Ballarat

Take a look at the city of Ballarat Victoria and you'll see wide tree-lined boulevards fronted by historic glorious Victorian buildings, beautifully restored, giving hints of a rich history. Lydiard St in the centre of Ballarat is especially beautiful.

Originally settled by Europeans as a sheep station, all of that changed in the 1850s when gold was discovered in Victoria. Soon 20,000 miners were living in the area, panning and digging for gold to make their fortunes. It was a rough and ready time in the early history of Australia. Miners had to pay expensive mining fees to hold a licence to mine.

The people that collected these mining fees and checked for licences twice a week were brutal. These conditions led to one of the defining moments in Australia – the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade, where 30 miners fighting for the right for representation in parliament and fair licences, fought to their death at the stockade. Ballarat, Australia houses a number of memorials to this turning point – the Eureka Centre and a nightly re-enactment at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat.

Sovereign Hill during the day is a recreation of a 1850s goldfields township. Here history comes alive and you can take a tour of a gold mine, pan for gold and enjoy the atmosphere. The Ballarat gold trail also takes in the Gold Museum, with displays of nuggets and gold coins from around the world.

Grab a map and explore Ballarat's attractions, from the wineries to the Ballarat Wildlife Park, through to medieval castles where you can book luxury accommodation.