After playing a footy game in the snow at North Ballarat in the mid 90’s, I swore I’d never return. Thirty years later, I’m now a proud citizen of this grey, stunning old city with its uncompromising chill.

The thing I’ve always loved about Ballarat is the architecture. The city is full of European, rock solid buildings designed to withstand the weather and the houses which range from Edwardian to Californian bungalows make the average stroll much more enjoyable. No two houses are the same and everything looks frozen in time.

Ballarat locals are unique. They don’t suffer fools and are a resilient bunch. They have a pecking order of ‘hardness’ based on the layers of clothing they are wearing. Anyone wearing shorts and T shirt in July/August is a red flag if you’re a visiting numbskull looking for a fight.

As a Saints tragic, four of my favourite players of all time came from ‘The Rat’. Greg Burns, Daryl Cunningham and Tony ‘Plugger’ Lockett were mud specialists and fearless in their attack on the ball. The late Danny Frawley was also classed as Ballaratian having come from just up the road in Bungaree and I loved all of them.

Ballarat has become a genuine hub for the arts over the past twenty or so years. We used to visit from Melbourne for the Day of the Dead Festival, The Biennale, The Archibald or to just visit to the glorious Ballarat Art Gallery.

It may have a strong arts community now, but there is no art food here! No big plates with tiny portions in Ballarat. The pubs and restaurants know how to feed you. The pubs are old, full of character and mostly free of pokies.

This year marks the Biennale’s tenth anniversary and it’s in full swing now until the 22nd October. There are dozens of exhibitions to see as well as installations and events. This is the website.

https://ballaratfoto.org

The best part of the festival if you do come, is the walking from quirky venue to venue, allowing you to can take in the beauty of the city and what it has to offer. I would recommend an overnighter so you can visit plenty of the exhibitions and perhaps a walk around Lake Wendouree.

Here are some photos of a morning stroll today in town.