A historic gold mining city of great elegance and charm. The blue-and-white Southern Cross flags which flutter throughout Ballarat symbolise the strong association of the city with the Eureka Rebellion - an event with great resonance in Australian history - and thus with its goldmining past.

Ballarat is a very major provincial centre. The current population is 83 000, making it Victoria's largest inland city. Tourism, retail, manufacturing and community services are now the city's major industries.

Visually, Ballarat creates an impression of stateliness and grandeur by virtue of its magnificent wide thoroughfare, the Victorian and Edwardian architecture, tree-lined avenues, parks, gardens and statuary, and its substantial educational institutions.