August 3 @ 2:30 pm - 8:30 pm $8 – $10 Minerva Space Program Herald Sun Aria - Heat 1 - 2.30pm-4.30pmHerald Sun Aria - Heat 2 - 6.30pm-8.30pm140 Singers vying for their place in the semi-final, and ultimately their place in theprestigious Herald Sun Aria Final.This is an afternoon and evening of incredible singing […]
August 4 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm $8 – $10 Minerva Space Program Herald Sun Aria - Semi Final Our premier aria event. This is the event that has helped launch the careers of some of Australia and New Zealand's most successful operatic stars, including our Patron, Dame Kirite Kanawa! Tonight, experience the pure […]
September 3 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Ballarat's Henry Lawson, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson The young Henry visited Ballarat, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose […]
Presented in Partnership with The Wheeler Centre September 4 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm $11.78 Minerva Space Get Tickets Image courtesy The Wheeler Centre The Eye of the Dragonfly: A Life Seeing the World Through Sport. by Tracey Lee Holmes With honesty and insight, Tracey Lee Holmes looks back on a pioneering career and […]
September 14 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm $35 – $50 plus bkg. fee Minerva Space Get Tickets Take part in this important BMI fundraiser The BMI vintage & Pre-loved Shop are showcasing their wares Make time for a lovely get together. A glass of champagne on entry with music accompaniment: Fashion Parade Models will […]
September 17 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Saving Dragons: The Life and Times of Russell Goldfield (Louey Yeung Man) Jack by Dianne Dempsey Russell Jack, the visionary founder of the internationally renowned Golden Dragon Museum, spent his life breaking barriers and preserving the […]
September 24 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Gold! Gold! A comparison between the Ballarat & Bendigo Goldfields. An overview of the production of gold and its implications from the goldrush era of the 1850s up until today in both the Ballarat and Bendigo […]
October 25 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $20 Plus bkg. feeMinerva RoomPlus bkg. fee Get Tickets Take part in this important BMI fundraiser Together with The Fashion in Time Club, a wide selection of special curated pieces from private collections will be on display. A variety of linen and lace taking you through the […]
October 26 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $20 Plus bkg. fee Minerva Room Plus bkg. fee Get Tickets Take part in this important BMI fundraiser Together with The Fashion in Time Club, a wide selection of special curated pieces from private collections will be on display. A variety of linen and lace taking you […]
October 29 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook - Ballarat Connections to HMAS Sydney 2 in 1941 HMAS Sydney 2 Crew, 1934 It is nearly 84 years this November that the mighty pride of the Royal Australian […]
November 15 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm $27.50 Meet at the BMI entrance Get Tickets Explore tales of the weird and supernatural – the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute at night. Looking for a unique way to explore Ballarat’s rich history and culture? Look no further than the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours! This beautiful heritage […]
October 31 @ 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm $27.50 Meet at the BMI entrance Get Tickets Explore tales of the weird and supernatural – the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute at night. Looking for a unique way to explore Ballarat’s rich history and culture? Look no further than the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours! This beautiful heritage […]
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Night Tours
Fri 31 Oct – Sat 15 Nov
& Fri 12 Dec
Tour 1 at 7pm
Tour 2 at 9pm.
Linen & Lace Exhbition
Includes Devonshire Tea | $20
Sat & Sun 22, 23 Oct
10am-4pm
Remembrance Day:
A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook - Recent War Memoribilia
Wed 29 Oct & 5 Nov, 5.30pm.
Coming soon…
Rozzi Bazzani. Stella Day Out: Katia Ariel & Samah Sabawi, Rachael Johns
Coming soon…
Dianne Dempsey, Chrissie Bellbrae, Paula Gleeson, Rozzi Bazzani.
Coming in November…
Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey
Australian Heritage Festival
Minerva's Secrets
25 April – Tour 1 at 7.30pm – fully booked
Tour 2 at 9.30pm – still tickets.
Spring Season, History Talks:
Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!
Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm.
Bubbly on arrival & Featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop | $60
The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2026 Calendar
Featuring illustrations from our Heritage Book Collection $40
Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.
Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges.
2 course dinner & lots
of dancing
