| Ballan Victoria |
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Inglis Street, the main street of Ballan |
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Ballan
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| Population: | 1,807[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 3342 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 442 m (1,450 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Shire of Moorabool | ||||||
| State District: | Ballarat East | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Ballarat | ||||||
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Ballan (i/bəˈlæn/)[2] is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River 78 kilometres (48 mi) north west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Ballan had a population of 1,807.[1]
It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area.[3]
It was named by the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland.[4]
During the Victorian Gold Rush it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.
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The area around Ballan was part of the tribal area of the Wautharong 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.[5] Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland.[4] 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 …".[6]
Gold was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. The Post Office in the township opened around September 1853 although there were two earlier offices in the area named Ballan.[7]
Ballan Primary School was established on 8 January 1855.[8]
The first Mechanics' Institute in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics' Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the façade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.[9]
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.[5]
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.[10]
The main form of transport in Ballan is the automobile. The Western Freeway bypasses the town but is located nearby and connects Ballan to Melbourne in the east and Ballarat to the west. The main road into town is the Old Melbourne Road (Old Inglis Street) and also the main street. Another main road is the Geelong Ballan Road which connects Ballan to Geelong.
Ballan Railway Station is a passenger only station serviced by VLine VLocity trains running on the Ballarat railway line, a 55-59 minute journey to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne; 20-25 minute journey to Ballarat and beyond as far as the Ararat railway or Maryborough.
The town centre is a short 3 block walk from the station. There is no other public transport available in the town.
VLine coaches also regularly stop in Ballan on route from Ballarat to Melbourne and shuttle buses run from the post office to Tullamarine Airport.[11] Ballan Bus Lines also a weekday bus service to Daylesford.[12]
The town has an Australian rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football League.[13]
The Ballan Bowling Club currently fields 3 pennant teams in the Ballarat District Bowls Division.[14]
Golfers play at the Ballan Golf Club on Blow Court.[15]
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