Ballarat

In the state of Victoria, Australia, Ballarat is located in the Central Highlands region. With a population of 113,183 people in 2021, Ballarat was the third most populous city in the state of Victoria.

The discovery of gold in Ballarat, which kicked off the Victorian gold rush, occurred within a few short months after Victoria's separation from the colony of New South Wales in 1851. As a result of this, Ballarat developed into a prosperous boomtown that, for a period of time, was on par with Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, in terms of both money and cultural impact. At 1854, after a period of civil disobedience in Ballarat over gold licences, local miners staged an armed rebellion against government authorities. This occurred in response to the government's refusal to provide new licences. It is often referred to as the Eureka Rebellion, and since it resulted in the expansion of voting rights for men in Australia, many people consider it to be the beginning of democracy in that country. The Eureka Flag, which originally represented the rebel movement, has evolved into a symbol of national pride. It was on exhibit at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (MADE) in Ballarat from 2013 to 2018, when MADE finally shut its doors.

Ballarat was proclaimed a city in 1871, and its prosperity, unlike that of many other gold boomtowns, remained until the late 19th century. This is because the city's fields had sustained high gold outputs for several decades after the city was established. By the turn of the century, Ballarat's prominence had significantly decreased in comparison to that of Melbourne as a result of the slowdown of gold extraction. It has maintained its status as a prominent regional centre, and now it serves as the economic capital, the biggest city, and the most important tourist attraction of the Central Highlands. Ballarat is a city in Victoria, Australia, that is famous for its history, culture, and well-preserved colonial-era legacy; as a result, a significant portion of the city is protected by historical overlays.