The Ballarat Railway Station! Ballarat West Railway Station was officially opened by Governor Sir Henry Barkly on the 11th April 1862, with four trains scheduled each way between Spencer Street Station (Southern Cross) and Ballarat per day.The initial route was vastly different to today, the train traveling from Melbourne to Geelong, then on to Ballarat […]
From the Curator | Ballarat Railway Station Read More »
This image was used as part of an exhibition of photographs from the Max Harris Collection on the theme of Rupture for the 2023 Ballarat International Foto Biennale. On New Year’s Eve in 1991, Ballarat experienced 76mm of rainfall which caused flooding across the city. This photograph shows Lydiard Street North cut off from the city at
From the Curator | Ballarat International Foto Biennale Read More »
The history of the (now) Canberra Hotel on the corner of Creswick Road and Macarthur Street. The first hotel on the site was called The Cornubian Hotel, a single-storey timber building constructed in 1861. The first licensee was William Ball (or Bull), but following his death in 1863, the license was transferred to Margaret Maule,
From the Curator | History of the Canberra Hotel Read More »
Christmas time in Ballart allows us to feature the long-time producer of a Christmas banquet staple, George Farmer’s ham and bacon curing works on Eureka Street. George Farmer first set up his curing business in 1864. Farmer reportedly travelled to America and Europe to investigate curing methods and adapt his findings to “Australian tastes and
From the Curator | Christmas time George Farmers Read More »
How about a journey in a Withers’ White Char-à-banc?The char-à-banc, which comes from the French “carriage with benches”, was a horse-drawn vehicle or later, motor coach. They were open-topped and were often used for taking large parties on sight-seeing adventures. Withers started his char-à-banc business in 1907, escorting Melbournites on sight-seeing trips around country Victoria.A four-day
From the Curator | Fancy taking a jaunt to the country this weekend? Read More »
1. MH1335 Ballarat Post Office, post 1905. Max Harris Collection. Note the disappearing electric tram lines – some crude early photoshop! For today’s #flashbackfriday, we are featuring the old Ballarat Post Office. In the early days of the Ballarat Goldfields, the swelling population were forced to trek three miles to the Buninyong Post Office to
From the Curator | Post Office Gallery Read More »
If our Living Heritage Exhibition on Baron Ferdinand von Mueller’s plant specimens whet your appetite for all things botany, we have just the news for you! The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has just launched a searchable online database of Mueller’s surviving correspondence, with more than 11,500 letters currently available to peruse. Mueller is believed to
From the Curator | Baron Ferdinand von Mueller Read More »
On the corner of what came to be Sturt and Lydiard Streets was originally a 160 foot deep mine shaft known as ‘Bath’s Claim’. A former miner recollected that as men descended the shaft in slings they looked like “strings of onions going down a cellar.”After the shaft was abandoned for more promising leads, a
From the Curator | National Mutual Building Read More »
Dana Street Primary School first opened as a National School in 1857, with a modest 50 pupils. The “neat and commodious” bluestone school house was a far cry from the tent schools serving the children of the goldfields. The first teachers were Charles Martin and his wife, and the school came to be known as
From the Curator | Dana Street Primary School Read More »
In 1977, a suite of Victorian-era shops in Bakery Hill were slated for demolition to make way for a purpose-built McDonald’s restaurant. While the buildings were not heritage listed, concerned residents formed the Save Bakery Hill Action Group to agitate against the destruction. The area is also believed to be the site where the Eureka
From the Curator | Bakery Hill Read More »
Bubbly on arrival & Featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop | $60
Featuring the BMI Image 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
