What a beauty!

Another city in Victoria we've heard a lot about but had never visited - thoroughly enjoyed "Ballarat the Beautiful"!

Exploring Ballarat's CBD is another step back in time with it's charming and majestic Victorian architecture. Queen Victoria and George V made their appearance again, just as they did in Bendigo - sign of the times!

Along Sturt Street, heading out of the CBD, is lovely Lake Wendouree - a great recreation area for the Ballaratians! It's a nice picturesque 6km walk around the lake's edge, and includes the Botanical Gardens.

Further along Sturt Street is the leafy Avenue of Honour introduced by the huge Arch of Victory which spans the road - impressive!

An old poem praising Ballarat
Click to enlarge

Then....

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............and now

Queen Victoria's statue stands proud outside the Town Hall

These buildings still stand today

Craig's Hotel

Her Majesty's Theatre
The longest running lyric theatre building,established 1875

The original Post Office now part of the University of Ballarat.
The Ballarat Post Office was the largest Victorian building of its kind outside the Melbourne General Post Office.

Sturt Street is very, very wide! with a beautiful median strip adorned with gardens,
trees and statuary

George V is here as well!

Ballarat's historic Station

The intersection of Sturt and Lydiard Streets
(the two main streets)

The historic Post Office Building

The Mechanics Institute Building
(like TAFE today)

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 The Eureka Rebellion, the only armed civil uprising in Australian history, took place on 3 December 1854 at the Eureka Mining Lead, and the event is controversially identified with the birth of democracy in Australia.

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The Eureka Centre in the Eureka  Historical Precinct in Ballarat

Lovely Lake Wendouree 

The Arch of Victory and
the Avenue of Honour
The earliest and longest memorial avenue, established between 1917 and 1919.

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