History of Ballarat
Ballarat is a city in central Victoria Australia. Its name is derived from two Aboriginal words “Balla” “Arat” meaning resting place.
First settled in 1838, Ballarat developed rapidly after John Dunlop and James Regan discovered a few ounces of gold at Poverty Point in 1851. Thousands rushed to the area to strike it rich. Ballarat was proclaimed a town in 1852, a municipality in 1855, a borough in 1863 and a city in 1870.
In 1854, there was an armed rebellion by miners known as the Eureka Stockade. Rebelling against a harsh licensing system and other injustices the miners armed themselves and built a stockade over which flew their flag The Southern Cross. The military overran the Eureka stockade and there were many killed and wounded on both sides. License fees were soon abolished and miners were given the right to vote.
In 1858 the second largest gold nugget ever found in Australia, the “Welcome Nugget” was found but by the 1860’s it was becoming harder to find gold, although deeper underground mining continued until 1918. Foundries and other heavy industry were established to support these mines. Agricultural and Pastoral concerns were established as well. When the railroad came through in 1862 this opened up more opportunities for trade and when mining finally ended Ballarat had a large industry and services base to support it.
Today Ballarat is one of Australia’s largest inland cities. Accessible by road, rail and air it is a major manufacturing and primary Industry City. It also has a strong tourist industry with attractions like Sovereign Hill mining town, Eureka Stockade, and the annual Begonia Festival.
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