Botanical Gardens Ballarat
written by kirri-joy
on December 30th, 2008
(1 vote)
The Botanical Gardens in Ballarat is a 40 hectare reserve located next to Lake Wendouree, about 4km’s from the city centre. It is a great Sunday-arvo picnic location, with trees, flowers, ferns, statues, walkers, and people generally having fun.
Back in the goldrush days it was the local police’s horse paddock. In 1858 they decided to make it a gardens reserve. Apparently, Ballarat people used to parade around in, “frock coats and top hats while the ladies looked fascinating in their bustles and small jet bonnets’. (”www.ballarat.vic.gov.au":www.ballarat.vic.gov.au).
Some cool things to look at are a path of 25 busts of all of Australia’s prime ministers, past and present. There is a nice big fernhouse that makes you feel like you live in a tropical climate. There is also a room full of statues that were brought over in 1884 from Carrara, Italy. The Robert Clarke Conservatory Centre is a modern-architecture building that houses special flowers, depending on the season. If you’re interested in war history, there is an Ex-POW memorial set up on the reserve that is dedicated to the 35,000 Australians that were POW’s in the Boer War, first and second world war, and the Korean war.
There is also a few playgrounds, a tram that runs around some of the lake, and the odd swan or two. The reserve also hosts the annual Begonia Festival, held in early March. This is the best time to visit.
Overall its a fun place and let me tell you, the Holga loves it. :)
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