Ballarat Buildings

Nazareth House Convent: 218 Mill Street, Lake Wendouree

Nazareth House Convent looking north from Mill Street

If one was to film a Harry Potter movie in Ballarat, one would have plenty of locations to choose from and Nazareth House Convent is one such place. Located on a site adjacent to Lake Wendouree, this triple storey red brick (“blood and bandage”) style gothic landmark with its tall pyramid roof towers can be seen for miles across the lake.

While infill development around the convent’s huge complex of gothic buildings is less than sympathetic and has intruded on some of its original Victorian gardens the convent still retains much of its original sense of grandeur.

Regent Bar: 71 Lydiard Street Nth, Ballarat Central

Regent Bar 71 Lydiard Street Nth Ballarat

The building that is currently the Regent Bar, next to the Regent Multiplex complex, while modest in its current bricky appearance and seldom mentioned in heritage studies is actually dates way back in 1861, beginning as Jackson’s Hotel¹ and named after its original proprietor John Jackson Esq it was a substantial stone construction of 33 rooms and large basement.

Robert Burns Statue: Sturt Street Gardens, corner Sturt and Lydiard Streets

Robert Burns Statue cnr Sturt and Lydiard Streets looking east

Situated on the corner of Lydiard and Sturt Streets at the centre of Ballarat and facing westward is the Robert Burns statue. The unveiling of the Robert Burns statue on Friday 22 April 1887 was witnessed by a crowd of over 20,000 people including a large contingent of Ballarat’s Scottish community at the time, the unveiling itself done by Scottish immigrant and benefactor Thomas Stoddart. The result of a public subscription raising £1000, the monument is in honour of the celebrated Scottish poet Robert Burns it was sculpted in marble by J Udny of Carrara in Italy¹. Erected on bluestone and a plinth of granite and surrounded by an octagonal base covered in tesselated tiles and surrounded by a cast iron palisade, the statue rises 9 feet high. Burns is featured standing holding a book and pencil accompanied by his dog.²

State Government Offices (“The Glass House”) 402 Mair Street, Ballarat Central

Ballarat State Government Offices looking north west from the corner of Mair Street and Doveton Street Nth

Still the largest office building in Ballarat, construction of the triple storey State Offices began in July 1978 and it was opened by premier Rupert Hamer on 23rd April 1981. Today it is known by many as the “Glass House” in reference to its reflective curtain wall design.

The 5500 square metre office space was intended to consolidate around 18 different departments and house up to 200 public servants and was the sixth such office project completed in regional Victoria. Designed by the Victorian Public Works Department, the building was initially budgeted at $3.7 million¹² but by its opening, the total cost was over $4.2 million.³

Former Ballarat RSL: 2 Lyons Street Sth. Ballarat Central

Former Ballarat RSL viewed from the south across Lyons Street

Originally built as a private practice and residence in 1901 for surgeon William Cussen, this 12 roomed mansion has been associated with the Returned Services League for almost a century.

Cussen sold the mansion to the RSL in 1919 for a sum of 3500 pounds and in 1920 it was opened by Sir John Monash as a temporary war memorial before the Arch of Victory was completed. It operated as the Australian Comforts Fund (ACF) Ballarat hostel¹ and later the RSL’s Ballarat branch and Ballarat and District Veterans Support Group.²