VICMining
Ballarat
A gold rush became a lasting regional city.
1851Gold discovered
WHAT STARTED IT
Gold near Golden Point brought a rush in 1851. Camps, stores and services expanded rapidly as diggers arrived from Australia and overseas.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Deep mining prolonged the boom after the first surface discoveries. Institutions and a wider regional economy developed alongside it, with health, education, manufacturing and tourism now supporting the city.
Read the fuller history
Deep mining sustained growth after the first surface gold was worked. The Eureka conflict of 1854 became an enduring part of Australian political history, while gold wealth funded substantial streets and institutions.
TURNING POINTS
1851Gold discoveries establish the diggings.
1854The Eureka Stockade conflict takes place.
2021Ballarat GovHub opened in April, bringing up to 1,000 Victorian Government workers into the redeveloped Civic Hall precinct.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A major regional city with health, education, manufacturing and tourism. Its historic centre and goldfield museums preserve the wealth and tensions of its beginnings.