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12 Jan 2021
Ballarat's Survival Day Dawn Ceremony to be livestreamed in 2021
Ballarat’s award-winning Survival Day Dawn Ceremony will be livestreamed from Lake Wendouree on 26 January this year with the aim of creating an educational documentary. The Koorie Engagement Action Group...
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News
22 Dec 2020
Two AFL games scheduled for Ballarat in 2021
AFL is returning to Ballarat in 2021. Mars Stadium will host the following two home and away games next year: Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions (Saturday 10 April at 1.45pm)...
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News
17 Dec 2020
Summer at Sovereign Hill just got even better
Summer at Sovereign Hill just got even better! The tourist attraction has opened seven days a week. Some of the much-loved activities and attractions set to return for the first...
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News
15 Dec 2020
Ballarat's new program of activities for 26 January
The City of Ballarat will host a new program of activities on 26 January from 2021. The Survival Day Dawn Ceremony and citizenship ceremonies are planned for Tuesday 26 January...
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News
11 Dec 2020
Linda McCartney exhibition to headline the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale
In an Australian exclusive, the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale will showcase the works of world-famous American photographer Linda McCartney (1948 – 1998). Curated by Linda's former husband/Beatles frontman Paul...
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News
10 Dec 2020
Ballarat's new Christmas decorations revealed
Three new star installations have been added to Ballarat's swag of Christmas decorations in 2020. A 10-metre long shooting star that sparkles during the day and lights up at night...
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News
10 Dec 2020
Get your free $200 travel voucher from 11 December
The Victorian Government is giving away its first round of $200 travel vouchers on Friday 11 December from 10am as part of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme. An initial 40,000...
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News
08 Dec 2020
New accommodation option for Ballarat CBD
A stylish new 77-room hotel has opened in the heart of Ballarat. As its name suggests, Quest Ballarat Station is located next to the historic Ballarat Railway Station in Nolan...
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News
08 Dec 2020
Twilight hours return to Kryal Castle
Ballarat's Kryal Castle will again switch to special twilight hours this summer. From Saturday 26 December until Tuesday 26 January, the tourist attraction will be open daily between 2pm and...
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News
08 Dec 2020
Music line-up announced for new look Summer Sundays series
Ella Hooper, Clare Bowditch and Ross Wilson will headline Ballarat's COVID-safe edition of the annual live music series Summer Sundays. Over three weekends in January, Summer Sundays will be live...
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News
06 Dec 2020
Ballarat Information Centre reopens at the Town Hall
The Ballarat Information Centre (BIC) has returned to the Ballarat Town Hall. Located at 225 Sturt Street, the centre is open 10am to 4pm daily. All visitors need to maintain...
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News
01 Dec 2020
Ballarat to honour the Eureka Stockade's 166th anniversary
The City of Ballarat will host a series of commemorative events to mark the 166th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade on Thursday 3 December. This year’s commemorative program is mostly...
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News
24 Nov 2020
A-League heads back to Ballarat for 2020/21 season
Western United will return to Ballarat's Mars Stadium next year as part of the 2020/21 A-League Season. On the Labour Day long weekend, the club will play the Western Sydney...
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News
24 Nov 2020
Shop small and support local in Ballarat this Christmas
Show your support for Ballarat's small businesses by shopping locally this festive season. To get you started, we've put together a list of some of our favourite local retailers... Something...
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News
10 Nov 2020
Art Gallery of Ballarat to reopen on 14 November
The doors to the historic Art Gallery of Ballarat will reopen to visitors this Saturday 14 November. Guests will be able to explore the six exhibitions on display as well...
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News
04 Nov 2020
Ballarat to again host Road National Championships in 2021
World-class cycling will return to Ballarat next year with the city securing the rights to host the 2021 AusCycling Federation University Road National Championships. The rescheduled event will be held...
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Food & Drink
28 Oct 2020
The Ballarat businesses that opened during a pandemic
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions, a long list of gutsy Ballarat businesses have bitten the bullet and opened their doors in 2020, further expanding the city's impressive hospitality and...
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Family Friendly
24 Oct 2020
Sovereign Hill to reopen with reduced ticket prices
Ballarat tourist attraction Sovereign Hill will reopen on 31 October with new ticket prices and a range of hygiene and social distancing measures in place. The living museum will open...
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Family Friendly
17 Sep 2020
Ballarat Wildlife Park and Kryal Castle reopen to regional Victorians
The Ballarat Wildlife Park and Kryal Castle have reopened to locals and regional Victorians, just in time for the spring school holidays. Owned and operated by the Parker family, the...
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Family Friendly
16 Sep 2020
Escape to Ballarat for the spring school holidays
Regional Victorians can again holiday in regional Victoria – Ballarat included – as of 17 September. This important third step in the State Government's COVID-19 roadmap has arrived just in...
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News
02 Sep 2020
Learn in lockdown with Ballarat's online workshops and DIY kits
Pick up a new skill or simply make the most of your time at home with our guide to Ballarat's online masterclasses and DIY kits. Online workshops Enjoy happy hour...
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Food & Drink
02 Sep 2020
Bar meets brewery at new Ballarat venue Aunty Jacks
The countdown is on until the opening of Ballarat's much anticipated brewpub Aunty Jacks. Located at 315-317 Mair Street next to fellow newcomer Ragazzone, Aunty Jacks will combine quality craft...
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News
01 Sep 2020
SpringFest Ballarat unveils new online raffle
SpringFest Ballarat has been reimagined in the face of COVID-19 restrictions and will be presented as an $18,000 online raffle this year. Up for grabs in the 2020 Ultimate SpringFest...
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Food & Drink
26 Aug 2020
Enjoy a taste of Ballarat at home with Click for Vic
The Ballarat region is featured in a new State Government campaign designed to connect people with Victorian producers, creators and businesses. Click for Vic encourages consumers to support Victorian businesses...
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Food & Drink
11 Aug 2020
A self-guided food and adventure experience with a difference
A Melbourne-founded company offering unique ways to experience more than 50 cities around the world has arrived in Ballarat. To date, AmazingCo has delivered more than 40,000 experiences to over...
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Food & Drink
05 Aug 2020
Your guide to Ballarat cafes and restaurants open for takeaway and delivery
Whilst dining out might be temporarily off the menu due to stage three restrictions, you can still treat yourself at home with our lockdown guide to Ballarat cafes and restaurants...
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Food & Drink
14 Jul 2020
Faces of Ballarat: Gorgi Coghlan
She's the popular Australian television host who's brought a slice of European magic and simplicity to Ballarat. We spoke to The Provincial Hotel owner and The Project panellist Gorgi Coghlan...
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Food & Drink
07 Jul 2020
Step back in time at The 18th Amendment Bar
A new Ballarat bar is taking patrons back to a chapter in American history when it was illegal to consume or sell alcohol. The 18th Amendment Bar opened at the...
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News
25 Jun 2020
Discounted tickets for locals and regional Victorians at Ballarat tourist attractions
Ballarat tourist attractions are offering discounted tickets to help attract local and regional Victorian visitors this winter. Discounts of up to 50 per cent are available at Sovereign Hill, Kryal...
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News
18 Jun 2020
Ballarat’s online winter festival extended until 31 August
If you can't visit Ballarat right now in person, you still can online with the Ballarat Virtual Winter Fest extended until 31 August. Visit the website and tour the interactive...
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Family Friendly
15 Jun 2020
Kryal Castle to lower its drawbridge on 27 June
Another Ballarat tourist attraction has announced a reopening date, with Kryal Castle to resume operations on Saturday 27 June. During the Victorian school holidays (27 June – 12 July), the...
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News
09 Jun 2020
Art Gallery of Ballarat to reopen doors on 1 July
Australia’s oldest and largest regional gallery will resume operations on Wednesday 1 July. The Art Gallery of Ballarat will open to a limited number of visitors from 10am-5pm daily using...
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Family Friendly
02 Jun 2020
Ballarat Wildlife Park reopens to the public
The Ballarat Wildlife Park has reopened to visitors after it was forced to close its doors in late March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Parker family and the...
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Family Friendly
28 May 2020
Ballarat's Kryal Castle to host Harry Potter stars this October
The English actors who played the Weasley twins in the hit Harry Potter films will make a special appearance in Ballarat later this year. James and Oliver Phelps (who starred...
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Made of Ballarat
14 Apr 2020
From Ballarat with love
We're bringing the Ballarat region to you with our list of local businesses with online stores that deliver Australia-wide. Shop small, support local and be kind to Ballarat businesses during...
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News
14 Apr 2020
Ballarat festival to help create visual COVID-19 record
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is partnering with the United Kingdom's FORMAT International Photography Festival and Ireland's Gallery of Photography to create a visual record of the COVID-19 crisis on...
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News
18 Feb 2020
Excitement builds for Ballarat's Super Rugby double header
History will be made this weekend when Super Rugby comes to Ballarat for the very first time. Victoria’s own Melbourne Rebels will host a huge double header at Mars Stadium...
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News
04 Feb 2020
Ballarat goes crazy for National Raspberry Drop Day
Ballarat businesses have joined forces with Sovereign Hill this February to celebrate the city's famous hard‐boiled lolly, the raspberry drop. Raspberry drop lemon meringue cakes, raspberry drop dessert pizzas and...
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News
04 Feb 2020
Your guide to Ballarat's new Smarter Parking Plan
Ballarat’s new Smarter Parking Plan has been rolled out across the CBD. The parking meters are a mix of credit card and coin, with the added ability to pay via...
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News
30 Jan 2020
Ballarat to transform into a summer playground for big kids this February
Live music, fine food, craft beer plus elite and extreme sports will be the focus of Ballarat’s bumper line-up of events this February. In a coup for the city, Mars...
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News
13 Jan 2020
More new live music venues and bars for Ballarat
Ballarat's entertainment scene continues to grow with the addition of several new bars and live music venues to the city's line-up in 2020. The sad face that resulted from the...
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News
10 Jan 2020
Ballarat secures RoadNats for another three years
In a coup for Ballarat, the city has scored the rights to host Cycling Australia's Road National Championships for the next three years. First held in Ballarat in 2002, the...
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News
07 Jan 2020
How to support bushfire relief in Ballarat
If you’re visiting Ballarat this January, here's how you can help raise money to support those affected by the nation’s devastating bushfires. The Western Hotel’s Bushfire Fundraiser 1221 Sturt Street...
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News
20 Dec 2019
Ballarat to host Super Rugby match in 2020
Ballarat will become the first regional Australian town to host a Super Rugby match for premiership points in February 2020. The Melbourne Rebels will take on the Durban Sharks at...
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News
18 Dec 2019
Ballarat to show its creative side with new open studio program
Ballarat artists, makers and creatives will join forces for the city’s largest open studio program in April next year. From 3-13 April, Ballarat Open Studios: Art of Making will be...
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News
10 Dec 2019
Award accolades for Ballarat businesses
Ballarat continues to make its mark in the hospitality and tourism sectors, with a number of local businesses scoring statewide recognition at recent industry awards. The following businesses and individuals...
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Family Friendly
07 Nov 2019
Get ready to chart a creative journey of discovery
The long-awaited Fringe Benefits program – a complementary music, art and performance festival to the city’s largest inaugural music festival, Spilt Milk – has been launched. The city is set...
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News
01 Nov 2019
Ballarat named UNESCO Creative City
The City of Ballarat has been announced as a UNESCO Creative City, in the area of Craft and Folk Art.​ Ballarat is one of 66 newly declared UNESCO cities and 246...
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More stories
News
09 Jul 2019
State recognition for The Provincial Hotel
After just eight months in business, The Provincial Hotel has been named Victoria’s best boutique style accommodation. The Ballarat hotel was awarded the accolade at the 2019 Tourism Accommodation Australia...
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News
08 Jul 2019
Ballarat home to Australia’s best luxury day spa
A Ballarat day spa has been crowned Australia’s best of the best – not once, not twice but three times. Ballarat’s Sanctuary Day Spa snapped up three awards at the...
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Food & Drink
08 Jul 2019
From petrol to pimped-up sandwiches
Have you heard the one about the old Ballarat service station that became a hip neighbourhood cafe? Introducing the NYC-inspired Drive, the culmination of 12 months of blood, sweat and...
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Food & Drink
11 Jun 2019
Winner winner, chicken dinner
The boys behind Moon & Mountain are at it again, this time putting their own spin on finger-licking fried chicken. Deluxe fried chicken joint Winner Winner is the latest Ballarat...
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Family Friendly
28 May 2019
The top questions at the Ballarat Information Centre
Who better to ask for the best local knowledge than the locals themselves at the Ballarat Information Centre? Here are some of the most common questions asked at the BIC...
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Food & Drink
08 May 2019
Faces of Ballarat: Taite Radley
Former Ballarat boy Taite Radley gained national attention last year after stealing the heart of blonde beauty Ali Oetjen on The Bachelorette. We spoke to the 29-year-old bank manager and...
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Food & Drink
16 Apr 2019
Industry acclaim for region’s wineries and distilleries
A recent swag of industry accolades has brought international and national attention to the Ballarat region’s wineries and distilleries. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Ballarat’s Kilderkin Distillery was...
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Food & Drink
03 Apr 2019
Putting a contemporary spin on Australian bushfoods
A new concept store showcasing the finest of Australian bushfood products and ingredients has opened in Buninyong. Located in an historic cellar, Saltbush Kitchen is designed to showcase both the...
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