The Dog Logs, A Ballarat National Theatre Production
2026-04-17 19:00 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
April 17
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
$18 – $30
Minerva Space
A Play by C. J. Johnson, film critic for The Nightlife
Directed by Gin O’Brien
The Dog Logs is a refreshing take on canine life that is touching and surprisingly human.
From a tough Rottweiler with neighbour problems to a prima donna toy poodle who wants attention, this collection of hilarious and heart-breaking monologues examines the lives of dogs from every breed, age, and situation. Telling stories of friendship, romance, and revenge.

Playwright – C. J. Johnson
C.J. Johnson is the film critic for The Nightlife, listened to by a million listeners across Australia on ABC Local Radio and many more online internationally.
His website Film Mafia is widely read internationally, with millions of views to date. He also hosts the webseries Watch This.
He is a regular contributor to magazines and websites internationally, and the co-author of And The Oscar Didn’t Go To…
C.J.’s plays as writer include The Dog Logs, The Young Tycoons, Hollywood Ending, La La Land, Backpacker and Barnesy: The Harbour and You. They have been performed in every state and territory of Australia, on Norfolk Island, and in New York, Bangalore, London, Zagreb, Tallin (Estonia), Belgrade, Zimbabwe and dozens of other towns and cities. His one-man show Kinski and I won the Sydney Fringe Theatre Award 2014.
C. J. Johnson wrote The Dog Logs in 2001 with the first performances at La Mama Theatre, Melbourne, in May of that year. An Australian tour, with Johnson as one of the actors, took place in 2004. The script was adapted for American audiences in 2011.
Directed by Gin O’Brien
Gin has been involved with Ballarat National Theatre for seven years as an actor, production manager and director. The Dog Logs marks Gin’s full length directorial debut.
Gin has been involved in many productions in Ballarat. She has performed several times with Ballarat National Theatre, including in Wyrd Sisters (2023), Steel Magnolias (2021), A Christmas Carol (2019) and Medea (2019).
She is the current vice-president of Ballarat National Theatre and has produced the last three major productions (Dancing at Lughnasa, Next Fall & God of Carnage).
And she loves dogs!
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 Concession, $20 BNT members, Group package (10 adults), $180.00. Ticket sales close 1 hour prior to the performance.
A bar will operate for these sessions.

Get Tickets

There is no allocated seating.
Running Time: 100 minutes (no interval)
Doors open 30 minutes prior to show start time. Bar available
Content warning – This play contains themes of violence, suicide, sexual acts, animal cruelty and death. It is recommended for mature audiences only.
Ballarat National Theatre

Ballarat National Theatre are a BMI Community Partner
Find out more about BMI Community Partnerships below.

Supporters & partners

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

The Dog Logs, A Ballarat National Theatre Production
2026-04-18 19:00 - 20:30 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
April 18
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
$18 – $30
Minerva Space
A Play by C. J. Johnson, film critic for The Nightlife
Directed by Gin O’Brien
The Dog Logs is a refreshing take on canine life that is touching and surprisingly human.
From a tough Rottweiler with neighbour problems to a prima donna toy poodle who wants attention, this collection of hilarious and heart-breaking monologues examines the lives of dogs from every breed, age, and situation. Telling stories of friendship, romance, and revenge.

Playwright – C. J. Johnson
C.J. Johnson is the film critic for The Nightlife, listened to by a million listeners across Australia on ABC Local Radio and many more online internationally.
His website Film Mafia is widely read internationally, with millions of views to date. He also hosts the webseries Watch This.
He is a regular contributor to magazines and websites internationally, and the co-author of And The Oscar Didn’t Go To…
C.J.’s plays as writer include The Dog Logs, The Young Tycoons, Hollywood Ending, La La Land, Backpacker and Barnesy: The Harbour and You. They have been performed in every state and territory of Australia, on Norfolk Island, and in New York, Bangalore, London, Zagreb, Tallin (Estonia), Belgrade, Zimbabwe and dozens of other towns and cities. His one-man show Kinski and I won the Sydney Fringe Theatre Award 2014.
C. J. Johnson wrote The Dog Logs in 2001 with the first performances at La Mama Theatre, Melbourne, in May of that year. An Australian tour, with Johnson as one of the actors, took place in 2004. The script was adapted for American audiences in 2011.
Directed by Gin O’Brien
Gin has been involved with Ballarat National Theatre for seven years as an actor, production manager and director. The Dog Logs marks Gin’s full length directorial debut.
Gin has been involved in many productions in Ballarat. She has performed several times with Ballarat National Theatre, including in Wyrd Sisters (2023), Steel Magnolias (2021), A Christmas Carol (2019) and Medea (2019).
She is the current vice-president of Ballarat National Theatre and has produced the last three major productions (Dancing at Lughnasa, Next Fall & God of Carnage).
And she loves dogs!
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 Concession, $20 BNT members, Group package (10 adults), $180.00. Ticket sales close 1 hour prior to the performance.
A bar will operate for these sessions.

Get Tickets

There is no allocated seating.
Running Time: 100 minutes (no interval)
Doors open 30 minutes prior to show start time. Bar available
Content warning – This play contains themes of violence, suicide, sexual acts, animal cruelty and death. It is recommended for mature audiences only.
Ballarat National Theatre

Ballarat National Theatre are a BMI Community Partner
Find out more about BMI Community Partnerships below.

Supporters & partners

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

The Dog Logs, A Ballarat National Theatre Production
2026-04-19 14:00 - 15:30 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
April 19
@
2:00 pm
–
3:30 pm
$18 – $30
Minerva Space
A Play by C. J. Johnson, film critic for The Nightlife
Directed by Gin O’Brien
The Dog Logs is a refreshing take on canine life that is touching and surprisingly human.
From a tough Rottweiler with neighbour problems to a prima donna toy poodle who wants attention, this collection of hilarious and heart-breaking monologues examines the lives of dogs from every breed, age, and situation. Telling stories of friendship, romance, and revenge.

Playwright – C. J. Johnson
C.J. Johnson is the film critic for The Nightlife, listened to by a million listeners across Australia on ABC Local Radio and many more online internationally.
His website Film Mafia is widely read internationally, with millions of views to date. He also hosts the webseries Watch This.
He is a regular contributor to magazines and websites internationally, and the co-author of And The Oscar Didn’t Go To…
C.J.’s plays as writer include The Dog Logs, The Young Tycoons, Hollywood Ending, La La Land, Backpacker and Barnesy: The Harbour and You. They have been performed in every state and territory of Australia, on Norfolk Island, and in New York, Bangalore, London, Zagreb, Tallin (Estonia), Belgrade, Zimbabwe and dozens of other towns and cities. His one-man show Kinski and I won the Sydney Fringe Theatre Award 2014.
C. J. Johnson wrote The Dog Logs in 2001 with the first performances at La Mama Theatre, Melbourne, in May of that year. An Australian tour, with Johnson as one of the actors, took place in 2004. The script was adapted for American audiences in 2011.
Directed by Gin O’Brien
Gin has been involved with Ballarat National Theatre for seven years as an actor, production manager and director. The Dog Logs marks Gin’s full length directorial debut.
Gin has been involved in many productions in Ballarat. She has performed several times with Ballarat National Theatre, including in Wyrd Sisters (2023), Steel Magnolias (2021), A Christmas Carol (2019) and Medea (2019).
She is the current vice-president of Ballarat National Theatre and has produced the last three major productions (Dancing at Lughnasa, Next Fall & God of Carnage).
And she loves dogs!
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 Concession, $20 BNT members, Group package (10 adults), $180.00. Ticket sales close 1 hour prior to the performance.
A bar will operate for these sessions.

Get Tickets

There is no allocated seating.
Running Time: 100 minutes (no interval)
Doors open 30 minutes prior to show start time. Bar available
Content warning – This play contains themes of violence, suicide, sexual acts, animal cruelty and death. It is recommended for mature audiences only.
Ballarat National Theatre

Ballarat National Theatre are a BMI Community Partner
Find out more about BMI Community Partnerships below.

Supporters & partners

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

In Conversation with Fiona Lowe
2026-04-21 18:00 - 19:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 21
@
6:00 pm
–
7:30 pm
$11.78
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

The Drowning
Fiona Lowe

Authentically Australian, Fiona Lowe’s stories are often triggered by a secret or a mystery, and they explore the themes of family, community and second chances. Described as gripping, thought-provoking, heart-warming and ultimately uplifting, Lowe’s books have been praised for their emotional depth.
A body on the beach. An inheritance. A family pulled apart.
CC Cilento’s best memories are of spending every summer holiday running wild in and out of the Friend family beach house with her cousins, James, Ollie, Felix and Lily. It’s the next best thing to having brothers and sisters. They’ve continued the summer tradition into adulthood, getting together at the shack with its absolute beach frontage.
But now a bombshell has dropped: the four sibling cousins have officially inherited the property – along with an unexpected fifth share to CC. What starts out as the perfect gift, and a way of keeping the family connected forever, quickly devolves into an emotional power struggle. Half of them want to keep the legacy intact, while the others want to sell – and each side will do anything to make it happen. Soon, CC can’t tell friend from foe. When a body is found on the shack’s beach, has this family dispute turned deadly?

About the author
Author, Fiona Lowe
Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support workeer; an ideal career for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. She spent her early years in Papua New Guinea where, without television, reading was the entertainment and it set up a lifelong love of books. She is the recipient of the prestigioous USA RITA award and two Australian RuBY AWARDS.
When she’s not writing stories, she’s a distracted wife, a sage to two adult sons, a rail trail cyclist, a volunteer in her community, and a newly addicted homecrafts ‘show’ entrant. She is often found collapsed on the couch with wine, knitting and her latest love, an audio book.

This event will be supported by Collins Booksellers on Lydiard

$11.78 per person includes booking fee & gst, also includes light refreshment. All proceeds go to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute to support the staging of our author events.

Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

SHARC Roadshow 2026
2026-04-22 14:00 - 16:00 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 22
@
2:30 pm
–
4:30 pm
Free
Humffray Room

Register now

SHARC is heading to Ballarat
We want to catch up with people with experience of alcohol, drugs or gambling challenges.
Join SHARC for a relaxed and welcoming afternoon focused on the issues that matter most to you.
Our purpose is twofold. We want to tell you a bit more about the programs at SHARC – an organisation that has been around for 30 years, staffed by people with lived and living experience of the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) system. We run peer led residential programs and supports for the peer workforce. We also provide opportunities for you to use your experiences to advocate for change in the system.
This is an opportunity to have open conversations about what you need in relation to recovery, and harm reduction, and to learn about our supports. We also want to hear about your experiences accessing services, what’s working well, what is missing, and what needs to change.
Come along for a cuppa’ and a snack, connect with others, and have your say.
Who will be there?
The APSU team (Association of Participating Service Users)
APSU is the Victorian consumer body for people who use, have used, or are eligible to use alcohol and other drug (AOD) services, including family and significant others affected by AOD challenges. APSU advocates for system change and ensures the voices of people who use services are heard and valued. The APSU team will also provide an overview of the programs that SHARC runs.
What can I expect?

Find out about our programs
Information about how you can use your lived experience of accessing services to advocate for change across the system
An opportunity for you to tell us about the needs of regional Victorians to help us advocate for improved service provision in the Grampians region
A low-pressure, stigma-free environment
Friendly SHARC staff with a lived experience of accessing the alcohol and drug service system, ready to listen
Tea, coffee, snacks
Printed resources to take home with you

Free, supper included

Register now

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat - Ballarat Avenue of Honour
2026-04-22 17:30 - 18:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 22
@
5:30 pm
–
6:30 pm
$9 – $13
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour & A look behind names on the Avenue plaques
Speakers:
Amethyst May & Gary Snowden

About the speakers
Amethyst May
Amethyst May is a student at Mount Clear College who has a passion for Australia’s war history. She will present a short documentary on Ballarat’s women during the Great War, which won a gold medal recently. She looks forward to an opportunity to answer your questions about this moving tribute to our service personnel.
Garry Snowden, President of Ballarat’s Arch of Victory/Avenue of Honour Committee
Garry Snowden is president of Ballarat’s Arch of Victory/Avenue of Honour Committee and has extensively researched the men and women commemorated in the Avenue.
This event will be supported by Community Bank Buninyong

$13 per person plus booking fee, general admission | $9 for BMI members plus booking fee.
Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Kadampa Meditation Series | Love Changes Everything: How to Transform Yourself & the World Around You
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-04-29 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Lending Library, Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, Victoria, 3350, Australia
April 15
@
7:00 pm
–
8:00 pm
Free – $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 our
daily problems and find the lasting happiness we seek.
Beginners welcome, no bookings required.
Free for Kadampa members
Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia (Ballarat Branch)
info@meditateinmelbourne.org | 0455205589
meditateinballarat.org
ABN 86 114 195 550
KMC Australia is a not-for-profit organisation

Bookings

The Teacher
Christielli Portela has been teaching modern Kadampa Buddhism for a decade. As an experienced and well-loved teacher, she inspires people to use Buddhist meditation to improve their lives through her sincere example and clear teachings.

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Ballarat Film Society | Only The Animals
2026-04-23 19:30 - 21:00 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
April 23
@
7:30 pm
–
9:00 pm
Minerva Room
French Drama/Thriller

Following the disappearance of glamorous housewife Evelyne Ducat (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), the lives of five people who are linked to her are brought together to devastating effect as the local police investigate the case.
Only the Animals starts off as an intimate rural mystery and blossoms into a global affair where several strangers on different continents wind up connected in unexpected ways. The film employs Rashomon-style multiple perspectives that keep the viewer off-balance and guessing. ‘An audacious, witty, and absorbing mystery thriller, a tale of adultery and amour fou with a gamey touch of the macabre’ Guardian. Highgloss Entertainment

French Drama/Thriller
​France, 2019, 116 mins. Dir: Dominik Moll​
Ballarat Film Society

Membership
12 months – Feb-December: $60
Feb-July: $35 – July-Dec: $30
To join or renew your membership, please e-mail or phone Angus McLachlan (5374 2474), or come with cash on the night.
Membership can be paid by bank transfer or with cash.
For film enquiries, phone Sue Nunn: 5341 2266 or visit the Ballarat Film Society website
All films are subject to availability. If there is no next film shown below it means the BFS is working on next season’s programme.

Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour
2026-04-24 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-19 19:00 - 20:00 | The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 24
@
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 building dates back to the 1860s and boasts a fascinating history that is just waiting to be explored. During these tours, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute, exploring the library’s impressive collection of rare books and manuscripts, and learn about the building’s original purpose as a hub for scientific and technological education. And make sure to check out the basement, which is steeped in mystery and intrigue – you never know what secrets you might uncover!
Katrina Hill & Tim Harris | Photo: Jess Schroeter
Whether you’re a local looking to discover more about your city’s history, or a visitor seeking a unique and memorable experience, the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours are not to be missed.
Led by expert guides who are passionate about the building’s history, these tours will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of Ballarat. Book your tickets today and get ready to step back in time!
The tours have a small capacity, and therefore, numbers are limited.
Group bookings are available – please contact our Tours Coordinator – Katrina Hill
Note | Accessibility
Most of this tour is wheelchair accessible, however the tour does include entry into the BMI Basement, which is not wheelchair accessible. The tour does involve stairs, however a lift is available throughout (except to the basement). This tour is not Auslan interpreted, and the guide does not use any amplification system. Tour groups will enter dimly lit areas of the building under supervision of the guide.
BMI Accessibility information can be found at https://ballaratmi.org.au/accessibility
Cost / Bookings: $28.69 includes gst & booking fee

Get Tickets

More Tours

The research material for your tour has been drawn from – Under Minerva’s Gaze: 150 years at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (edited by Jill Blee and Phil Roberts).
This reference material is available for purchase at the Library or can be purchased via our Shop.

Under Minerva’s Gaze

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour
2026-04-24 21:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-19 21:00 - 22:00 | The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
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 building dates back to the 1860s and boasts a fascinating history that is just waiting to be explored. During these tours, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute, exploring the library’s impressive collection of rare books and manuscripts, and learn about the building’s original purpose as a hub for scientific and technological education. And make sure to check out the basement, which is steeped in mystery and intrigue – you never know what secrets you might uncover!
Katrina Hill & Tim Harris | Photo: Jess Schroeter
Whether you’re a local looking to discover more about your city’s history, or a visitor seeking a unique and memorable experience, the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours are not to be missed.
Led by expert guides who are passionate about the building’s history, these tours will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of Ballarat. Book your tickets today and get ready to step back in time!
The tours have a small capacity, and therefore, numbers are limited.
Group bookings are available – please contact our Tours Coordinator – Katrina Hill
Note | Accessibility
Most of this tour is wheelchair accessible, however the tour does include entry into the BMI Basement, which is not wheelchair accessible. The tour does involve stairs, however a lift is available throughout (except to the basement). This tour is not Auslan interpreted, and the guide does not use any amplification system. Tour groups will enter dimly lit areas of the building under supervision of the guide.
BMI Accessibility information can be found at https://ballaratmi.org.au/accessibility
Cost / Bookings: $28.69 includes gst & booking fee

Get Tickets

More Tours

The research material for your tour has been drawn from – Under Minerva’s Gaze: 150 years at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (edited by Jill Blee and Phil Roberts).
This reference material is available for purchase at the Library or can be purchased via our Shop.

Under Minerva’s Gaze

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat - Nostalgic memories of Stawell & Ballarat - 1950s and 1960s
2026-04-29 17:30 - 18:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 29
@
5:30 pm
–
6:30 pm
$9 – $13
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories
Speaker: Geoff Carr, author

Spike is a young boy in 1950s Australia, surrounded by sprawling landscapesand a menagerie of animals. Together with his friends Leany and Riddy, they do what all young boys in the bush do: make their own fun.
From chooks in outhouses, exploding trees and rats at the flicks to standing up to backyard bullies, farewelling dear friends and making unexpected new ones, Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories traverses the passing of time, documenting a life well lived and fondly remembered.
Laced with dry humour and typical understated Australian cadence, Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories invites readers to look back at life in a time gone by and delight in the charming stories of author Geoff Carr.

Reviews
Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories is unlike anything I’ve read before. It feels like a eulogy – not a sombre one, but more in the way you might catch up with friends from years gone, with a beer in hand, and swap stories and laughter and tears. It’s filled with absurdity, heartbreak, humour and a quiet reverence that never quite leaves, even long after you’ve finished reading it. These aren’t just stories; they’re lived-in moments, softened by age and nostalgia and celebratory for the joy of having truly known someone. Among that, Carr gives us – the reader – something precious: the gift of sharing. These are no longer just his memories – they’re ours. And in that act of sharing, the people and characters and souls and memories tied up within these stories live on. They continue to exist beside him and now, beside us. Stephanie, ARC Reviewer
About the speaker
Geoff Carr, author
Geoff Carr is a Ballarat-based author of short stories inspired by his childhood. He grew up in the Wimmera town of Stawell and cherished his caring and loving upbringing enveloped in the blue silhouettes of the famous Grampians and lesser- known Black Ranges. This was the setting before commencing his teaching career and settling in Ballarat for over fifty years.
Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin; Other Stories is a collection of short stories that presents a sentimental portrait of boyhood and bush life told through Carr’s quintessentially Australian humour and country charm.
‘This is a book of memories. I want people to be transported back in time where thosenostalgic memories can be reignited,’ Carr said. Early readers have praised this collection as both a tribute and a celebration, “like catching up with old friends, swapping stories, laughter and tears.” The standout piece, Through Coloured Windows explores grief with striking tenderness, while the book’s namesake, Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin is celebration as “one-of-a-kind, laugh-your-ass-off funny!”
This event will be supported by Community Bank Buninyong

$13 per person plus booking fee, general admission | $9 for BMI members plus booking fee.
Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

In Conversation with Anna Johnston
2026-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
April 30
@
6:30 pm
–
8:00 pm
$11.78
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

When lemons give you life
Anna Johnston

‘Smart, authentic and full of heart’ – Graeme Simsion
From the author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
Redemption is a dish best served warm…
Retired Michelin-star chef Griff Barlow has lost his appetite for life. Widowed, grieving and living in an aged care facility where beige slop passes for food, Griff is done – with guilt, with loneliness and with the lie that made headlines when he was diagnosed with dementia. Planning one final act, Griff breaks into the nursing home kitchen to cook one last lemon tart. But the simple act of cooking awakens a long-forgotten joy and soon he’s restoring flavour, dignity and delight to his fellow residents. Meanwhile, his estranged sister, Lisa, is grappling with a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, an unexpected romance and a frightening health reality of her own. As secrets simmer and second chances collide, both siblings are forced to confront what it really means to choose life.
Drawing on Anna Johnston’s experience working in aged care, the novel offers a rare and compassionate perspective on how people diagnosed with dementia are often dismissed, underestimated and quietly erased. By telling the story through the eyes of a man who carries the diagnosis yet remains fully lucid, the book invites readers to experience, from the inside, what it feels like to be unseen.
Described as ‘Ratatouille meets A Man Called Ove’, Anna Johnston’s second novel blends warmth, humour and emotional depth while tackling timely conversations around ageing, dementia, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ visibility in aged care, and the power of everyday kindness. It is about being seen, by others, and by ourselves, and about the possibility of reconciliation, healing and second chances at any stage of life.

About the author
Anna Johnston, author
Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives with her husband and daughters.
Anna followed her heart into her grandfather’s nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channelling her love for older people onto the page.
Anna’s debut novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife became a international bestseller and has been optioned by Netflix.

Praise for When lemons give you life
This event will be supported by Collins Booksellers on Lydiard

$11.78 per person includes booking fee & gst, also includes light refreshment. All proceeds go to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute to support the staging of our author events.

Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

‘An absolute chef’s kiss of a novel, prepared with heart and humour, guaranteed to please your palate.’ Troy Hunter, author of Gus and the Missing Boy
‘Smart, authentic and full of heart.’ Graeme Simsion, internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project
‘Written with empathy, insight and authenticity, When Lemons Give You Life is a delicious journey from regret to reconciliation. Heartfelt, funny and uplifting.’ Julietta Henderson, bestselling author of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
‘For the burnt-out and world-weary, Anna Johnston’s novels offer essential therapy – wickedly funny stories about flawed heroes with the power to restore our faith in each other.’ Kirsten Miller, author of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
‘A delicious treat of a novel, rich with thecomplex flavours of love, loss, familial relationships and redemption. I adored it.’ Emma Grey, internationally bestselling author of Pictures of You
‘Anna Johnston imbues her characters with a warmth, tenderness and singularity that makes them irresistible. A charming tale of redemption, complex sibling bonds and the joy of a meal cooked with love, this book will leave your heart full and your tastebuds ignited.’ Mikki Brammer, internationally bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat - What We Watched Before Cinema: ‘Entertainments’ at the Mechanics’ Hall, 1863–1919
2026-05-06 17:30 - 18:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
May 6
@
5:30 pm
–
6:30 pm
$9 – $13
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

What We Watched Before Cinema: ‘Entertainments’ at the Mechanics’ Hall, 1863–1919
Speaker: Ellen Becker

When the Mechanics’ Hall opened in 1863, the people of Ballarat flocked to see some strange and spectacular contemporary entertainments — mesmerists, automata, waxworks, human curiosities, and the magic of the first moving image technologies. Join Curator Ellen Becker in traversing the entertainments held in the hey day of the hall, before it was converted into the Britannia Cinema in 1919.
About the speaker
Ellen Becker, BMI Heritage Collection Curator
Ellen Becker is a museum and cultural heritage professional, currently working as the Heritage Collections Curator at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, as well as Property Coordinator of Old Melbourne Gaol and Polly Woodside at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
This event will be supported by Community Bank Buninyong

$13 per person plus booking fee, general admission | $9 for BMI members plus booking fee.
Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

One Tease Rules Them All: Fellowship of the G-String - The Burlesque Parody
2026-05-08 19:30 - 21:30 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
May 8
@
7:30 pm
–
9:30 pm
$48.79
Minerva Space

Get Tickets

An epic burlesque fantasy parody where Middle-earth is reimagined through
glitter, glamour, and glorious mischief.

One Tease to Rule Them All is a theatrical burlesque revue inspired by legendary fantasy worlds and the archetypes we know and love, hobbits, heroes, wizards, warriors, and shadowy foes.
Nine incredible performers gather to bring Middle Earth to life in a spectacle of seduction, spectacle, and storytelling.
Each member of this enchanting fellowship brings their own magic to the stage — from sultry burlesque and spellbinding circus artistry to theatrical characters drawn from the realms of fantasy. Together they weave a tale of mischief, glamour, and daring adventure, where heroes shimmer, villains tempt, and every costume hides a little bit of magic.
This is not a direct retelling, but a playful and spectacular reimagining, told through the art of burlesque, circus, and character-driven performance.
Follow a fellowship of bold performers as they embark on a daring quest for the Golden G-string. Along the way, expect dramatic reveals, handcrafted costumes, cinematic lighting, tongue-in-cheek humour, and moments of pure theatrical magic.

Blending immersive storytelling with powerful stage presence, this production invites audiences into a world where fantasy meets sensuality and spectacle.
Whether you’re a devoted fantasy fan or a lover of live performance, this is your chance to experience Middle-earth as you’ve never seen it before.
The fellowship assembles. The quest begins. And not everyone stays dressed.
Tickets: $48.79 plus bkg fee. 18+ Event – Valid form of ID required
A bar will operate for these sessions.

Get Tickets

There is no allocated seating.
Ethereal Real Events Co. where fantasy meets reality in unforgettable experiences across regional Victoria and New South Wales. Our passion lies in creating immersive, otherworldly events that bring magic and wonder to life. From enchanted balls to mystical gatherings inspired by folklore, literature, and mythology, we invite dreamers, adventurers, and romantics alike to step into a realm where the impossible becomes possible

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Teeny Tiny Stevies - Brain Fart Tour
2026-05-09 10:00 - 11:30 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
May 9
@
10:00 am
–
11:30 am
$35
Minerva Space

Get Tickets

The ultimate live gig experience for young families.

Adult friendly kids music played live on stage by real musicians? We got you!!
The ABC Kids TV favourites and ARIA winners will entertain the whole family with the most wholesome live gig there is.
Funny stuff for parents, heaps of engagement for kids, the old feel young, the young feel like grown-ups and everyone meets in the middle for a rocking good time.
“Teeny Tiny Stevies are real life” – audience member, 4 years old.
“That was the best concert I have ever seen” – audience member, 7 years old.
“What a truly delightful morning. We just love you both, your wonderful band, and of course, your amazing music. We can never express enough how much all of your songs continue to move, educate and bring joy to our family” – audience member, 37 years old.
Get ready for core memories galore.
There is no allocated seating.
Note: Babies in arms/parent’s lap (aged 12 months and under) are admitted free with a full paying adult ticket.

Tickets $35 | Babies in arms/parent’s lap (12 & under) free with a full paying adult

Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

One Tease Rules Them All: Fellowship of the G-String - The Burlesque Parody
2026-05-09 19:30 - 21:30 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
May 9
@
7:30 pm
–
9:30 pm
$48.79
Minerva Space

Get Tickets

An epic burlesque fantasy parody where Middle-earth is reimagined through
glitter, glamour, and glorious mischief.

One Tease to Rule Them All is a theatrical burlesque revue inspired by legendary fantasy worlds and the archetypes we know and love, hobbits, heroes, wizards, warriors, and shadowy foes.
Nine incredible performers gather to bring Middle Earth to life in a spectacle of seduction, spectacle, and storytelling.
Each member of this enchanting fellowship brings their own magic to the stage — from sultry burlesque and spellbinding circus artistry to theatrical characters drawn from the realms of fantasy. Together they weave a tale of mischief, glamour, and daring adventure, where heroes shimmer, villains tempt, and every costume hides a little bit of magic.
This is not a direct retelling, but a playful and spectacular reimagining, told through the art of burlesque, circus, and character-driven performance.
Follow a fellowship of bold performers as they embark on a daring quest for the Golden G-string. Along the way, expect dramatic reveals, handcrafted costumes, cinematic lighting, tongue-in-cheek humour, and moments of pure theatrical magic.

Blending immersive storytelling with powerful stage presence, this production invites audiences into a world where fantasy meets sensuality and spectacle.
Whether you’re a devoted fantasy fan or a lover of live performance, this is your chance to experience Middle-earth as you’ve never seen it before.
The fellowship assembles. The quest begins. And not everyone stays dressed.
Tickets: $48.79 plus bkg fee. 18+ Event – Valid form of ID required
A bar will operate for these sessions.

Get Tickets

There is no allocated seating.
Ethereal Real Events Co. where fantasy meets reality in unforgettable experiences across regional Victoria and New South Wales. Our passion lies in creating immersive, otherworldly events that bring magic and wonder to life. From enchanted balls to mystical gatherings inspired by folklore, literature, and mythology, we invite dreamers, adventurers, and romantics alike to step into a realm where the impossible becomes possible

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

In Conversation with Victoria Purman
2026-05-11 18:00 - 19:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
May 11
@
6:00 pm
–
7:30 pm
$11.78
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

The Marriage Trap
Victoria Purman

In 1960s Australia, the scent of freedom is in the air…
From bestselling Australian author, comes the story of a mother and her two daughters, set in the tumultuous extraordinary decade of the 1960s. A time of great change; the effects of the pill, rebellion and new ideas on ordinary Australian women… as, alongside shorter skirts and the Beatles, they embrace freedom. The ideal Mother’s Day gift.
1960s Adelaide: The Langley family – Olive, Len and their two daughters, twenty-year-old Cathy and ten-year-old Evelyn – live a peaceful suburban life, although Grandma Langley turns up each Sunday lunch like a bad fairy to castigate them for their dubious morals.
Cathy, training to be a teacher, thinks women have it tough. No sex until marriage, then no work, child after child and the sacrifice of their desires to church, husband and family. Cathy is determined not to marry right away. Once married, it’s all over. A life no longer her own.
Young Evelyn wants to be a fairy princess … until she sees for herself the price women pay for such dreams.
When the new contraceptive pill arrives women can suddenly sense freedom. But powerful forces are aligned against women’s reproductive choice and a fight begins. A fight that takes on their own doctors, the might of the Catholic church, and the outdated morality of previous generations. For readers of Lessons in Chemistry.
Victoria Purman on the inspiration behind The Marriage Trap:
‘This was really informed by my own love of putting women forward in Australian history and also was inspired by the stories of real women who shared their experiences of that time with me. And I’ve incorporated them into the book.’

About the author
Victoria Purman | Photo Cath Leo.
Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA Today bestselling fiction author. Both of her last two books The Radio Hour and A Woman’s Work, were Australian bestsellers, as were her novels The Nurses’ War, The Women’s Pages, The Land Girls and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript.
Victoria is based in Adelaide SA, but will be touring to NSW, SA and VIC.

This event will be supported by Collins Booksellers on Lydiard

$11.78 per person includes booking fee & gst, also includes light refreshment. All proceeds go to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute to support the staging of our author events.

Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

In Conversation with Kerri Rogan
2026-05-13 18:30 - 20:00 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
May 13
@
6:30 pm
–
8:00 pm
$11.78
Humffray Room

Get Tickets

After the Noise
Kerri Rogan

Lee squinted in the sunlight and patted around her. It felt like a mattress and a dog. For the first time in months, she had slept in a bed. Oh, dear. Moose. She had fed her a bottle before she had come to bed last night but not after that.
Lee Evans stands alone in the echoing silence of her grand mansion, the absence of her husband both a relief and a torment. Thirty years of marriage – ten spent as his carer – shaped her world and slowly shrank it to the boundaries of his illness.
In trying to protect her children, Luke and Katy, and her friends, Kelly and Jenny, Lee pushed them away. Now, wandering locked rooms and empty halls, she realises the fortress she built for safety has become a prison.
Should she stay in the mansion she’s inherited, or finally travel as she always dreamed? Why is someone old always napping on her favourite couch? Where did all the animals come from – and why is there a trampoline in the grand conservatory?
Can Lee rebuild her life, after the noise?

About the author
Kerri Rogan, author
Kerri was the child in English class who always received the following note from her teacher – ‘Great story, Kerri, if but a little too long’.
Now she lets the characters dictate how long the story is and lives in constant awe and wonder at producing something out of thin air. The imagination is a wonderous thing. She lives in the country where she can see the sun rise and set, be dazzled by the vastness of the sky, and the wonder of the stars, planets and meteorites.
Kerri shares this space with her husband and many rescued animals.

$11.78 per person includes booking fee & gst, also includes light refreshment. All proceeds go to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute to support the staging of our author events.

Book on-line or contact Rosemary at the Libary via email library@ballaratmi.org.au or phone (03) 5331 3042

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Ballarat Film Society | Black Dog
2026-05-14 19:30 - 21:00 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
May 14
@
7:30 pm
–
9:00 pm
Minerva Room
Noir Drama

A melancholic dead-pan drama about Lang, a former celebrity musician and stunt rider who, chastened by ten years in jail for manslaughter, returns to his dusty post-industrial hometown to find it run-down and over-run by abandoned dogs.
Lang joins a group of dog-catchers with the task of cleaning up the town on the eve of the 2028 Beijing Olympics. Dogs are running wild, but one is special: a black whippet cross that takes a disarming liking to Lang. Black Dog is slow and gentle, satirical and playful: a travelling circus comes to town, romance may find a way, yet small-town drama is always on the boil. Contrasting beautiful widescreen filming of the Gobi Desert with noir moodiness and slapstick absurdity, Guan’s film gives a bittersweet perspective. The love between a dog and human may heal, but ultimately cannot save the world. This is a beautiful unpretentious film, which won the top prize of Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Highgloss

China, 2024, 110 min. Dir: Guan Hu. Stars: Eddie Peng and dog Xin.
Ballarat Film Society

Membership
12 months – Feb-December: $60
Feb-July: $35 – July-Dec: $30
To join or renew your membership, please e-mail or phone Angus McLachlan (5374 2474), or come with cash on the night.
Membership can be paid by bank transfer or with cash.
For film enquiries, phone Sue Nunn: 5341 2266 or visit the Ballarat Film Society website
All films are subject to availability. If there is no next film shown below it means the BFS is working on next season’s programme.

Victorian Occult Conference
2026-05-16 08:30 - 18:00 | BMI – Minerva Space, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
May 16
@
8:30 am
–
6:00 pm
$140 – $150
Minerva Space

Get Tickets

The Victorian Occult Conference: ‘Mercurialia’
A day of finely curated lectures on Western Esotericism also featuring an occult market, speaker panel and door prizes. This year’s theme is “Mercurialia”; celebrating and exploring all things Hermetic in Western esotericism.
The Victorian Occult Conference was created in 2025 to help bridge the gaps in Victoria, Australia that exist between communities in different branches of the Western Occult Tradition, also called the Western Esoteric Tradition and the Western Mystery Schools. These branches can include but are not limited to: Freemasonry, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Paganism, Rosicrucianism & Theosophy; encompassing traditional practices like alchemy, traditional witchcraft, ceremonial magic, astrology, theurgy, tarot, divination & more. ​​
The conference brings together people from all these communities, facilitating the spread of ancient spiritual techniques, illumination and networking. Our hope is that this encourages comradeship, eclecticism in occult practice and a holistic appreciation of the rich and varied esoteric knowledge held in these communities. New friendships and learning opportunities can be made.​​ We aim to offer a safe and inclusive space for like minded folk of all genders, races, ethnicities and ages to come together to learn with these shared values and visions.
Lectures this year include
Josephine Winter – “The Other Underworld: Witchcraft and Occultism in Australia, 1970s-Present”.
Setken – “A Monumental Egyptian Tomb In Melbourne”.
Benjamin Turale – “The Enigma of the Mercury Archetype in Alchemy”.
Dr. David Waldron – “The Almanac of a Cunning Man”.
Shu Yap – “Secrets of the Mercury Cycle”.
Peregrin Wildoak – “Go Gentle into that Good Night: the Esoteric Dimension of Death”.

Josephine Winter | Witch, Teacher, Author, High Priestess
Josephine Winter has been a Pagan or witch of some flavour for most of her life, beginning as a daggy teen witch in the 1990s before joining Norse-inspired Heathenry and later the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca. She holds degrees in education, literature, and the arts. She lives in country Victoria, in Australia’s leafy southeast. Over the last few decades, Josephine has been a regular volunteer and organiser at various Pagan and Witchy events around Australia, including the Mount Franklin Pagan Gathering, the Australian Wiccan Conference (AWC) and countless meetups and public rituals. She co-founded the Pagan Collective of Victoria in 2014, organising several Pagan Pride Days and the 2019 AWC under the Collective’s auspices. Josephine is a cofounder of Lepus Lumen, a teaching collective of covens, outercourts, and solo practitioners founded in 2019 with Jason Tremain. The Lepus Lumen course is now taught across multiple Australian states and is offered free of charge. Josephine has written several books on witchcraft, all available from good booksellers everywhere.

Setken | Artist & Researcher
Setken is an accomplished artist and researcher whose work explores themes of mythology, history, and spirituality, especially Kemetic (i.e. Ancient Egyptian) spirituality. With a background as an actor and another in visual arts, and years dedicated to uncovering hidden stories from Australia’s past, Setken brings a unique perspective to historical narratives. Passionate about preserving cultural heritage, Setken combines meticulous research with creative expression to shed light on forgotten histories. His documentaries have won awards on the alternative film festival circuit. His paintings have been featured in academic Egyptology books, including on the cover of one, and most recently in the Complete Encyclopedia Of Egyptian Deities. His book The King Of Melbourne: the spiritual life of David Syme, his newspaper The Age, and the legacy of his monumental tomb is being published in 2026.

Benjamin Turale | Lab Alchemist & Teacher
Benjamin Turale is a practicing laboratory alchemist whose work spans the three kingdoms of nature, specifically the vegetable, animal and mineral/metallic kingdoms, with a focus on metallic alchemy and the antimonial path to the Magnum Opus (Great Work). His creative output also focuses on the manufacturing of spagyric products and teaching traditional Hermetic alchemy through his enterprise the Temple of Mercury, for which he received the prestigious Paracelsus Award in 2021 for outstanding contributions to alchemy. Benjamin has been a teacher in one form or another since 2007. A former psychotherapist and university lecturer, now full-time Hermetic alchemist, he has a diploma in Hermetic Science from the International Alchemy Guild (IAG). Having also studied at the now closed Paracelsus College in Australia, he completed his training in the Frater Albertus alchemical lineage under Robert Allen Bartlett in the USA. Benjamin has spoken at many occult conferences internationally. He currently serves the IAG as Director of Education and on the executive board. Benjamin’s focus is to preserve and pass on the Hermetic tradition.

Dr. David Waldron | Associate Professor
Dr. David Waldron is an Associate Professor of History at Federation University Australia, specialising in folklore and community heritage. He is the author of Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival (2008), Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay – A Case Study in Local Folklore (2010), Snarls from the Tea-Tree: Victoria’s Big Cat Folklore (2013), editor of Goldfields and the Gothic: A Hidden Heritage and Folklore (2016), and author of Aradale: The Making of a Haunted Asylum (2020). Dr Waldron is widely involved in public history through festivals, tours, and multimedia, including the Ballarat Heritage Festival and the award-winning podcast Tales from Rat City (winner of the 2019 National Trust People’s Choice Award & the 2023 Victorian Community History Award). In the tabletop role-playing community, he is an award-winning writer whose scenario William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion received a Silver ENNIE and a Victorian Community History Award, and The Last Dance of Lola Montez was nominated for an ENNIE. He is also a TEDx speaker and dramaturg.

Shu Yap | Teacher & Consultant
Shu Yap is a globally recognised consulting astrologer, writer, and teacher, based in Central Victoria, Australia, on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. Certified through the Melbourne School of Astrology and the School of Traditional Astrology in London, with a passion for Medieval Astrology throughout the Persian, Arabic and Latin periods, Shu maintains an international consulting practice and lectures to professional audiences worldwide. Shu leads the Medieval Astrology Certificate program at Kepler College, mentors foundational to advanced students, and contributes monthly planetary forecasts for The Interpsycle Observator. Shu is also a dedicated practitioner of Jyotish under the lineage of Śrī Achyutānanda Dāsa of Orissa, India, bringing an integrated Eastern and Western perspective to her research, teaching, and practice.

Peregrin Wildoak | Esotericist
Author of By Names and Images: Bringing the Golden Dawn to Life, Peregrin was born in Warwickshire, UK and emigrated to Perth, Western Australia at age 12, where he has lived ever since. In his youth he came into contact with the western mystery traditions and was initiated into the Golden Dawn, eventually running an Order based in Perth. He holds a Masters of Divinity and has received initiation and training in several other traditions including Wicca, Vajrayana Buddhism and an Isis Mystery School.
More about The Victorian Occult Conference

Cost: $140 – earlybird, until 31 January 2026
Cost: $150 – Thereafter
Speakers and stallholders will be donating door prizes, all ticket holders are automatically eligible.

Get Tickets

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Lantern Vaults | Special Preview
2026-05-19 19:30 - 20:30 | The Basement, Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, Victoria, 3350, Australia
May 19
@
7:30 pm
–
8:30 pm
$55
The Basement*
Plus bkg. fee

Lantern Vaults – Special Preview
A new immersive installation in the basement of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival

The work is shaped by historical research and guided by the voice of Florence Batten, the twelve- year-old daughter of William Henry Batten, Secretary of the Institute, and based in the early 1870s.
As visitors move through the vaults, her story unfolds through image, light and sound, offering a glimpse into early Ballarat and the Batten family’s story.
The installation is built from original artworks created by local artist Amanda Western for this project, drawing on historical photographs and records of the family, the Institute and the cultural life of the period.
At its centre is a family closely connected to the Institute, at a time when access to learning was beginning to open out. The Mechanics’ Institute was founded to bring knowledge within reach of ordinary people, and this work reflects that shift, how learning moved beyond a small few and into the wider community.
Experience Schedule
Installation Preview
Tuesday 19 May at 7.30pm: includes champagne on arrival, artist talk and Q&A
Cost $55 plus booking and card fees (includes gst) per person.
Free daily sessions: 21 May – 24 May at:
10:00am – 11:00am – 12:00pm – 1:00pm – 2:00pm – 3:00pm – 4:00pm (aporoximately 25 minute duration).

Get Tickets

Make and Create
As part of this experience a workshop space will allow visitors to make a creative response to the installation to take home. This exercise will be suitable for all ages.
Art for sale
WH Batten at Desk c1871 | Amanda Western
Minerva | Amanda Western
Auctioneer, BMI Art Union | Amanda Western
Florence Batten & baby Sarah | Amanda Western
Original artworks from Lantern Vaults will be available for sale with 10% of sales going to the BMI. These funds help support the ongoing committment – To providing a unique place to engage with history, and a vibrant hub for community events.

Cost $55 plus booking and card fees.
Tickets can also be purchased at the BMI Library.

Get Tickets

Accessibility:
Much of this experience is not wheelchair accessible. The journey to the basements does involve stairs. The tour is not Auslan interpreted, and the guide does not use any amplification system. Groups will enter dimly lit areas of the building under supervision of the guide.
BMI Accessibility information can be found at https://ballaratmi.org.au/accessibility
About the artist
Amanda Western
Amanda Western is a visual artist based in Ballarat, whose work explores the relationship between people and the land.
Through printmaking, I reflect on ecological fragility, resilience and the shifting nature of landscape, extending traditional print processes across new materials and forms.

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Kadampa Meditation Series | From Anxiety to Action: Tools to Reclaim Your Life
2026-05-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Lending Library, Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, Victoria, 3350, Australia
May 20
@
7:00 pm
–
8:00 pm
Free – $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 our
daily problems and find the lasting happiness we seek.
Beginners welcome, no bookings required.
Free for Kadampa members
Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia (Ballarat Branch)
info@meditateinmelbourne.org | 0455205589
meditateinballarat.org
ABN 86 114 195 550
KMC Australia is a not-for-profit organisation

Bookings

The Teacher
Christielli Portela has been teaching modern Kadampa Buddhism for a decade. As an experienced and well-loved teacher, she inspires people to use Buddhist meditation to improve their lives through her sincere example and clear teachings.

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Lantern Vaults
2026-05-21 10:00 - 2026-05-24 16:00 | BMI – Multiple Spaces, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
May 21
@
10:00 am
–
May 24
@
4:00 pm
Free
The Basement*
Plus bkg. fee

Lantern Vaults
A new immersive installation in the basement of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival

The work is shaped by historical research and guided by the voice of Florence Batten, the twelve- year-old daughter of William Henry Batten, Secretary of the Institute, and based in the early 1870s.
As visitors move through the vaults, her story unfolds through image, light and sound, offering a glimpse into early Ballarat and the Batten family’s story.
The installation is built from original artworks created by local artist Amanda Western for this project, drawing on historical photographs and records of the family, the Institute and the cultural life of the period.
At its centre is a family closely connected to the Institute, at a time when access to learning was beginning to open out. The Mechanics’ Institute was founded to bring knowledge within reach of ordinary people, and this work reflects that shift, how learning moved beyond a small few and into the wider community.
Experience Schedule
Installation Preview
Tuesday 19 May at 7.30pm: includes champagne on arrival, artist talk and Q&A
Cost $55 plus booking and card fees (includes gst) per person.
Free daily sessions: 21 May – 24 May at:
10:00am – 11:00am – 12:00pm – 1:00pm – 2:00pm – 3:00pm – 4:00pm (aporoximately 25 minute duration).

Get Tickets

Make and Create
As part of this experience a workshop space will allow visitors to make a creative response to the installation to take home. This exercise will be suitable for all ages.
Art for sale
WH Batten at Desk c1871 | Amanda Western
Minerva | Amanda Western
Auctioneer, BMI Art Union | Amanda Western
Florence Batten & baby Sarah | Amanda Western
Original artworks from Lantern Vaults will be available for sale with 10% of sales going to the BMI. These funds help support the ongoing committment – To providing a unique place to engage with history, and a vibrant hub for community events.

Apart from the Installation Preview Event, this event is Free – however bookings are essential as this is a guided experience with limited numbers. Visitors are to meet in the BMI Foyer.
The experience duration is approximately 25 minutes after which there is an opportunity to participate in the Make and Create activity and or enjoy the artwork.

Get Tickets

Accessibility:
Much of this experience is not wheelchair accessible. The journey to the basements does involve stairs. The tour is not Auslan interpreted, and the guide does not use any amplification system. Groups will enter dimly lit areas of the building under supervision of the guide.
BMI Accessibility information can be found at https://ballaratmi.org.au/accessibility
About the artist
Amanda Western
Amanda Western is a visual artist based in Ballarat, whose work explores the relationship between people and the land.
Through printmaking, I reflect on ecological fragility, resilience and the shifting nature of landscape, extending traditional print processes across new materials and forms.

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Panic from the Sky: A Call of Cthulhu Adventure
2026-05-22 19:00 - 20:30 | BMI – Humffray Room, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
May 22
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
$3 – $5
Hunffray Room

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Presented by Tales from Rat City
Panic from the Skies is the fourth chapter in our multi award winning Call of Cthulhu liveplay series, delivering a fresh descent into mystery, suspense, and eldritch terror.
Faced with unsettling events and unimaginable dangers, our investigators must uncover the truth before panic gives way to madness.
It is 1917. The world is at war.
On the home front, Australia is wrestling with rapid technological change — aviation promising both
thrilling progress and terrifying new forms of warfare.
Then the sightings begin.
Strange shapes moving through the clouds.
Lights flickering across the night sky.
Unidentified flying objects over the Central Highlands.
Ballarat is thrown into panic.
Invaders.
But from where?
Outer… Europe?
Audiences are invited to join a team of plucky adventurers as they investigate whether these reports are wartime hysteria, elaborate hoaxes, or something far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
Blending live performance, improvisation, historical immersion, and interactive storytelling, the event will unfold in real time before both a live audience and an online streaming community.
Set within one of Ballarat’s most significant heritage buildings, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, this production is produced by the ENNIE award winning Tales From Rat City team.

About Tales from Rat City
Tales from Rat City is an award-winning creative team whose heritage projects draw on history, folklore, and the dark forgotten stories of the goldfields. Blending meticulous research with atmospheric storytelling and live performance, the team creates events steeped in mystery, period detail, and cosmic horror.

Tickets: $5 for live performance, $3 for Live Stream – plus booking fee.
A bar will operate for this session.

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This event is part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.

Ballarat Heritage Festival - Tours of the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute
2026-05-23 11:30 - 2026-05-24 12:15 | Meet in the Foyer, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central, Australia
Saturday 23 May , 3 tours:
11:30am – 12:30am – 1:30pm (aporoximately 45 minute duration).
Sunday 24 May , 4 tours:
10.30am – 11:30am – 12:30am – 1:30pm (aporoximately 45 minute duration).

May 23
@
11:30 am
–
May 24
@
12:15 pm
$11
Lending Library
Plus bkg. fee

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Day Tours of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
The origin of Mechanics’ Institutes
Dr. George Birkbeck, a professor of natural philosophy in Glasgow, held the first lectures for the skilled workers of the day in 1799. He is acknowledged as the founder of the mechanics institute movement.
These lectures led to facilities dedicated to workers’ education – the Edinburgh School of Arts opened in 1821 and the London Mechanics’ Institute in 1823. Then, in the 19th century Institutes spread rapidly throughout the British Empire and to other areas such as the United States.

By 1851 over 700 Institutes were operating throughout Britain.
The first Australian Institute was established in Hobart in 1827.
Sydney followed in 1833 and Melbourne in 1839 (the Melbourne Mechanics’ Institute became
the Athenaeum in 1873).

Under Minerva’s Gaze | Tour information
The research material for your tour has been drawn from – Under Minerva’s Gaze: 150 years at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (edited by Jill Blee & Phil Roberts).
This reference material is available for purchase at the Library or can be purchased via our Shop.

Cost $11 per person plus fees.

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Accessibility:
Most of the tour experience is wheelchair accessible.
BMI Accessibility information can be found at https://ballaratmi.org.au/accessibility

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.
