Ballan, Victoria
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAL : Ballan, Victoria
Ballan is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia, part of the Moorabool Shire located 78 km north west of Melbourne just off the Western Freeway, on the Werribee River with a population estimated at 1,730 people.
History
The area around Ballan was part of the tribal area of the Wathaurung people, part of the Kulin nation. The area was rich in fauna including kangaroo, kangaroo rats, bandicoots, dingos, and two species of native cat. Many species had vanished by the end of the nineteenth century, with European settlement. The first European settlers crossed Bass Strait landing near Geelong and worked their way up the Moorabool River with their sheep flocks.[History of Ballan]. Accessed 20 June 2006 Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland[Ballan - Walkabout Travel Guide] Accessed 20 June 2006. Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead, Wallace and Egerton. There were clashes between Indigenous Australians and white settlers during settlement. Robert von Steiglitz stated in his journal "… it may be questioned by some feather-bed philanthropist whether we had the right to take the country from the blacks but I believe the general rule is that if people cultivate or graze the land they have a claim to it. These creatures did neither …"[History of Greendale] Accessed 20 June 2006.
Gold was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Balan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.
Ballan Primary School was established on 8th January 1855.[History of Ballan Primary School]. Accessed 20 June 2006.
The first Mechanics Institute in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the facade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.[Ballan Mechanic's Institute and Free Library] Accessed 20 June 2006
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.[History of Ballan]. Accessed 20 June 2006
On the 15 November 2003 a sprinter train travelling to Ballarat was derailed between Ballan and Gordon injuring 61 people when it hit a stationary car on a country railway crossing.[Disasters Database] - Ballan / Gordon Vic : Train derailment
Festivals and Attractions
- There is a Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Rally held in February, well known for its Vintage Tractor Pull.
- An Autumn Festival is held in Ballan every year in late March, Dubbed the Captain Moonlight Festival.
- Although there is a mineral spring at Ballan, it does not have the high profile of the towns of Hepburn Springs and Daylesford further to the north.
- To the south of Ballan are the Brisbane Ranges National Park and the You Yangs Forest Park.
References
External Links
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