20/11/2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Minerva Room Get Tickets The Courageous Life of Weary Dunlop: Surgeon, prisoner-of-war, life -saving leader and legend of the Thai-Burma RailwayPeter FitzSimons Australia's bestselling non-fiction writer Peter FitzSimons AM will be in Ballarat to celebrate his latest book about Weary Dunlop.Peter FitzSimons AM is Australia's bestselling non-fiction writer, and for the past 39 years has…
21/11/2025 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm $35 Minerva Space Presented by KEG Touring Get Tickets Ever wondered what teachers really think about you? Your kids and the education system? Come along to: The Parent Teacher Night You will enjoy an hour of brutally honest comedy, hosted by teacher Ben Knight. Ben is a Queensland teacher who made the move to Melbourne ten…
22/11/2025 @ 10:00 am - 23/11/2025 @ 4:00 pm $27.50 Get Tickets November 22 @ 10:00 am - November 23 @ 4:00 pm $27.50 plus bkg. fee Errard Hall, 5 Errard Street North, Ballarat Central Take part in this important BMI fundraiser Open Garden and Devonshire Tea at Errard Hall - BMI Fundriaser Errard Hall was built in 1902. Built in the grand Victorian style,…
22/11/2025 @ 6:45 pm - 10:30 pm $22.50 Humffray Room Get Tickets Charity music show with all money going to medical research company NeuRAPretty Fly is a band from Werribee who plays awesome covers. Autophagia is a new modern metal band with their debut EP on the horizon. This is there first show. Outer Worlds is a metal core band from melbourne. with their latest…
26/11/2025 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Ballarat Arts Foundation: 25 Years Old The Ballarat Arts Foundation (BAF) has been supporting the emerging artists of Ballarat for 25 years. The Foundation is completely community funded and supports artists from any genre, with an alumni group numbering over 500 artists who have…
26/11/2025 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Free – $12 – $12 Lending Library, ground floor These classes offer simple, practical methods to improve the quality of our life and develop inner peace through meditation and Buddhist teachings. The in-person setting fosters a supportive community and offers real-time interaction with the teacher for personalized guidance. Classes include guided meditations and teachings to help us solve…
28/11/2025 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm $56.76 – $62.40 Minerva Space Get Tickets AKmal Akmal returns with a smash-hit tour after a spiritual journey to India to find himself. Unfortunately, when he got there, he couldn’t find himself anywhere, after all India is a big place… On his return to Australia, he was pleased to discover he had been here the entire time. This…
29/11/2025 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm $36.84 – $39.96 Presented by A-List Entertainment November 29 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm $36.84 – $39.96 Minerva Space Get Tickets You May Be White, I May Be CrazyDaniel Muggleton is an Australian comedian in a tracksuit. His live shows frequently sell-out at comedy festivals around the world, have earned him numerous five-star reviews and a couple…
02/12/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets It's a Scorcher: Tales of the Australian Summer William McInnes Join actor and bestselling author William McInnes in conversation to talk all about his new book It’s a Scorcher: Tales of the Australian Summer – a collection of hilarious and heartwarming stories about those magical, roastingly hot summer months. There is something about…
03/12/2025 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Free – $12 – $12 Lending Library, ground floor These classes offer simple, practical methods to improve the quality of our life and develop inner peace through meditation and Buddhist teachings. The in-person setting fosters a supportive community and offers real-time interaction with the teacher for personalized guidance. Classes include guided meditations and teachings to help us solve…
06/12/2025 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Free Lending Library Don’t miss our book sale this weekend.Admission and parking are free (one hour on Saturday, all day Sunday). There are hundreds of books – some of which are in gently used condition and some in mint condition – and many start at $5. And it’s not just books – there are DVDs, photo…
07/12/2025 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Free Minerva Space Come along and experience our Christmas Market & Book Sale just in time for the Festive SeasonFREE ENTRY Our Stallholders Book SaleWe will also be hosting a book sale in the Library on Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 December. These books have been donated to the BMI by members and the Ballarat community…
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Tue 19 May with special visit to Lantern Vaults
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
