Two important studies to further uncover Ballarat’s heritage

The City of Ballarat is undertaking two important studies to further understand the community’s stories and how it impacts on Ballarat heritage.  

Lydiard Street Heritage Assessment 

The City of Ballarat is undertaking a heritage assessment of Lydiard Street to investigate the potential of having the significance of the streetscape elevated at both state and federal level.  

Ballarat’s Lydiard Street is an important streetscape, with significant goldrush associations. 

This current assessment will allow the City of Ballarat to explore options to have Lydiard Street’s historic significance recognised at State and/or Federal level. This will allow protection from surrounding developments to ensure the value of precinct is not undermined. 

Lydiard Street is already in a heritage overlay precinct in the Ballarat Planning Scheme. 

The street also includes a variety of individual places on the Victorian Heritage Register and Inventory, such as the Mining Exchange, The Old Colonists Association, Craig’s Royal Hotel, Ballarat School of Mines and many more.  

Consultations will also occur directly with stakeholders to ensure a variety of stories and histories are uncovered. 

As part of this process, the City of Ballarat would like to hear from community members to further explore the heritage importance of this area.  

Do you have any stories, experiences, memories or knowledge of Lydiard Street? The City of Ballarat’s Heritage Team would love to hear from you.  

Come along to the Town Hall on Monday 17 April 2023 anytime from 5.30pm - 7.30pm to tell us your stories and ask any questions.  

If you can’t make this session, stories and questions can be submitted via the City of Ballarat’s mySay portal until 5pm 31 May 2023.  

The submissions will be considered to ensure the assessment is shaped by the community’s feedback and the findings will be presented to Council later in 2023.  

Ballarat Thematic Environmental History  

The City of Ballarat is also developing a Thematic Environmental History study to understand how themes have shaped Ballarat as a whole, including buildings, communities and activities.   

A Thematic Environmental History is a strategic tool that helps understand the development of cities.   

The development will include a review of current Heritage Overlays and associated policies across the city, as well as assessing new heritage precincts and individual significant places.   

A current Thematic Environmental History is crucial to provide strategic context. 

This project is the first stage of a large-scale Heritage Gaps and Policy Review into the Ballarat Planning Scheme, which will be undertaken by the City of Ballarat over several years.   

The Ballarat Planning Scheme is a policy that manages development across the municipality.    

To develop this tool, the City of Ballarat would like to hear from you. You can help us uncover more unique and special stories about the history of Ballarat.   

Your knowledge, experiences and memories are valuable in developing an inclusive history of Ballarat.   

You can drop in to tell us your stories;   

• At the Buninyong Town Hall on Wednesday 12 April between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.  

• At Ballarat Town Hall on Thursday 13 April between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.   

• At the Learmonth Old Shire Office Hall on Wednesday 19 April between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.  

• At the Miners Rest Mechanics Institute Community Hall on Thursday 20 April between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.  

Alternatively, you can provide your anecdotes or ask a question on the City of Ballarat’s mySay portal, until 5pm, 15 May 2023.  

Your stories will be considered carefully to ensure that the Ballarat Thematic Environmental History is shaped by Ballarat’s feedback. This document is anticipated to be presented to the Council in late 2023.   

City of Ballarat Councillor, Samantha McIntosh said Council will not just protect, but constructively work to sustain Ballarat’s heritage.    

“Ballarat’s intact heritage streetscapes, tree-lined boulevards, historic parks, landscape, stories and diverse cultures are a huge part of why our city is appealing to locals and visitors alike,” she said.   

“There is a lot more to the physical presence of heritage and that is where we play a critical role in exploring the stories behind the walls. 

“To be a city that conserves and enhances our natural and built assets, we have to take the time to listen to our community’s stories to truly celebrate the rich history of Ballarat. 

“It is the legacy that contributes to what makes Ballarat’s people, culture and place distinctive today and what we value and hand on to others.”