A weekend to remember

Ballarat is a city steeped in a unique history, which is reflected in its people, its buildings, its gardens and streetscapes.

Ballarat’s Heritage Weekend features nearly 50 events and activities which provide a rare and fascinating opportunity to explore the hidden treasures in this thriving regional city.

A Special Mother's Day

The Ballarat Heritage Weekend, held on Saturday 10 May and Sunday 11 May, coincides with Mother’s Day - offering a fantastic opportunity to treat your mother to a memorable weekend.

Ballarat is a fascinating city. It has been the stomping ground of poets, artists and heroes, from Mark Twain to Dame Nellie Melba, Adam Lindsay Gordon and Sir Donald Bradman.

Today, this city’s rich and colourful past is evident in the broad leafy streets, majestic buildings and magnificent statues that make this city so remarkable.

During the Ballarat Heritage Weekend, the owners of some of Ballarat’s most historic and beautiful private homes have agreed to open their doors, giving visitors a rare chance to peek inside. The owners of Smeaton House for example, will allow people to wander through their beloved home, which was built for one of Victoria’s earliest pioneers, Captain John Stuart Hepburn. While there, make sure you stroll over to the National Trust cemetery on the property – Hepburn’s final resting place.

Step Back In Time

The Ballarat Heritage Weekend is also an opportunity to step back in time with a trip on a horse-drawn tram, or enjoy the old-world tradition of High Tea. There will be an opportunity to learn how to research your family history. Amazingly, one in four people can trace their ancestry back to the Ballarat goldfields, so it’s worth discovering if you are one of them.

The Ballarat Heritage Weekend also provides a special chance to have your old books restored by one of the best professional hand bookbinders and restorers in the country. It’s a perfect chance to drop off an old book that has been in your family for generations and have it professionally restored.

Eight of the country’s best bell ringers will mark the Ballarat Heritage Weekend with a unique three hour peal, ringing the bells in Ballarat’s beautiful old Town Hall.

Unlock Hidden Secrets

Special guided tours through the Chinese sections of the city’s cemeteries will be conducted by the Ballarat China Community Committee, which will unlock hidden secrets of the city’s human past, including fascinating insights into traditional Chinese burial rights and customs.

So whatever you choose to do while you’re at the Ballarat Heritage Weekend, make the most of the chance to immerse yourself in a city where history comes to life.