The City of Ballaarat was a Local Government Area which managed the inner suburbs of the regional city of 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...

, Victoria

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...

. The city covered an area of 34.52 square kilometres (13.3 sq mi), and existed from 1855 until 1994.

History

The spelling of the name was a source of constant confusion. It originated from two Aboriginal

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

 words "balla arat", meaning "resting place". The municipality used the spelling Ballaarat as part of its corporate description, but the town itself came to be known as Ballarat.

The City originated in two boroughs incorporated two years apart—the Borough of Ballaarat was first incorporated on 10 December 1855, and became a town on 10 October 1863 and a city on 9 September 1870. The Borough of Ballaarat East, meanwhile, came into being on 1 May 1857, becoming a town on 23 August 1872. It was divided into North, Central and South wards in 1889. On 25 May 1921 the Town merged into the City, which was redivided into four wards. On 2 April 1930 the combined entity absorbed part of the Shire of Bungaree

Shire of Bungaree

The Shire of Bungaree was a Local Government Area located northeast of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1863 until 1994.-History:...

.

On 6 May 1994, the City was abolished—following developments over the previous year in 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 Bendigo

Bendigo, Victoria

Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...

—and merged with Borough of Sebastopol

Borough of Sebastopol

The Borough of Sebastopol was a Local Government Area located about south of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The borough covered an area of , and existed from 1864 until 1994.Sebastopol was first incorporated as a borough on 1 October 1864...

, Shire of Ballarat

Shire of Ballarat

The Shire of Ballarat was a Local Government Area located immediately to the northwest and west of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia...

 and parts of the Shires of Bungaree

Shire of Bungaree

The Shire of Bungaree was a Local Government Area located northeast of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1863 until 1994.-History:...

, Buninyong

Shire of Buninyong

The Shire of Buninyong was a Local Government Area located south and southeast of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...

, Grenville

Shire of Grenville

The Shire of Grenville was a Local Government Area located southwest of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994.-History:...

 and Ripon

Shire of Ripon

The Shire of Ripon was a Local Government Area located about west-northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994.-History:...

 into the City of Ballarat

City of Ballarat

The City of Ballarat is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia around Ballarat. It is located in the western part of the state. It has an area of 740 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 81,000...

.

Wards

The City of Ballaarat was divided into four wards on 25 May 1921, each of which elected three councillors:

• Lake Ward
• Park Ward
• Black Hill Ward
• Eureka Ward

Towns and Localities

• Bakery Hill
  Bakery Hill, Victoria
  Bakery Hill is an inner city suburb of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It is the smallest suburb in the city of Ballarat in terms of both area and population, which at the 2006 census was just 191 people....
  
  
• Ballarat Central
• Ballarat East
  Ballarat East, Victoria
  Ballarat East, is a suburb of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Ballarat East covers a large area east of the CBD. It is the oldest area in Ballarat and was once also a municipality known as the Ballarat East Town Council between 1859 and 1921...
  
  
• Black Hill
• Eureka
  Eureka, Victoria
  Eureka is a small eastern suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Eureka had a population of 609.Eureka is bordered by Specimen Creek to the north, Canadian Creek to the south, Queen and Joseph streets to the west and Kline and Stawell Street to the east...
  
  
• Golden Point
  Golden Point, Victoria
  Golden Point is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located south east of the CBD. It is one of the few original suburbs of Ballarat that was established during the Victorian gold rush days. At the 2006 census, Golden Point had a population of 2,147...
  
  
• Lake Gardens
  Lake Gardens, Victoria
  Lake Gardens is a relatively new suburb on the western rural-urban fringe of Ballarat, Victoria Australia located near Lake Wendouree and directly behind the Ballarat Botanical Gardens from which the suburb draws its name. The suburb is bounded by Gilles Street to the east, O'Donnell's Road to the...
  
  
• Lake Wendouree
  Lake Wendouree, Victoria
  Lake Wendouree is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located immediately west of the Ballarat CBD and encompasses the man-made recreational lake Lake Wendouree after which it is named...
  
  
• Mount Pleasant
  Mount Pleasant, Victoria
  Mount Pleasant is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located south of the CBD. It is one of the few original gold mining towns in the Ballarat district established during the Victorian gold rush...
  
  
• Newington
  Newington, Victoria
  Newington is a suburb south west of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The population at the 2006 census was 1,747.Newington is bordered by Gillies Street to the West, Sturt Street to the North, Pleasant Street to the East and Winter Street to the South...
  
  
• Redan
  Redan, Victoria
  Redan is an inner suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia immediately south of Ballarat Central. The population at the 2006 census was 2,958....
  
  
• Soldiers Hill
  Soldiers Hill, Victoria
  Soldiers Hill is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located directly north of the CBD. It is one of the few original suburbs of Ballarat that was established during the Victorian gold rush days...
  
  

Population

Year	Population
1954	39,945
1958	42,280*
1961	41,037
1966	41,650
1971	39,778
1976	37,863
1981	35,681
1986	34,806
1991	34,501

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.