It seems wherever you turn in Ballarat, there’s progress.
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From the ever-expanding urban sprawl on what were once paddocks, to the introduction and growth of the many industries which make this city great.
From our highly successful medical and education facilities, to our burgeoning tourism and food sectors, Ballarat is definitely a centre to be envied.
But, while we’re looking forward to the future, we should never forget our past.
Yes, compared to many grand old European centres which date back hundreds and hundreds of years, Ballarat is essentially a toddler with a big future ahead of it.
But it also has a past we should celebrate and be proud of.
This weekend, the culmination of a month-long focus of heritage in the region, the city can celebrate its past during the Ballarat Heritage Weekend.
Run since 2006, Heritage Weekend is a major tourist attraction for the city. It’s a chance for ex-pats to make a return. It’s an opportunity for recently settled residents to learn more about their new home city. It’s a great way for young children to learn about history.
The festival follows a heritage theme drawing on Ballarat's reputation as a historic Australian city.
Through the two jam-packed days of activities, the city’s mysterious past will be explored and celebrated with a variety of entertainment and events.
Essentially focussing on families, the weekend will be an opportunity to parents and grandparents to teach our city’s younger generations about Ballarat’s history, from the links to the 1850s goldrush to the incredibly beautiful buildings which line most streets.
The weekend will be an opportunity for everyone to come together and really breathe in Ballarat’s history through steam train rides, bus and walking tours and even horse and carriage rides.
For major regional centres like Ballarat to continue to not only thrive, but survive, it’s important to look to the future. How can we attract more people to the region? What infrastructure do we need to consider to make that happen? What work forces can we diversify into for the region to be attractive to outsiders?
That being said, it is also important to know where we came from and equally important to recognise and celebrate our past … our heritage.