The Minerva Space
Our large flat floor Grand Hall complete with a tiered stage and professional lighting, audio, and projection system. It is perfect for performances and live music, but is extremely versatile that it can host events from as sit-down dinners and wedding receptions to movie screenings and art exhibitions.
The Humffray Room
Our beautiful, medium size, ballroom complete with a small dance floor and inbuilt bar area. It is great for larger meetings, small music concerts and wedding ceremonies, and cocktail functions. This room houses our 1913 C Bechstein Grand Piano and it also has a balcony with views up and down Sturt Street.
The Hugh Williamson Foyer
Our smallest and most intimate room. It is perfect for small meetings or consultations, and also to use as a break-out room with direct access to the bathroom facilities. It is also on the same floor as the finishing kitchen.
The Hooper Room
On our ground floor and is great for classes or small lectures. It is our most frequently used room with regular users such as the Ballarat Chess Club, Kadampa Meditation, and a number of training providers. This room adjoins a small kitchenette and a toilet.
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
The Minerva Space
- PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SYSTEM
- THEATRE LIGHTING
- CINEMA QUALITY PROJECTOR AND SCREEN
- PROSCENIUM ARCH STAGE
- LECTERN AND RISERS
- WIFI AND ETHERNET ACCESS
360° Tour
View this space in a 360° tour
The Minerva Space provides a majestic backdrop for concerts, conferences, presentations, performances, weddings, formal dinners, parties, cinema, exhibition space and training.
Its exquisite heritage features offers elegance of years gone by whilst providing state of the art facilities including cinema quality projection with a large presentation screen, a main proscenium-arch stage, a lectern and risers, a full professional sound system, a recently updated lighting rig, and internet access throughout.
This room is fully accessible via the lift from the front foyer.
Room hire fees and technical specifications can be found on the Venue Hire Information page via the button below.
Gallery – The Minerva Space in action
The Humffray Room
- 100 SEATED (THEATRE STYLE)
- PROJECTION CAPABILITY
- BUILT-IN BAR
- WIFI ACCESS
- JPL PA SYSTEM
- SMALL DANCE FLOOR
360° Tour
View this space in a 360° tour
The Humffray Room, a beautifully restored heritage room, (1869) on the second level overlooking Sturt Street, can hold up to 100 seated theatre-style, 60 seated dinner-style and standing capacity for 180 guests.
The room is ideal for conference and training, forums, small wedding ceremonies and receptions, parties and recitals. The room has a bar/servery, carpeted floor with small dance floor, projection facilities, Wi-Fi access plus a professional JBL PA system.
It can also be utilised as a breakout room for the larger Minerva Space for catering or pre-function food and drinks.
This room is fully accessible via the lift from the front foyer.
Room hire fees and technical specifications can be found on the Venue Hire Information page via the button below.
Who was Mr Williamson?
Hugh Williamson (1901-1985) was a banker and philanthropist, born on 4 February 1901 in Ballarat. He was educated in Ballarat at Dana Street State School and Ballarat Agricultural High School. As a qualified accountant he was posted to rural Victoria where he made his mark with a bright personality and quick wit. His constant travelling around Australia and New Zealand, raising morale by encouraging and mentoring staff at all levels, paid dividends. As an active president (1955-61) of the Bankers’ Institute of Australasia he encouraged bankers to build their knowledge through further study. By the time he retired in 1961, the year he was appointed CBE, he had laid much of the groundwork for the ANZ Bank’s strong performance over subsequent decades.
In retirement Williamson enjoy an active life, serving on boards and giving generous support to a range of causes including the Salvation Army, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, and the Royal Melbourne and Freemasons hospitals. He was a trustee of the William Buckland Foundation, an enterprise that became a model for his own philanthropic legacy. On his death the terms of his Will established the Hugh DT Williamson Foundation, which began operation in 1986 with a capital base of more than $4million. The BMI has been a grateful recipient of his Foundation’s philanthropy.
The Hugh Williamson Foyer
- LIFT ACCESS
- 30 SEATED
- 50 STANDING
- PROJECTION CAPABILITY
- WIFI ACCESS
- WHITEBOARD ACCESS
This room is on the Mezzanine level immediately below the Humffray Room. It has lift access and holds up to 30 people seated theatre style, up to 50 standing. It is suitable for meetings, training, small celebrations and classes. It is serviced by our preparation kitchen, has projection capability, Wi-Fi access and a whiteboard upon request.
The Hooper Room
- LIFT ACCESS
- 30 SEATED
- 50 STANDING
- PROJECTION CAPABILITY
- WIFI ACCESS
- WHITEBOARD ACCESS
On our ground floor is our original classroom. Since the 1870s this space has been used for lectures and classes, as well as hosting clubs and associations. It has previously been home to the Ballarat Chess Club and Kadampa Meditation Ballarat.
This room adjoins a small kitchenette and a toilet.
NOTE: This room is currently not available for hire. The Hooper Room is being used to store a large amount of our newspaper collection and therefore is not appropriate to use for functions. This page will be updated if the situation changes.
