Recently, Mrs Batha from Pune, India came to visit Melbourne and Ballarat in Victoria.
Here is her account of what happened...
I hope you enjoy it.
A VISIT TO BALLARAT
On Sunday, May 1, 2005 our journey from 11 Tamarisk Ave, started at around 0645 hrs when Shiraz drove us to Kazween's place for a sumptuous breakfast. From there, we all got into Kazween's newly acquired car and headed for Sovereign Hill, approximately 113 kms away from Melbourne, which tells the story of life in Ballarat, during its gold mining heyday of the 1850s. Dusty streets, stage coaches, town folk in period costume and blacksmiths at work present a fascinating insight into how the early pioneers lived. It's just like stepping back in time - from the hustle and bustle of Main Street where costumed ladies and gents parade their new-found wealth. We even took photographs posing with costumed goldfields characters. A typical one enclosed.
As we cruised through the lanes, we could see adults and children panning for gold in the Red Hill Gully Creek on the Diggings. In the diggings, you can pan for REAL gold. We even witnessed $50,000 of molten gold being poured into a bullion bar at Sovereign Hill's Goldpour, at the Gold Smelting Works. There are a variety of trades, crafts and stores, including the famous lolly shop. We also watched the Redcoat Soldiers as they paraded up Main Street at 1:30pm. Our tour of the Red Hill Mine, a journey 13 metres underground which uses life-size, moving "holograms" to reincarnate battling Cornish miner, Richard Jeffrey, as he stumbles on what was the biggest gold nugget ever found, the Welcome Nugget - at 69 kilograms, still the second largest Nugget in the world.
Ballarat is a historic gold mining city of great elegance and charm. It's only when you visit the city, you understand why the town was named Ballarat, an Aboriginal word meaning 'resting place'. It's beauty and grandeur lies in the magnificent wide thoroughfare, stunning Victorian and Edwardian architecture, tree-lined avenues, parks and gardens.
The tranquil Lake Wendouree and Botanical Gardens are stunning features as is the Arch of Victory leading into the Avenue of Honour. The avenue is lined with 4000 trees, a memorial to the people of the city who served in World War One.
Ballarat has a strong association with the Australian rebellion of the Eureka Stockade, one of the most famous events in the history of colonial Australia. The Eureka Trail, is a three and a half kilometre walk that retraces the route taken by the police and soldiers to the Eureka Stockade in 1854. The excellent self-guided Heritage Walk uncovers the history of the inner city's streets, buildings and sites. At night, there is a multi-million dollar sound-and-light show, Blood on the Southern Cross, the dramatic story of the 1854 Eureka Uprising, which we were not too lucky to witness as we had to return home the same evening.
One can find restaurants, a bakery and a kiosk to cater for all tastes, budgets and group sizes. Located in the main entrance building, is a shop for postcards, Australian-themed books, souvenirs and gold items. Gold nuggets, gold jewellery and gold souvenir items can be purchased at a number of shops. There are working shops, hotels, schools, a theatre, crafts, a wheelwright, a candle maker, a confectioner and steam-driven machinery.
In the candle making factory, the candle maker uses a late 18th century-style 'Nodding Donkey' to dip candles and original 19th century continuous wicking candle machines to produce the moulded variety. The candle maker was smitten by Kazween's charms and had to give away a colourful candle absolutely free, in turn for a lovely kiss.
Parshana, my daughter, had her eyes on the Hope Bakery and kept a track of it till she could actually go and have her share of the pastries, before we could depart for the day. At the Hope Bakery, pastry cakes and breads are freshly baked each day in the wood-fired brick oven.
Our journey back home was fun filled with a surprise dinner thrown in at Kazween's place. I would always cherish the memory of this wonderful outing in the years to come. According to me, my trip would have been incomplete without a visit to Ballarat. My gracious thanks to all my daughter's friends, who made this trip possible.
Pinky
If you would like to thank the author, please write to her here.
We look forward to other such accounts in the future.
