Ballarat and After (Day 2)

March 16, 2022

This was a full day in Ballarat. Our first ever!

The morning began with a short walk along the shore of Lake Wendouree. There were many Great Crested Grebes visible, including this juvenile ...

.. and some adults.

Stopping at a convenient seat Frances spotted a Darter

Bird of the day was a Yellow-billed Spoonbill.

This beat out a Musk Duck since they do appear at the Mallacoota poo pits from time to time.

Not technically a great photo, but it does show the fanned out tail well

This sign honours Matt Jamieson who appears to have led the charge to restore and improve the Lake. A magnificent job has been done.

After breakfast we headed off to the Begonia Festival, which was why we were in Ballarat. It was a disappointment that even more of the place was closed than last night. (This was made clear to a person doing a survey with whom we spoke later in the day.) Still nice, but not magical.

The next few images are inside the main Conservatory.

We then went into the City Centre mainly to look at the Art Gallery. Nearby a lane had been decorated (officially, as part of the Festival).

Into the Gallery which still seemed to be doing COVID check-in and vaccination status checks. Good, but I think the horse has bolted everywhere else. The stairs going to the main rooms were well decorated with these centipedes (?) ...

.. and this ensemble of works about colour.

The Gallery didn't have a huge collection, but had given some thought to themes in each room, and explained a fair amount about the works and their creators on the cards. Good effort.

Out in the street again we found an alley had been enhanced On one side there was a version of an image from the Eureka Stockade (see below).

The other side had two "portraits". The red guy looks like Baron Samedi but I have no idea about the other. The parked car got in the way somewhat. (This does lead to the thought that I didn't see a single off-street car park, except the one at a shopping mall where we parked. Also didn't see a bus - there were bus stops - so I have no idea how punters travel around.)

More informal art ..

... with added beetles.

The main street (Sturt Street) has a notable collection of statues and other memorials. This is the Boer War memorial.

The City Hall was quite imposing (possibly less so than the former Post Office - now Federation University). Probably the only building representing any level of Government to fly the Eureka Flag.

An intriguing building in the centre of Sturt Street commemorating the bandsmen of the Titanic. This story has some detail about modern events but doesn't on my reading explain why the memorial was raised. Neither does this. Perhaps its part of the Union background of the city? Perhaps they were putting up a bandstand anyway?

Burke and Wills: again why here?

A nice example of art deco.

The ribbons outside the Catholic Cathedral were not explained. However we asked a lady sitting at a bus stop and she said the ribbons were in memory of victims of abuse, especially by clergy.

As we had a little time to fill we went out to the site of the Eureka Stockade. Having the playground look like a stockade was a good touch.

This seems to be the main memorial, close to the site of the stockade.

The words are the Eureka Oath, spoken by Peter Lalor at the time.

We didn't go into the Museum: I doubt if there was much in there to interest us and the presence of a bus load of school kids was a major negative indication!

A couple of culinary notes. We have had our evening meals based around some very tasty Chinese dishes from New David's Kitchen in Howitt St, 2 blocks from our accommodation. Very tasty. For lunch I had a pie rated 8.5 from a shop a little up Lydiard St from the Art Gallery. Finally I washed down tea with a can of Pale Ale from Auntie Jack's brewery in Ballarat. Very true to style and at 4.8 ABV not too dangerous.