Talks: Twilight Talks, Author Talks & Public Talks

AuThor Talks

May 2026
May 11
11 May Monday
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 […]

$11.78
May 13
13 May Wednesday
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 […]

$11.78
May 27
27 May Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

May 27 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets The Model Murder Amanda Hampson A Tea Ladies Mystery A model vanishes - A man is murdered - and the Tea Ladies are back on the case. Sydney, 1968. In a shadowy city lane, a young man is shot dead. His glamorous […]

$11.78
June 2026
Jun 17
17 Jun Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

June 17 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.00 Humffray Room Get Tickets The Palace of Lost Virture Anthea Hodgson Anthea will be in conversation with local author  A J Lyndon At its core, The Palace of Lost Virtue is a story of female friendship and resilience. Blending real historical events with beautifully written fiction, […]

$11.00
Jun 23
23 Jun Tuesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

June 23 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets Where Truth Ends Mark Smith What if everything you believed in was a lie? Truth and betrayal collide in the new Mark Smith thriller, perfect for fans of Christian White and Lisa Jewell. Meg Maher thought she was doing the right thing. […]

$11.78
July 2026
Jul 01
01 Jul Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

July 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.00 Humffray Room Get Tickets For All The Dead Girls Sherryl Clark Tough and gutsy PI Lou Alcott returns with a terrifyingly gritty new case that takes her deep into the dark web. While juggling a missing person case with unexpected ties close to home and saving […]

$11.00
Jul 15
15 Jul Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

July 15 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets Seen Again: Light On Matrescence Benita Bensch Seen Again is a modern companion through matrescence, the profound transition of becoming a mother. Matrescence is a biological, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual transformation that can leave mothers without the language or support to make […]

$11.78
Jul 20
20 Jul Monday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

July 20 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.00 Humffray Room Get Tickets Every Time She Wakes Petronella McGovern Petronella will be in conversation with local author Paula Gleeson An unputdownable thriller from the bestselling author of  Six Minutes  and The Last Trace. Every Time She Wakes is a taut, time-bending thriller about family, identity and defying […]

$11.00
Jul 29
29 Jul Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

July 29 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets Lest Angels Weep Phillipa Nefri Clark Phillipa will be in conversation with local actor Kate Atkinson The new case is cold. Stone cold. Until another murder with striking similarities rocks a remote outback town. Detective Liz Moorland is desperate to get out […]

$11.78
August 2026
Aug 12
12 Aug Wednesday
BMI – Humffray Room,
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia

August 12 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets The Frock Shop Sophie Green Meet the Ladies of The Frock Shop Where clothes are just the start of the story Australian bestseller Sophie Green returns with a sparkling story about the beauty of the second-hand, the power of second chances, and becoming who […]

$11.78

Twilight Talks

Presented in partnership with Community Bank Buninyong

WHAT ARE TWILIGHT TALKS?

Twilight Talks have been held at the BMI since 2001, providing a great opportunity to hear some fantastic speakers and meet up with friends over drinks.

Generally participants arrive at the Humffray Room from 5pm for drinks and conversation, followed at 5.30pm by a 30 to 40 minutes to conclude at approximately at 6.30pm.

There may be exceptions to this timing subject to speaker availability and associated events.

Note: Photographs may be taken at the event that may be used for promotion purposes: event marketing, website and project reporting. If you wish not to be included in such photos please identify at check-out when you purchase tickets through humanitix, when making your booking or identify on entry to the event.

ADMISSION

BMI Members $9.00 per person, non-members$13.00 plus booking fee, these prices include gst. There may be exceptions to these attendance prices subject to program content.

Proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong

Contact Rosemary in the BMI Library for information on 5331 3042.

Upcoming Twilight Talks will be listed below as details become available

There is no Event

Other Talks

Upcoming Public Talks will be listed below as details become available

There is no Event

with Fiona Lowe

Tue 21 April at 6pm

Minerva's Secrets Night Tours

Fri 24 Apr – Tue 19 May

& Fri 12 Jun 

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

Thu 16 Oct – 19 Oct 

 Coming soon

Rozzi Bazzani. Stella Day Out: Katia Ariel & Samah Sabawi, Rachael Johns

 Coming soon

Dianne Dempsey, Chrissie Bellbrae, Paula Gleeson, Rozzi Bazzani.

Raise a Glass for Brass

The Little Brass Band BMI Fundraiser

Sun 10 August at 2pm

Tracey Lee Holmes: A Life Through Sport

Thu 4 September at 6pm

 Coming in November

Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey

Ballarat Winter Festival

Events at BMI

5 July – 27 July 

Ballarat Pride Month

Events at BMI

The Month of June 

Ballart Seniors Festival 

Celebrate at the BMI.

 October 2025

with Gail Holmes

 Wed 4 June at 6pm

with Nicole Alexander

28 May at 6pm

Ballarat Heritage Festival BMI Day Tours

Two tours  on 20 &  21 May 

 

portrait of author with book cover

Australian Heritage Festival

Natasha Lester in conversation

1 May at 6pm

guides dressed in period costum

Australian Heritage Festival

Minerva's Secrets

25 April – Tour 1 at 7.30pm – fully booked
Tour 2 at 9.30pm – still tickets. 

portrait of author with book cover

Australian Heritage Festival

Natasha Lester in conversation

1 May at 6pm

Dame Nellie Melba Birthday Celebration

  Performance – 18 May.

Ballarat Heritage Festival Events at the BMI

16 to 25 May 

Spring Season, History Talks:

Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!

Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm

Australian Heritage Festival Events at the BMI

18 April to 18 May

Dame Nellie Melba Birthday Celebration

  Performance – 18 May.

Christmas Holiday Closures | Library

Monday 23 December – Sunday 5 January

Devonshire Tea & Fashion Parade

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

Tax Deductible 

Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.

We need
your help.

2024 End of Financial Year Appeal 

Or alternatively go to our Donations web page.

Our Challenge

Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges. 

We thank you for your support.

BMI Fundraiser

Featuring:
The Hideaways,
The Harmonies &
Surf Shadows. 

2 course dinner & lots
of dancing