While the idea of the Ballarat Friendship Walk began with the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia, this was the first year the Ballarat Interfaith Network also took part. 

Ballarat Interfaith Network chair Margaret Lenan Ellis said the walk was a chance for people to learn about and share the faiths of three major religions. 

“Walking provides an opportunity for people to talk among themselves,” she said. “And this lends itself wonderfully to conversations between people who don’t really know each other already.”

The afternoon started with a prayer of peace and reflections at the Islamic Mosque in Canadian. 

Then the diverse group made its way to the Hebrew Synagogue before finishing the walk at St Paul’s Anglican Church at Bakery Hill. 

Each stop at a different religious institution provided a chance to learn about the history, traditions and beliefs of each of the faiths represented. 

Ms Lenan Ellis said Ballarat was doing “remarkably well” at celebrating difference rather than just recognising the similarities among the faiths. 

“There is a wonderful spirit of harmony, respect and community that we want to continue to foster and as we become more multicultural that will become the test,” she said. 

“We just need to be careful that we’re able and willing and confident enough to be embracing difference.”

The walk was open to all people and while many had registered, even more turned up on the day simply out of interest. While most of the participants were from Ballarat, there were also visitors from Melbourne. 

Mayor Samantha McIntosh said the city had done an “amazing job” at celebrating its different faiths and multicultural communities. 

“It’s really a day of understanding, learning, listening and respecting people’s different beliefs,” she said. “There is always more that we can do and always new people coming that we need to welcome, but today is a great example of how we do come together and celebrate diversity, ethnicity, religion and different races in a beautiful way.

“Each of the individual groups have come together and we’ve had a number of special days that allows that to happen.”