Despite the predictably cold and windy Ballarat weather, 14 staunch members joined the amazingly erudite and articulate Andrew, from Ballarat Heritage Tours, on a guided walking tour which gave a superb overview of Ballarat’s marvellous gold rush era buildings.
In about 90 minutes, Andrew located the city within its geographical significance on the edge of the lava plain, explained the importance of the rivers and streams to the location of the alluvial gold fields and reminded us of the rebirth of the extensive underground mining that exists today.
As he related the significance of Ballarat in comparison with neighbouring Bendigo, Clunes and surrounds, we delved into the storied past of Ballarat. Despite the cold (8 degrees - feels like zero!), Andrew kept us enthralled with his storytelling skills to bring the city made on gold to vibrant life.
Having survived the cold weather, we passed our starting point at the Burke and Wills monument to retire to Craig’s Royal Hotel for warming soup and a roast. Then it was back to the station for a comfortable return to Melbourne.