Ballan, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Ballan is a small town in the state of Victoria
, Australia
located on the Werribee River
78 kilometres (48.5 mi) north west of Melbourne
. At the 2006 census
, Ballan had a population of 1,807.
It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool
Local Government Area.
It was named by the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland
.
During the Victorian Gold Rush
it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.
people, part of the Kulin
nation. The area was rich in fauna including kangaroo, kangaroo rats, bandicoots, dingos, and two species of native cat. Many species had vanished by the end of the nineteenth century, with European settlement.
The first European settlers crossed Bass Strait
landing near Geelong
and worked their way up the Moorabool River
with their sheep flocks. Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland
. Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead, Wallace and Egerton.
There were clashes between Indigenous Australians and white settlers during settlement. Robert von Steiglitz stated in his journal
Gold
was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush
. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. The Post Office in the township opened around September 1853 although there were two earlier offices in the area named Ballan.
Ballan Primary School was established on 8 January 1855.
The first Mechanics' Institute
in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics' Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the façade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.
On the 15 November 2003 a Sprinter
train travelling to Ballarat
was derailed between Ballan and Gordon
injuring 61 people when it hit a stationary car on a country railway crossing.
. The Western Freeway
bypasses the town but is located nearby and connects Ballan
to Melbourne in the east and Ballarat to the west. The main road into town is the Old Melbourne Road (Old Inglis Street) and also the main street
. Another main road is the Geelong Ballan Road which connects Ballan to Geelong.
Ballan Railway Station
is a passenger only station serviced by VLine VLocity trains running on the Ballarat railway line
, a 55-59 minute journey to Southern Cross Station
in Melbourne; 20-25 minute journey to Ballarat and beyond as far as the Ararat railway or Maryborough
.
The town centre is a short 3 block walk from the station. Their is no other public transport available in the town.
VLine coaches also regularly stop in Ballan on route from Ballarat to Melbourne and shuttle buses run from the post office to Tullamarine Airport. Ballan Bus Lines also a weekday bus service to Daylesford
.
team competing in the Central Highlands Football League
.
The Ballan Bowling Club currently fields 3 pennant teams in the Ballarat District Bowls Division.
Golfers play at the Ballan Golf Club on Blow Court.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
located on the Werribee River
Werribee River
The Werribee River is located on the plain west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The headwaters of a tributary, the Lerderderg River, are north of Ballan near Daylesford and it flows across the basalt plain, through the suburb of Werribee to enter Port Phillip. A linear park follows the Werribee...
78 kilometres (48.5 mi) north west of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Ballan had a population of 1,807.
It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool
Shire of Moorabool
The Shire of Moorabool is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the southwestern part of the state. It has an area of 2,110 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 25,474....
Local Government Area.
It was named by the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
During the Victorian Gold Rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.
History
The area around Ballan was part of the tribal area of the WautharongWautharong
Wathaurong, also called the Wada wurrung, are an Indigenous Australian tribe living in the area near Melbourne, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula. They are part of the Kulin alliance. The Wathaurong language was spoken by 25 clans south of the Werribee River and the Bellarine Peninsula to Streatham...
people, part of the Kulin
Kulin
The Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation. The area was rich in fauna including kangaroo, kangaroo rats, bandicoots, dingos, and two species of native cat. Many species had vanished by the end of the nineteenth century, with European settlement.
The first European settlers crossed Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
landing near Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
and worked their way up the Moorabool River
Moorabool River
The Moorabool River is a river in Victoria, Australia that runs past several small towns and areas such as Meredith, Anakie, and Staughton Vale...
with their sheep flocks. Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead, Wallace and Egerton.
There were clashes between Indigenous Australians and white settlers during settlement. Robert von Steiglitz stated in his journal
"… it may be questioned by some feather-bed philanthropist whether we had the right to take the country from the blacks but I believe the general rule is that if people cultivate or graze the land they have a claim to it. These creatures did neither …".
Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. The Post Office in the township opened around September 1853 although there were two earlier offices in the area named Ballan.
Ballan Primary School was established on 8 January 1855.
The first Mechanics' Institute
Mechanics' Institutes
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men...
in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics' Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the façade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.
On the 15 November 2003 a Sprinter
Sprinter (Victorian train)
The Sprinter is a high speed diesel railcar train manufactured by Goninan for use on interurban and semi-regional rail services in Victoria, Australia...
train travelling to Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
was derailed between Ballan and Gordon
Gordon, Victoria
Gordon is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area, west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Gordon had a population of 453....
injuring 61 people when it hit a stationary car on a country railway crossing.
Transport
The main form of transport in Ballan is the automobileAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. The Western Freeway
Western Freeway (Victoria)
The Western Freeway is a 125 kilometre Australian freeway linking the state capital of Victoria to the major regional city of Ballarat...
bypasses the town but is located nearby and connects Ballan
Ballan
-Locality:*Ballan, Victoria - A town in Australia*Ballan, India - A village in Punjab, India...
to Melbourne in the east and Ballarat to the west. The main road into town is the Old Melbourne Road (Old Inglis Street) and also the main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
. Another main road is the Geelong Ballan Road which connects Ballan to Geelong.
Ballan Railway Station
Ballan railway station, Victoria
Ballan is a railway station on the Ballarat railway line in Ballan, Victoria, Australia. Patronage has grown rapidly in recent years due to the township's ongoing expansion. The station is located between Atkinson Street and Walsh Street.-History:...
is a passenger only station serviced by VLine VLocity trains running on the Ballarat railway line
Ballarat railway line, Victoria
The Serviceton railway line is a railway serving the west of Victoria, Australia. The line links the state capital of Melbourne to the cities of Ballarat and Ararat, and once extended to the South Australian border as part of the Melbourne-Adelaide railway...
, a 55-59 minute journey to Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
in Melbourne; 20-25 minute journey to Ballarat and beyond as far as the Ararat railway or Maryborough
Maryborough, Victoria
-Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:...
.
The town centre is a short 3 block walk from the station. Their is no other public transport available in the town.
VLine coaches also regularly stop in Ballan on route from Ballarat to Melbourne and shuttle buses run from the post office to Tullamarine Airport. Ballan Bus Lines also a weekday bus service to Daylesford
Daylesford, Victoria
Daylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. At the 2006 census, Daylesford had a population of 3,073...
.
Sport
The town has an Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team competing in the Central Highlands Football League
Central Highlands Football League
The Central Highlands Football League is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 15 grades.-History:...
.
The Ballan Bowling Club currently fields 3 pennant teams in the Ballarat District Bowls Division.
Golfers play at the Ballan Golf Club on Blow Court.
Festivals and attractions
- There is a Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Rally held in February, well known for its Vintage Tractor PullTractor pullingTruck and Tractor pulling, also known as power pulling, is a motorsport competition, popular in America, Europe , Australia and Brazil, which requires modified tractors to pull a heavy sledge along a 35ft. wide and length of 100 metre or 300ft+ track, with the winner being the tractor that pulls...
. - An Autumn Festival is held in Ballan every year in late March,
- Although there is a mineral spring at Ballan, it does not have the high profile of the towns of Hepburn SpringsHepburn Springs, VictoriaHepburn Springs is a resort town located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. It is in Victoria, 48 km northeast of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Hepburn Springs had a population of 601 and Hepburn had a population of 375. Total population of...
and DaylesfordDaylesford, VictoriaDaylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. At the 2006 census, Daylesford had a population of 3,073...
further to the north. - To the south of Ballan are the Brisbane Ranges National ParkBrisbane Ranges National ParkThe Brisbane Ranges National Park is a national park in Anakie, Victoria, Australia, 80 km west of Melbourne. The park is the responsibility of Parks Victoria. The park covers part of the Brisbane Ranges, an area of hills of moderate elevation. The park features a number of walking tracks, of...
and the You YangsYou YangsThe You Yangs are a series of granite ridges that rise to 364m above the Werribee Plain approximately 55km south west of Melbourne and 22km north east of Geelong, in Victoria, Australia. The main ridge runs roughly N-S for about 9 km, with a lower extension running for about 15 km to the west...
Forest Park.