swamps of Lake Wendouree which

10864-578: The wettest January on record, with a total of 206.0 mm (8.11 in) of rain for the month. Suffrage in Australia Suffrage in Australia is the voting rights in the Commonwealth of Australia , its six component states (before 1901 called colonies) and territories, and local governments. The colonies of Australia began to grant universal male suffrage from 1856, with women's suffrage on equal terms following between

10976-401: The wettest month (75 mm or 3.0 in). There are an average of 198 rain-free days per year. Like much of Australia, Ballarat experiences cyclical drought and heavy rainfall. Flooding of the Yarrowee catchment occurs occasionally. In 1869 a serious flood of the Yarrowee River put most of the lower section of the business district including Bridge and Grenville streets under water and caused

11088-474: Was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to the indigenous community and for his works in eliminating racism in sports in south-west Victoria. Karen Heap and Ted Lovett were listed on the Victoria's Aboriginal Honour Role both in part for their work at BADAC. The city continued to grow at the national average throughout the late 20th century and early 21st century. In 2008 the City of Ballarat released

11200-424: Was based on a property requirement until universal male suffrage was introduced for the lower houses of colonial parliaments from 1856 (see above). The colonial (later state) upper houses of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia retained a property franchise whereas the upper houses of New South Wales and Victoria were appointed by the governor on the advice of the government. The South Australian Legislative Council

11312-618: Was built on the former Ballarat Common (today known as Wendouree West ). The estate was originally planned to contain over 750 prefabricated houses. While planning for the estate began in 1949, main construction occurred between 1951 and 1962. The 1950s brought a new optimism to the city. On 17 April 1952 it was announced that Lake Wendouree was to be the venue for rowing events of the 1956 Summer Olympics, and work soon began on an Olympic village in Gillies Street. A new prefabricted power terminal substation at Norman Street Ballarat North

11424-600: Was constructed between 1951 and 1953 by the State Electricity Commission. The first Begonia Festival , a highly successful community celebration, was held in 1953. Elizabeth II visited on 8 March 1954. The Civic Centre, Prince Alfred Hall had burned down suspiciously that year; however a new Civic Hall was constructed and opened in March 1955. On 23 November 1956, the Olympic torch was carried through

11536-505: Was elected on a property-based franchise until 1973. The New South Wales Legislative Council was appointed until 1978. Since the 1970s, all the houses of Australian parliaments have been elected on a full adult franchise basis. The voting age for colonial and state parliaments was 21 years until the 1970s. State voting age laws applied at the first federal election, and was legislated for federal elections in 1902, applying equally to men and women 21 years of age. In World War I, members of

11648-425: Was introduced at the federal level in 1924 (in 1984 for Aboriginal Australians), at the state level in Victoria in 1926, followed by NSW (1928), Tasmania (1928), Western Australia (1936) and South Australia (1942). Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders became British subjects as the colonies were settled throughout the continent, but actual participation in colonial society and access to civil rights

11760-422: Was introduced in Western Australia in 1877, followed by an improved method in South Australia in 1890. South Australia introduced universal male suffrage for its lower house in 1856, followed by Victoria in 1857, New South Wales (1858), Queensland (1872), Western Australia (1893) and Tasmania (1900). Western Australia and Queensland had racial restrictions and few Indigenous people exercised their right to vote in

11872-457: Was largely itinerant. As quickly as the alluvial deposits drew prospectors to Ballarat, the rate of gold extraction fluctuated and, as they were rapidly worked dry, many quickly moved to rush other fields as new findings were announced, particularly Mount Alexander in 1852, Fiery Creek in 1855, and Ararat in 1857. By 1859, a smaller number of permanent settlers numbering around 23,000, many of whom had built personal wealth in gold, established

11984-572: Was legitimate to exclude long-term prisoners from the franchise on the basis that they had broken their contract with society. The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) (the Electoral Act) states that "A person who...by reason of being of unsound mind, is incapable of understanding the nature and significance of enrolment and voting... is not entitled to have his or her name placed or retained on any Roll or to vote at any Senate election or House of Representatives election." In November 2014

12096-691: Was limited. Under the Queensland Elections Act (1885), no "aboriginal native of Australia, Asia, Africa, or the Islands of the Pacific" was entitled to vote. This restriction was extended to Torres Strait Islanders in 1930. In Western Australia, The Constitution Act Amendment Act of 1893 removed the property qualification for white male voters but retained it for "Aboriginal natives of Australia, Asia or Africa" and people of mixed descent. The property qualification (ownership of land that

12208-566: Was named), which was strategically positioned on an escarpment with an optimal view over the district's diggings. The first newspaper, The Banner , published on 11 September 1853, was one of many to be distributed during the gold-rush period. Print media played a large role in the early history of the settlement. Ballarat attracted a sizable number of miners from the Californian 1848 gold rush, and some were known as Ballafornians. Civil disobedience in Ballarat led to an armed civil uprising,

12320-508: Was proclaimed a city in 1871. Gong Gong dam was built in 1877 to alleviate flooding and to provide a permanent water supply. A direct railway to Melbourne was completed in December 1889. Many industries and workshops had been established as a result of manufacturing and servicing for the deep lead mining industry. Local boosters at the start of the 20th century adopted the nickname " Athens of Australia", first used to describe Ballarat by

12432-548: Was to advise the Governor. On 24 August 1824, 5 members were appointed to the Council, which increased to 7 members in 1825, and between 10 and 15 in 1829. A number of prominent colonial figures, including William Wentworth , campaigned for a greater degree of self-government, although there were divisions about the extent to which a future legislative body should be popularly elected. Other issues included traditional British political rights, land policy, transportation and whether

12544-563: Was valued at least £100) excluded virtually all such persons from the franchise. At the federal level, the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 , excluded "natives of Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands (other than New Zealand)" from the federal franchise, unless they were already enrolled to vote in an Australian state as at 1 January 1901. However, some Aboriginal people were nevertheless struck off

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