Top Towns for 2022: The ever-changing town of Ballarat

Imogen Eveson Imogen Eveson
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A boom town of the Victorian goldrush era and today one of Victoria’s fast-growing regional cities, Ballarat continues to bloom featuring at no.24 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

A 75-minute drive west of Melbourne, Ballarat was voted Victoria’s top tourism town in 2021 and is recognised as a UNESCO creative city. Its rich culture of artisans and dynamic culinary offerings tucked into reinvented goldrush buildings is a winning formula for a long weekend of wining, dining and soaking in the new wave of creativity that taps into the city’s past.

Heritage building in Ballarat.
Ballarat’s CBD is characterised by its grand goldrush buildings. (Image: Tara Moore)

A place in constant evolution, newcomers on the scene include pop-up restaurant Peasant , open Friday and Saturday evenings for just a few diners at a time in Ballarat’s historic Bank of New South Wales, and serving a five-course degustation of rustic European fare.

Food at Peasant Ballarat
Eat rustic fare at Peasant.

Meanwhile chef Derek Boath’s Underbar, Ballarat’s destination restaurant since it opened in 2016, is relocating to brand-new boutique digs at Hotel Vera (sister property to Bendigo’s Hotel Ernest).

And in the CBD spot it has vacated, Boath and sommelier Anthony Schuurs have created a sharp and fun urban wine bar, Pencilmark Wine Room , where an ever-changing roster of global drops are matched with fresh regional produce.

Browsing the bottles at Pencilmark Wine Room in Ballarat
Browse the bottles at Pencilmark Wine Room. (Image: Thom Mitchell)

Further emphasising Ballarat’s ongoing revitalisation, a major development and refurbishment of an 1863 heritage-listed bluestone building adjacent to the Ballarat railway station was unveiled at the start of 2022.

The Goods Shed now acts as a social, cultural and hospitality hub; its most recent additions include a gin distillery, Little Lon Distilling Co , an all-day dining outpost, a dumpling house and Quest Ballarat Station, an of-its-place hotel to complete the ‘eat, play, stay’ experience.

Exterior drone shot of The Goods Shed in Ballarat
The Goods Shed signals the Victorian city’s ongoing revitalisation.

Time your visit for the spring-summer season of artisan producer experiences, Made of: Ballarat . Picks of the bunch include the Secret Life of Bees with Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat , which runs on selected dates from October to February and will take you on a hands-on journey through a working honey beehive in the heart of the city.

Or take a trip 20 minutes out of town to Buninyong on Wadawurrung Country to embark on an Australian bushfoods adventure with Saltbush Kitchen . Also in late spring, the Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades will open to offer workshops and masterclasses to those looking to learn everything from woodcarving and locksmithing to armoury and leatherwork.

Street art in Ballarat
You’ll find pockets of creativity everywhere around town. (Image: Tara Moore)

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Imogen Eveson
Imogen Eveson is Australian Traveller’s Print Editor. She was named Editor of the Year at the 2024 Mumbrella Publish Awards and in 2023, was awarded the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) Australia’s Media Award. Before joining Australian Traveller Media as sub-editor in 2017, Imogen wrote for publications including Broadsheet, Russh and SilverKris. She launched her career in London, where she graduated with a BA Hons degree in fashion communication from world-renowned arts and design college Central Saint Martins. She is the author/designer of The Wapping Project on Paper, published by Black Dog Publishing in 2014. Growing up in Glastonbury, home to the largest music and performing arts festival in the world, instilled in Imogen a passion for cultural cross-pollination that finds perfect expression today in shaping Australia’s leading travel titles. Imogen regularly appears as a guest on radio travel segments, including ABC National Nightlife, and is invited to attend global travel expos such as IMM, ILTM, Further East and We Are Africa.
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The Gold Rush town that’s become Victoria’s best country escape for foodies

    Jocelyn Pride Jocelyn Pride
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    The well-preserved Gold Rush town where an idyllic country vibe meets the best of city living.

    Cafe culture

    ‘Slow down’ is the mantra of Tortoise Espresso , and it’s apt for anyone visiting town. This local coffee hangout was the brainchild of Lloyd Meadows, who at 16 started it as a hole in the wall of an old pub. Five years on, it graces a fine shopfront with a menu of around 60 different coffees. Other one-off centrally located daytime cafes, such as Saffs, Togs, Saint Florian and Lazy Bones, are tucked into historic buildings and serve creative menus featuring local produce. A personal favourite is Origini, where chef Luca Sartori brings a taste of northern Italy to his rustic restaurant. For the best banh mi outside Vietnam head to Super Hero, and the pastries at Johnny Baker are legendary.

    the Saint Florian Cafe, Castlemaine
    Saint Florian is one of many businesses tucked away in a historic building. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    On the town’s fringe you’ll find some treasured cafes: Blackbird. Grist, Doveton Corner Store, and the cosy Aitken’s Corner. The Mill precinct also brings another dimension to Castlemaine. Located directly opposite the beautiful Botanical Gardens, this once-derelict woollen mill is a hive of creativity and collaboration. Retaining an industrial feel, it is home to a myriad of 44 unique businesses, galleries and studios that stretch over the three-hectare site.

    Brilliant brews, bars and food

    diners at The Mill, Castlemaine
    The Mill is home to many local businesses. (Image: Visit Victoria/Michelle Jarni)

    The Mill is also home to one of Castlemaine’s bespoke breweries, Shedshaker Brewing Company and Taproom. Within the sensitively restored walls of the oldest part of the building (circa 1875), small-batch, handcrafted beer features alongside fine wholesome food and live music.

    A more recent newcomer to the brewing scene is Love Shack . Starting small as a laneway pop-up in 2021, visionaries Conna Mallett and Harry Cox were armed with a Melbourne beer culture pedigree, which helped them create a great new ‘pub’ that feels as though it’s been there since the 1850s. Other atmospheric bars and restaurants are dotted around town – Grafting Cellars for local wines by the pour; buzzy Mostyn Street Cellars; Table Records plays vinyl on weekends; and the quirky Maurocco bar is not to be missed.

    food and drinks at Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro, Castlemaine
    The nostalgic Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro serves comfort food. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    For food you’ll write home about, the hatted Bar Midland serves exquisite dishes from Victorian-only produce. The freshly renovated Wild is located in the original firestation, Voor Ouker specialises in Indonesian/Dutch fusion, and the Railway Hotel oozes English pub charm.

    the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
    Theatre Royal is the longest continually operating theatre on the mainland. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Much-loved Teatro Regio, found in the magnificent Theatre Royal , is the go-to for pizzas with a twist. As mainland Australia’s longest continually running theatre, this grand dame is also one of more than a dozen performance spaces that add to a rich and diverse entertainment and festival scene.

    pizza at Theatre Royal
    Dine before a show at Theatre Royal. (Image: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)

    Quirky country stays

    Quirky, authentic and perfectly located, the Midland Hotel is a private hotel that dates back to 1879. Each of the nine rooms at the Northern Arts Hotel is different and named in honour of an Australian artist. Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation also has a range of properties to suit all types of travellers.