Lake Bolac, Victoria

Lake Bolac
Victoria

Main street of Lake Bolac
Lake Bolac
Population: 470[1]
Postcode: 3351
Location:
LGA: Rural City of Ararat
State District: Lowan
Federal Division: Wannon

Lake Bolac is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Glenelg Highway, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Ballarat, in the Rural City of Ararat. At the 2006 census, Lake Bolac and the surrounding area had a population of 470.[1] The town is on the shores of Lake Bolac, a freshwater lake popular with fishers. Lake Bolac Post Office opened on 1 November 1864. [2]

Lake Bolac has a Prep to year 12 school. There is a caravan park on the lake that is popular in summer with holidaying families.

The football team is combined with nearby town Wickliffe known as the Magpies and plays in the Mininera & District Football League.

Golfers play at the course of the Lake Bolac Golf Club on Mortlake Road.[3]

Aboriginal inhabitants

George Augustus Robinson recorded in 1841 that 800 Aborigines had gathered at Lake Bolac - 'Lake Boloke' - to feast on plentiful eels, when "...local tribes numbered only sixty individuals".[4]

2006 Tornado

At roughly 11pm on January 19th 2006, Lake Bolac was hit by what has been described as a "mini-twister". Power lines were torn down, several buildings suffered mild to severe damage, more than 100 trees were uprooted, and eight grain silos were either damaged or destroyed. A ute's windscreen was smashed by a falling tree at the caravan park, and a grain silo was lifted off the ground and was found 3km away. It is estimated 400 residents lost power due to the tornado. The damage bill was estimated at two million dollars. [5]

References