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In 1858 an enormous 70kg gold nugget was found by two miners at Ballarat. Nearly 150 years later, there’s still gold in them thar hills.

Words and photography by Tim Falk

Gold was first discovered at Ballarat in 1851 at the ironically-titled Poverty Point. Word of the find spread rapidly, and by 1853 there were around 20,000 diggers working on the Ballarat goldfields.

The area was home to some of the world’s best deposits of alluvial gold, along with rich quartz lodes buried deeper underground. It’s estimated that Ballarat’s goldfields produced over 12 million ounces before they closed in 1918. Back then, the town’s golden days were thought to be over.

But just last year, mining resumed in the Ballarat area in the hope of finding some of the estimated 80 million ounces of gold left behind after the original rush. On top of this, a 1.1kg nugget was found in November 2005 just five minutes outside Ballarat by two prospectors using nothing more than a metal detector and a shovel. At today’s prices, that nugget is worth around $25,000!

So if you’ve got big dreams of striking it rich, you should consider paying a visit to this thriving regional centre.

Ballarat has a population of around 80,000, and is located smack bang in the middle of Victoria.

On my arrival, I made a beeline for the Tourist Information Centre to pick up some brochures and find out what to do during my stay. With some help from the Centre’s friendly staff, I purchased a Eureka Pass, which gave me two days unlimited entry to Sovereign Hill, the Gold Museum, and the Eureka Stockade, as well as admission to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. For only $39 ($18 for children), I thought it was a pretty good bargain

Sovereign Hill is Victoria’s most popular tourist attraction, and is located right in the heart of Ballarat. It’s a living, working, re-creation of what life was like on Ballarat’s goldfields in the 10 years after 1851.

People dressed in period costume roam the dusty streets, miners pan for gold and live in dingy tents and huts, and horses pull carriages and work machinery. On the day I visited Sovereign Hill the temperature was a scorching 40°C, so I felt a bit sorry for those women who had to wear thick, frilly frocks.

The aspect of Sovereign Hill that I found most exciting was the opportunity to pan for real gold. A quiet stream runs through the village, and visitors are encouraged to pick up a pan and start searching.

Judging purely by numbers, the gold panning was a big hit with kids and adults alike. But despite my best efforts I came up empty-handed, so it was lucky that Sovereign Hill had many other activities to keep me entertained.

I sat in on a gold-pouring demonstration that was pretty interesting to watch. A lump of gold was melted down over an extremely hot flame, before being poured into a 3kg bar worth around $72,000. But for some silly reason, members of the public were not allowed to touch the gold (I wonder why?).

C&M editor Gil tells me almost on a daily basis that I’m worth my weight in gold, so I decided to put him to the test. For the cost of a measly dollar, a special set of scales weighs you, and then determines how much money you would be worth if you were made of pure gold. For the record, I would fetch around $1,430,711.49 – I think it’s time I got a pay rise!

You can also take a tour of an underground mine, and see how the miners worked back in those days. Or you can take in the impressive sound-and-light show, Blood On The Southern Cross, which tells the story of the Eureka Stockade. The show is played out all over Sovereign Hill, but you have to book early to make sure you avoid disappointment.

A short walk over the road from Sovereign Hill is the Gold Museum. There you can see a replica of the massive 70kg Welcome Nugget, which was found in Ballarat in 1858. There’s also a number of other nuggets to stare at longingly, as well as a large collection of artefacts and photos that demonstrate the true nature of life on the goldfields.

The next stop on my travels was the Eureka Centre, which is located at the site of one of the most important events in Australian history – the Eureka Stockade. In 1854, around 120 disgruntled miners set up the stockade as a protest against unfair mining license fees and a lack of rights.

The Stockade was the birthplace of the Southern Cross, and the miners swore an oath by the flag to stand up for their rights. Police troopers stormed the stockade on the morning of December 3, and in the ensuing battle over 30 people were killed, most of them miners.

This event was significant because it was the first time any Australian had sworn allegiance to a flag other than the Union Jack, and was an important step in the establishment of democratic principles like everyone’s right to a ‘fair go’.

The Southern Cross that flew at the Eureka Stockade was kept in a cupboard for almost a century, but now takes pride of place on display at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

The Eureka Centre takes visitors through the events leading up to the Stockade, as well as the consequences of the uprising. Statues, artefacts, and models are combined with video and audio displays to vividly re-create the story of Eureka.

But the most important area of the centre is the Contemplation Space, where visitors are encouraged to reflect on the significance of the events in late 1854. The circular room has a high dome-like ceiling and is eerily lit with pale blue light. Water trickles silently around the edge of the room, creating a peaceful atmosphere that is a fitting memorial for the Eureka miners.

Ballarat’s town centre holds many reminders of the gold rush period, and reflects the affluence of the late 1800s. Gold brought plenty of wealth to the area, which is still evident today in some of the buildings in the city centre. In particular, a number of magnificent buildings in Lydiard Street are some of Australia’s best examples of Victorian architecture, and are well worth a look.

By this stage of the day the heat was starting to get to me, so a trip to Ballarat’s Botanical Gardens to cool down was next on the agenda. The gardens were very green and pretty, and most importantly provided a lot of shade for this weary traveller. They also make the perfect spot for a picnic.

Within the grounds of the Botanical Gardens is the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, which is a tribute to the 35,000 Australians who were held prisoner in the Boer War, World Wars One and Two, and the Korean War. It’s a good place to reflect and pay your respects to those who endured so much.

Across the road from the gardens is the artificially-created Lake Wendouree. The lake was used as the rowing venue during the 1956 Olympics, and is today used by rowers, yachties, and fishos alike. Trout and redfin are the main catch in the lake.

Around the shores of Lake Wendouree is a 6km track for walking and bike-riding. Ballarat local Steve Moneghetti holds the record for a lap of the lake in a time of 16 minutes and 10 seconds. I had planned on putting the former Olympian’s time to the test, but as the temperature was in the low forties, I piked and returned to my air-conditioned cabin instead.

I stayed at the A Welcome Stranger Holiday Park, located on the eastern side of Ballarat. The owners were very friendly and helpful, and the park had plenty of shady sites. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone travelling to Ballarat.

After a relaxing night in the van park, I rose early and headed about 20km southwest of Ballarat to Yellowglen Winery. Yellowglen produces some excellent sparkling wines that are famous all around Australia. I tasted their entire range and found some nice drops, as well as a few others that were a bit too sweet for me.

Following this champagne breakfast I drove back towards Ballarat for the final stop of my trip – the Avenue of Honour and Arch of Victory. Between June 1917 and August 1919, women from a Ballarat textile mill planted a tree for each resident of urban Ballarat who enlisted to fight in the Great War.

More than 3,500 trees were planted alongside the Western Highway, stretching over 20km leading into town. At the end of the avenue stands the Arch of Victory, which was built to celebrate the end of the war. It’s a pretty impressive structure and is a grand welcome to a grand town.

Ballarat is a town that is steeped in history, and has plenty of interesting and relaxing things to see and do. I would’ve liked to have spent a few more days there, rather than the short period of time I had, but I’m not complaining.

If you happen to come down with a terrible case of gold fever, the best remedy is to head straight to Ballarat for a bit of R&R. While you might not find gold and unimaginable riches, you’ll definitely be rewarded with a great holiday.