What we found…
So Far… you’ll remember we were looking for particular places http://ballarateast.online/imagine-update/
We have the following info coming in from the community about sites the City of Ballarat are trying to locate for the Imagine Ballarat East Project.
Thanks to everyone who contributed both here at BE Net and at our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ballarateast.net/
- Ballarat East Train Station Site – on the Melb train line just over Humffray St, the old bluestone Goods Shed is still standing – This site has been marked on the timecapsule
- Clarence Nursing Home – Peter asks ‘Is the nursing home in East street? I know there was a private hospital there as I met a man who was born there.’
- The Old Girls School – a few options:
- the is what is now called Ballarat College Seoncary School beside the old Ballarat East Town Hall Gardens
- The Old Ballarat Junior Girls’ Schollbwas associated with the Ballarat School of Mines and was near the new Trafes School in Grant Street towards White Flat
- Ballarat East Council Gardens – yes this is the Ballarat East Town Hall gardens
- Mining relics and dam
- Eureka Pool was once a swamp
- Lauren at the PROV: There are a range of Ballarat East survey plans dating from 1860’s-1880’s in the Ballarat Archives Centre – many are also online on the PROV website. Fairly certain that there are numerous market gardens depicted on the plans. Also many early plans showing mining sites and activity, original housing locations with the later plans for the surveyed streets overlaid – a fantastic example is one for Eureka Street dated to around the 1870’s I believe.
- Former George Farmer and Co. building – there are two. One is in Fussell St, however they are likely referring to the on which is now apartments on Eureka St,
- Old Market Gardens – got a bit of info:
- could be the ones at Black Hill Flat. There’s now a street called Cantonese Lane, just off Stawell Street next to the Yarrowee.
- I’m told there were market gardens in Specimen Vale, too, east of Queen Street.
- I can remember Chinese Joss Houses along Main road near Eureka street and think there were market gardens nearby
- Chinese market gardens near Sunnyside Mill.
- Still More: This from Peter:
- One of the Ballarat East landmarks was Dohertys big mixed business on the site of the current Golden Crown Cnr Barkly Main.
- Always a Circus right where skate park is. The flat land behind Red Lion Hotel was a whippet coursing track.
- Steam trains in Eureka reserve right where the kiosk is and crossed Stawell St into the tile factory and saw mill.
- Much much more
Do you have anything to add?
Market Gardens at base of Black Hill. Image with thanks to Neil.
Title: Looking east from Black Hill [Ballarat, Vic.] [picture].
Author/Creator: W. H. Ferguson photographer.
Date(s): ca. 1900
Description: 1 transparency : glass lantern slide ; 8.2 x 8.2 cm.
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Identifier(s): Accession no(s) H89.266/1
Subjects: Victoria — History — 1901-1914; Lantern slides
Series/Collection: Ballarat, Melbourne and other views of Victoria.
Link to digitised item: http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/74187
This is great information Erin. There was a very interesting section in the Mechanics Institute over the weekend with loads of history of the Chinese in Ballarat East. I think the contact was Shirley.
Hi I don’t know what you are looking for in terms of old land marks but these are one’s that come to my mind.
1. There was another old Geo Farmer building on the corner of Otway street – It was a wooden blue building. Of course the one on Joseph street corner became the processing plant after the killing of pigs stopped.
2. There was a train line that went to Buninyong which has the bridge over Victoria street near where the old Orphanage is – near Meaghers Hotel. There was a goods platform at the Caltex Depot where MADE is now. The Cutting in York Street on the Kline street side of the York Street Church. They used to unload pigs there for farmers and drive them down Eureka Street. Legend has it that the drain on the corner of Belford street and Eureka street was a wallowing site for the pigs.
3. The Myttons Factory was on the site of the current Ballarat East Men’s shed.
4. The Ford Engine Reconditioning Plant was on the factory site sort of opposite Queen Street.
5. The “swinging boats” in the playground at the Stockade were very popular. It also had a see saw and a round about.
6. The old “Pottery” was in Stawell Street It was later the Tile company. Lake Edmond was the clay quarry for the pottery.
6. There was a road cutting in Kline Street beyond Wilson Street. The road was unmade. The blocks were bigger there and I remember seeing an old cottage made from opened up kerosene tins.
7 When the circus came to town they pitched their big top on the grass area between the firebrigade running track and Eureka Street – behind the band hall. There was a strip of land between the Fire Brigade track and Main Road. This was where the Joss house stood. There was a vacant lot beside the Joss house and that was where the elephants were tethered.
8. The Ballarat East Post Office was on the corner of Humfray St and Main Rd.
9. Evans Funeral Parlour was where Geoff Howard’s Office is now.
10. There was a UFS Dispensary opposite on Main Road.
11. Greens Pie Shop was along that part of Main Road and then it moved up near the Barkley somewhere.
There was a bowling alley in Humphrey Street where the current Post office is now.
I hope some of these are helpful – if asked about specific buildings I may be able to help further.