Open Gardens Victoria will open two stunning Ballarat gardens for the first time on Saturday and Sunday, February 1 and 2.

Located just 10 minutes apart, both gardens are set within historically significant precincts with rejuvenated gardens by award-winning landscape designer and TV host Paddy Milne.

The Oaks is a stunning 3500 sqm garden just five minutes’ walk from Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Owners Harry and Alison Zehnwirth purchased the land in 1989, and have continued the historic garden legacy dating back to 1856 when Fenwick and Sarah Hamilton established a homestead called St Ernan’s on the site.

According to a local nineteenth-century arborist’s account, the Hamiltons shipped 100 oak trees from England around 1860.

“This places our four oaks, the oaks in neighbours’ gardens as well as those in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, at around 160 years old. They are an integral part of our garden. Nothing has been built or planted without recognition of their importance,” says Alison Zehnwirth.

In 1989, the first contemporary landscape design was completed, resulting in a ‘stroll garden’ that provided a variety of experiences and activities for the growing family.

At this time, the property’s entry and large stone driveway were created to accommodate the root systems of the oak trees.

A ten-minute drive will find garden lovers at Craigie, the beautiful circa 1860s home and expansive garden of owners David and Maria Cook, located in the precinct of Soldiers Hill with the suburb covered by a Heritage Overlay.

David and Maria purchased Craigie in 1991 and within four years re-acquired two sections of the previously subdivided property.

In 1998 they undertook extensive renovations that stayed true to the house’s original character and established the foundational structure of the garden, including a vegetable garden, where beautiful historic bluestone paving was unearthed.

Like many gardens in Ballarat, Craigie’s garden suffered during the millennium drought’s harsh Stage 4 water restrictions.

“Our once thriving English-style trees and shrubs withered, and the lush green lawns turned a brittle shade of brown,” says David.

“The watering system lay unused, leaving the garden to endure the harsh conditions.”

Many garden projects were planned over the years and David and Maria recognised the need for assistance and turned to Paddy Milne to complete the task. Link: opengardensvictoria.org.au

Ballarat is hosting the Disc Golf – Golden City Classic this weekend, January 11-12.

The two-day event is one of the biggest disc golf tournaments hosted throughout Australia.

The Golden City Classic will see about 160 competitors take to the two disc golf courses in Ballarat.

Day one will be hosted at the Victoria Park Disc Golf Course, with day two to be held at the new Mt Xavier Disc Golf Course.

Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc.

The sport was formalized in the 1970’s, and shares with “ball golf” the object of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest number of throws).

A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the ‘hole’ which can be one of a number of disc golf targets, the most common is an elevated metal basket (as pictured below).

As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed.

Triple ARIA-award winning musician Sarah Blasko is headed to Ballarat in the new year to perform in concert at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening, March 22.

Blasko is touring in celebration of her seventh solo album ‘I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain’ which debuted at #6 on the ARIA Australian Album Chart and was crowned Double J Feature Album.

It traces the inevitability of painful goodbyes in all their forms and the final acceptance that follows a period of grief and sees Sarah Blasko firmly in the present as she searches for the light that comes with new beginnings.

She is as expansive as she is prolific, writing songs that strike with rare immediacy, clarity and purpose.

Across six solo albums and two as part of Seeker Lover Keeper, four have reached Platinum Sales Status with six debuts in the ARIA Top 10.  

Sarah Blasko is a three-time ARIA Award winner, 18x ARIA Award nominee, has won the J Award for Australian Album of the Year, and three-times shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize. 

This tour marks the first regional tour Sarah has done since 2017 with the upcoming Ballarat show aimed at over 18s and more details through the venue’s website.

A woman charged with the murder of a man in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen on Saturday remains in police custody following her first appearance in court on Monday.

Cheryl Lucas, 38, of Mount Helen, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday December 30.

She did not apply for bail and was to be detained in custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne’s west, to re-appear before the Magistrates’ Court again on April 15, 2025.

Homicide Squad Detectives have charged Lucas following the fatal stabbing that occured in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen on Saturday morning, December 28.

The 38-year-old Mount Helen woman has been charged with one count of murder.

It is alleged that Lucas stabbed a 47-year-old man at a property on Park Lane just before 8am on Saturday, 28 December.

Emergency services had attended and performed CPR, but the Mount Helen man died at the scene.

Officers had arrested Lucas, who was known to the deceased, at the property.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Coming up in the new year, James Ehnes leads musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in an all-strings program being staged for the first time in Ballarat.

Set for Friday, March 21 at her Majesty’s Theatre, the evening performance bridges the old and new worlds with works ranging from classical to contemporary.

It’s a prime opportunity to journey into the heart of the violin with one of today’s most masterful soloists. 

This special event features a work by Grammy Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery who is renowned for her socially inspired and richly layered music.

The contemporary masterpieces by Montgomery are performed alongside Mozart’s playful Violin Concerto No.4, which he wrote while still a teenager, and Dvořák’s uplifting and optimistic Serenade for Strings. 

Further details are available through her Majesty’s Theatre website.

Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat will come alive for its 150th birthday with a spectacular musical takeover set for  Saturday evening, February 1.

The city’s iconic theatre means a lot to the people of Ballarat, so the venue’s management is inviting the wider community to help celebrate the historic occasion.

Participatory arts company Everybody NOW! have brought together dozens of local community groups, artists, and musicians to take over the whole building and show that “the old girl still knows how to party”.   

It’s advised that those who get along “expect the unexpected as you explore music, song, and stories woven throughout our beloved Ballarat icon”.

From brass bands to punk pop, choirs to classics, Birthday Party! is a genre-bending, community-led celebration starring over 100 local legends.  

More information is available on Her Majesty’s Theatre website.

Coming up in the new year, ‘Fun Night Only’ offers the chance to laugh yourself silly at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat.

The evening show happens Friday, January 31 and offers the chance to spend a good chunk of your evening in a state of mirth catching a line-up that features some of the finest comedians this country has to offer.

There’s Alex Ward, Sez, Tom Ballard, Zoë Coombs Marr and Dilruk Jayasinha …  

The show is aimed at over 16s and contains occasional coarse language and adult themes with more details available  from Her Majesty’s website.

Local music lovers will be pleased to hear that a popular series of free live music events is returning to liven up Sunday afternoons in Ballarat this January.

Summer Sundays returns to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in 2025, ensuring both locals and visitors to the wider region finish the summer school holiday weekends on the right note.

In a new family-friendly time, the concert series will be held from 3pm-7pm every Sunday throughout January, allowing more people to be able to absorb the festivities.

Summer Sundays is the only live music event held in the central area of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and displays an eclectic array of music from jazz to country, blues to pop, soul to folk, and afrobeat to indie-rock appealing to a diverse audience.  

This year, the lineup consists of a majority of local artists over the four weeks, highlighting the event’s commitment to fostering emerging local talent while delivering on the City of Ballarat’s Creative City Strategy.

City of Ballarat councillor Samantha McIntosh said the event had become a staple on the Ballarat events calendar, with thousands of people enjoying free live music in a picturesque setting every year.

“What better way can you spend a Sunday afternoon than relaxing in our beautiful Ballarat Botanical Gardens while listening to some amazing live music?” Cr McIntosh said.

“We’ve seen some great performances over the years and nobody ever goes home disappointed.

“At a time when everybody is experiencing cost of living pressures, it is fantastic to be able to provide something free that the whole family can enjoy.”

This year the event will once again provide an array of local food and beverage providers, with at least nine different food trucks every night.

The popular Garden Bar will be set up once again with the fully-licensed option showcasing some of the region’s best producers, offering comfortable seating options, shaded umbrellas, and good views of the stage.

The Garden Bar will be delivered by Aunty Jacks, Kilderkin Distillery and Blue Pyrenees Estate Winery.

The Bean Bag Lounge will also be back to make the afternoon even more comfortable, although numbers are limited. Patrons are welcome to bring their own rug and picnic.

The Summer Sundays program makes up just one part of a busy summer of events that help deliver on the Events Strategy.

Also included on the busy summer calendar is Christmas in Ballarat, the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular, and the Australia Day Picnic in the Park, all delivered by the City of Ballarat events team.

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release  

Special zones where buyers and sellers can more safely exchange items that have been purchased online have been established outside 35 24-hour police stations across Victoria.

The exchange sites provide people transacting items listed on online marketplaces with a safer alternative than meeting unknown people at locations such as their homes, parks, or carparks.

While many of the 35 sites are located in metropolitan areas, regional 24-hour police stations with Safer Exchange Sites in the central Victrian region include: Maryborough, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine.

Each Safer Exchange Site has clear signage outside the 24-hour police station, as well as CCTV coverage and lighting.

The roll-out of these sites follows a successful trial which commenced at a small number of 24-hour police stations across Melbourne’s northeast in mid-2022.

During the trial’s six-month evaluation period, thefts and robberies in the area stemming from online sales decreased, while police officers at these stations also observed people exchanging items on a regular basis.

This concept was originally developed following an increase in robberies, thefts and assaults linked to online trading, which peaked in 2020 before COVID lockdowns. Smartphones are the most common high value item stolen in these incidents.

While this offending slowed during the pandemic, Victoria Police did not want to see this trend return and Safer Exchange Sites were introduced as a result.

Exchange zones have been popular in the United States as online marketplaces continue to gain in popularity, with feedback indicating people feel safer meeting in designated sites with good lighting and CCTV.

The region’s electric car owners are breathing a sigh of relief following the completion of long-awaited upgrade work to the RACV’s electric vehicle charging  stations in Ballarat.

Recently completed works now sees the CBD Ballarat charge station at 61 Curtis  Street, near Big W, providing two new 50-kilowatt and two new  350-kilowatt charging stations. 

The local station which had been badly vandalised earlier, has now become the first in the  state to receive the upgrades with similar work also slated for seven other Victorian locations.  

RACV general manager energy  services Greg Edye says the upgrades will provide faster, more reliable  charging and will also  enhance the security of the site.

Upgrades are scheduled for RACV EV charging stations  at Horsham, Euroa, Airport West,  Barnawartha North, and Moe and also at the RACV’s Victorian  resorts and club venues.

Vienna Drysdale Bischard explores her own experiences of living with autism in her exhibition  ‘Autistic Artistic’ currently showing at Ballarat’s Post Office Gallery.  

Continuing through until Saturday 26 October,  the exhibition explores local  female autistic creatives and  Drysdale Bischard’s own personal experience  of growing up with autism.

In a series of self-portraits, alongside friends’ portraits and objects of personal significance, Drysdale Bischard translates childhood memories and feelings of ‘difference’ as well as the way in which she sought comfort and connection.

The artist’s sense of ‘difference’ is also relayed though a series of line drawings depicting figures that are at once familiar, yet transformed by Augmented Reality (AR), triggering abstracted imagery with digitally enhanced voicescapes.

By distorting the viewers’ sense of familiarity, Drysdale Bischard expresses the process of daily masking and modelling techniques for those with Autism, in an effort to ‘normalise’ their emotional responses and appear ‘normal’ and acceptable to others.

A Federation University Master  of Visual Arts candidate, Drysdale Bischard was  diagnosed just before her 18th  birthday and she says there’s scant research around women and  autism.

‘Autistic Artistic’ forms part of Drysdale Bischard’s masters post graduate degree, including a thesis, and she  is backed by a Federal  Government research training  program fee-offset scholarship.

Her work in this exhibition uses a range of media including acrylic and gouache on  board and digitally created works with augmented reality used to symbolise the  metaphorical mask someone with  autism may wear at times in their life in order to fit in.

Federation University’s Post Office gallery is located on the corner of Sturt and Lydiard Streets in Ballarat.

The CFA’s District 15 recently held a successful showcase of its resources and capabilities at the Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre (VEMTC) in Ballan on Friday 13 September.

Organised by the District 15 (D15) Women’s Development Group, with support from Will Hodgson and the VEMTC team, the event allowed CFA members and their families to explore the equipment and services they may need in the future.

Despite the threat of snow, rain, and hail, the weather held, making for a smooth day of activities and demonstrations.

Highlights included VEMTC’s hot fire display, which drew attention in the blustery conditions, and flare-off demonstrations from the Sebastopol LPG Support Unit.

Pad staff led interactive training sessions on safe working at heights and low-voltage fuse removal, offering hands-on experiences that gave families a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by their loved ones during emergencies.

Firebird 07, piloted by Amy Millar and Kelly Krajnc, was a popular photo attraction, while those curious about air observation were introduced to the training required for the role.

District Mechanical Officer Garry Drabsch proudly presented his new vehicle, and the Bacchus Marsh Brigade displayed their new Breathing Apparatus (BA) support unit, which has already been used multiple times by Daylesford. Smythesdale’s Rehab Unit also demonstrated its capabilities.

The event featured further displays, including Headquarters Fire Brigade’s toilet trailers, food setups, and staging resources, along with Ballarat City Fire Brigade’s Field Command Vehicle (FCV) and Ultra Heavy Tanker.

Ararat’s Mobile Education Unit was also showcased, with recognition given to the volunteers supporting these essential resources.

Overall, the showcase provided valuable insight for CFA members, their families, and friends into the wide range of resources available and the dedicated individuals behind them.

Ballarat’s Regent Cinemas will reopen under new ownership from this Thursday, October 3.

The new owners are Palace Films, an independent, family-run distribution company based in Sydney.

The historic CBD cinema that was first opened by the Hoyts theatre chain in 1928 closed in June this year.

Its sudden closure on June 24 shocked Ballarat and also the wider regional community, leaving the regional city and surrounds without their longest-running movie theatre.

But now, after finalising the venue’s takeover, Palace Cinemas has confirmed it plans not only to re-open this from this Thursday, but also to introduce some new elements to the Regent, including a greater diversity of films and also its signature food and drink offerings.

Palace Cinemas chief executive Benjamin Zeccola has described The Regent as one of Australia’s best cinemas.

He says the main difference for patrons will likely be in film selection, but that fans of blockbusters need not worry, as Hollywood fare will still make up about three quarters of the cinema’s program.

However, for fans of art house there’s good news too, as the traditionally commercial movies will be shown alongside more international features, as well as film events like the British Film Festival this November, and French, Italian and Spanish festivals next year.

“We’ll still be supporting and playing all the best Hollywood products, [but] it’s got to pass a quality test,” Mr Zeccola says.

with Darren Lowe

The Watershed Springband has been added to the bill of the Ballarat leg of the iconic Out On The Weekend, an Americana, all things alt country and roots celebration, festival. 

The band features red-hot fiddle and banjo, dreamy vocal harmonies, snappy guitar picking and juicy double bass with a unique blend of vintage country, from driving bluegrass and old time dance tunes to Australiana and Western swing. 

The Watershed Stringband is a collaboration between Wendy Phypers and Dave Patterson from the Cartwheels (Glenlyon) and Cat Moser and Clint O’Grady (Blackwood). 

In 2022 the four had an impromptu jam around a fire at Mutawintji, a magical spot in outback NSW. They immediately gelled, blending acoustic instruments and four-part harmonies. 

The annual Out On The Weekend festival will head to Ballarat as well as its traditional home in Williamstown for its 10-year anniversary. 

Ballarat will be the first destination for the finest golden nuggets of country music.

Coming all the way from the USA is Uncle Lucius, Nick Shoulders, Margo Cilker, Jonny Fritz and Joshua Hedley, who will be joined by local legend Freya Josephine Hollick and city stalwarts James Ellis & The Jealous Guys. 

Out On The Weekend takes place at Itinerant Spirits in The Goods Shed in Ballarat on Friday, October 11.

The festival continues at Seaworks in Williamstown on Saturday, October 12. 

Watershed are also booked to play Mountaingrass Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival in Bright on November 15-17 and Wirrina Bluegrass and Acoustic Roots Festival in SA on November 22-24. 

The historic Regent Cinema in Ballarat is set to reopen under new ownership, the business’ administrator says.

Justin Howlett of SMB Advisory last week confirmed the successful sale of the company’s business components and assets to Palace Cinema Group.

This followed an administration process that began on June 25.

While no date has been confirmed for the cinema’s reopening, but Mr Howlett said Palace were now in the process of preparing the historic Lydiard Street Cinema complex, much loved by locals and film fans.

“Interactions with the Ballarat public over these past few months have shown just how significant the former Regent Cinemas were to so many, and hopefully many will be comforted by the fact Palace Cinemas will be able to reopen the doors once more,” Mr Howlett said.

“We are extremely grateful for the assistance and co-operation provided by the company’s management and staff, landlords and financiers, without which this outcome would not have been possible,” Mr Howlett said.