Eureka Centre Ballarat

19/10/2026

Book your tickets now for Sean Choolburra LIVE at Eureka Sunday, 6 December 2026.

If you could bottle joy, it would sound like Sean Choolburra! You might recognise Sean as the voice of Maynard in ‘Bluey’, a guest presenter on ‘Play School’, or from the hit ABC series, ‘Black Comedy’. Sean’s show blends comedy, pop culture, dance and hip-hop into an unforgettable experience for the whole family!

📅 Sunday 6 December 2026
🕐 10.30am and 1pm
🎟 Tickets $10

Eureka Sunday will also feature FREE facepainting, balance play and Storytime. More details at eurekacentreballarat.com.au

Bookings> https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sean-choolburra-at-eureka-sunday-tickets-1995048645203?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Ballarat Mums City of Ballarat Ballarat In The Know Visit Ballarat Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre Ballarat Koorie Engagement Action Group - KEAG Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative

Join us on Eureka Sunday to celebrate the Spirit of Eureka, with live performances from Sean Choolburra, 'Godfather of Aboriginal Comedy'!

16/10/2026

On this day, October 17 1854, the Eureka Hotel was burned to the ground just three months after it first opened its doors.

When miner James Scobie was murdered on 6 October 1854, the Eureka Hotel's publican James Bentley was arrested. Police Magistrate John Dewes was suspected to have a financial arrangement with Bentley as part owner of the Eureka Hotel, and it was clear to those present in the courtroom that his favouritism had led to a biased result in the trial. In discharging Bentley, the magistrate announced that ‘not a shadow of imputation remained on Bentley’s character’ (The Ballarat Times, 14 October 1854).

When James Bentley was cleared of the murder of James Scobie, the public’s anger at the goldfields administration reached breaking point. A public meeting was organised for 17 October 1854 to protest against Bentley’s release and the perceived corruption of the authorities. In his letter to the police magistrate of Ballarat, written the day before the meeting, Bentley expressed concern that he may be attacked; “Inflammatory placards have been placed about the diggings, to get up a meeting, on the ground where James Scobie was murdered, near to my house… I have been informed the meeting alluded to, is to be got up for the purpose of Riot and violence upon my person and the house.”

Bentley's concerns were valid, as what started as a peaceful protest turned violent and the hotel was looted burned to the ground. Bentley was seen fleeing on horseback, whilst his pregnant wife, Catherine, jumped from a first floor window, clutching their firstborn in her arms. Ten miners were arrested, but later the charge was dismissed against seven. On 20 November three miners were convicted and imprisoned for the burning of the hotel.

The Eureka Hotel was one of the largest on the goldfields, being able to sleep 80 people. It had a bowling alley, three bars, a billiard room and a bagatelle room. You can see an original ground plan of Bentley's Eureka Hotel on display at the Eureka Centre.

Entry to the Eureka Centre will be free from Thursday 3 December to Sunday 6 December 2026 as we commemorate and celebrate the 172nd anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. Head to our website to see the full program of events > https://eurekacentreballarat.com.au/events/?eventcat=eureka-172

Image 1 : Bentley's Eureka Hotel Plan (detail) c. 1854, ink on blue paper, Purchased c. 2001, ESC 3.1, Eureka Centre Collection.

Image 2: Samuel Thomas Gill (1818-1880) (artist), F. W. Niven & Co., Ballarat (printer/publisher), ‘Site of the “Eureka Stockade” Shortly after the fight. Ballaarat 3rd Dec 1854’ (detail) c. 1887, print; hand coloured lithograph, Donated by the Sydney Eureka Committee in memory of R. D. Walshe, 2025. This print is presented in the exhibition 'Myth and Memory' at the Eureka Centre until 21 February 2027. Click here for details > https://eurekacentreballarat.com.au/events/myth-memory/

14/10/2026

We are delighted to announce that Dr Samantha Fabry will present the next Talking History lecture on Thursday 5 November at 5.30pm. We are very grateful to Samantha for generously stepping in at short notice. While Robyn Annear is no longer able to join us for this event, we look forward to welcoming her for a future Talking History event and are pleased to bring you this fascinating presentation from Samantha in the meantime.

In her talk titled, "Building Upon the Square: Freemasons in Ballarat and surrounding districts'', Samantha will draw from the Ballarat Masonic Archives and other lodge records to introduce key Freemason figures connected to Ballarat’s early Lodges.

Freemasonry has long been the subject of historical intrigue. Members of the fraternal organisation were among the first free settlers in the Victorian colony, working as miners, publicans, politicians, religious leaders, and of course, stonemasons. Some Brethren arrived having been already initiated in their motherland, while others became Freemasons following their journey to the Victorian goldfields. These early masons were influential in the establishment of the region's townships.

Dr Samantha Fabry is the Archives & Collections Manager for Freemasons Victoria. She is responsible for the FMV Library, Archives and Museum Collection and supporting Lodges throughout Victoria. Her doctorate, completed at the University of Leicester in England, focused on World Heritage Museums, collections and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

Image: Digitally restored portrait of VWBro. Reverend Israel Morris Goldreich, c. 1885. Source: Ballarat Masonic Centre Collection.

03/10/2026

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of champion racehorse Phar Lap in Timaru, New Zealand, on 4 October 1926.

What do Phar Lap’s hide at Melbourne Museum and the Eureka Flag at the Eureka Centre have in common? The answer depends on who you ask.

The meanings attached to national icons change with each generation. Yet a handful of objects continue to occupy a special place in Australia’s collective imagination. Phar Lap’s hide, the Eureka Flag and Ned Kelly’s armour are among them, enduring as powerful touchstones that speak to our national story.

This year also marks the 165th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup and, on 7 November, the 150th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup being held on the first Tuesday in November. While the Melbourne Cup remains steadfastly one of the world's most famous horse races, the legend of Australia’s most storied racehorse, Phar Lap, has evolved with the passing of time. What was once grounded in profound community affection and grief for a champion horse has increasingly come to represent a story of resilience, solidarity and hope for communities grappling with the hardships of the Great Depression.

The meanings we attach to history and tradition shift naturally change as generational memory fades. Each generation asks different questions of the past, reimagining key moments to form its own vision for the future. In the case of Phar Lap, we find an interesting parallel with the symbolic malleability of the Eureka Flag and the wider legacy of the Eureka Stockade, whose meanings continue to be interpreted and reinterpreted by successive generations.

Image 1: Pratt, Charles Daniel (1892-1968 photographer), ‘Phar Lap’ ca. 1930, photographic image from glass negative, State Library of Victoria, H91.160/287

Image 2: Unknown photographer, ‘Phar Lap’ (detail), printed postcard ca. 1948, State Library of Victoria, H99.41/7. This postcard shows Phar Lap’s preserved hide on display at the National Museum of Victoria (now Melbourne Museum) and located the current of the State Library of Victoria.

City of Ballarat Melbourne Museum State Library Victoria Flemington Racecourse and Victoria Racing Club

01/10/2026

Eureka Centre is seeking qualified teachers to join its dynamic Education team as Sessional Educators (casual). This is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively in an agile team to deliver engaging learning experiences to diverse audiences, especially incoming schools.

Eureka Centre encourages young people to engage with Australia’s democratic history through a range of onsite and incursion education programs. These curriculum-aligned programs provide teachers and students with tools and experiences that explore the social history and cultural impact of the Victorian goldrush through the stories of the men and women who risked their lives in the fight for miners’ rights and wider democratic reforms.

Cllick here for more information and to apply: https://ballarat.pulsesoftware.com/Pulse/job/ZfX6mI/Sessional-Educator-Casual?source=public

Image: Soldier/Miner, illustration by Ben Sanders.

City of Ballarat History Teachers' Association of Victoria (HTAV)

29/09/2026

Professor Frank Bongiorno AM, Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Centre of Public Ideas (CoPI), University of Canberra recently presented the inaugural Raffaello Carboni Lecture at the Eureka Centre.

Professor Bongiorno's lecture, 'Why Multiculturalism is Good for Democracy' was presented to mark the International Day of Democracy. If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit the discussion, click here to watch the video recording of the lecture: https://youtu.be/oXiGFY10inY

The Raffaello Carboni Lecture is a partnership between the Eureka Centre and the Ballarat Italian Association Inc. It honours the legacy of the Italian Eureka rebel Raffaello Carboni and aims to connect intercultural histories to the wider story of Australian democracy.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Ballarat Italian Association Inc. and to further conversations about the history and future of Australian democracy when the lecture returns in 2028.

City of Ballarat Ballarat Italian Association Inc. University of Canberra

Eureka Centre and Ballarat Italian Association Inc. were proud to w...

28/09/2026

Last week Eureka Centre Ballarat welcomed the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, along with 30 school-aged scientists, for our Spring school holiday program workshop.

Attending families were fascinated to explore the wonderful world of water bugs, as they searched for tiny creatures living in local waterways and investigated what stories these bugs can tell us about water health.

Thank you to Bec and Tarryn from Corangamite Catchment Management Authority for leading this thoroughly engaging workshop.

City of Ballarat Ballarat School Holiday Guide

25/09/2026

The democratic activism of gold diggers and their allies in the 1850s helped create a broadly-based male democracy Victoria, but exactly what kind of democracy was it?

Join us on Thursday 1st October for Gold, Land and Democracy in Victoria: Talking History with Professor David Goodman, as David expounds upon gold rush era democratic aspirations and democracy in practice. This presentation is featured as part of the Ballarat Seniors Festival.

David Goodman is Professor of History at the University of Melbourne, specialising in US and Australian history. His work includes the award-winning first book, ‘Gold Seeking: Victoria and California in the 1850s’ (1994). His short article ‘Gold and Democracy’ appeared in the Victorian Historical Journal in 2024.

Image: David Tulloch, ‘Great Meeting of Gold Diggers Dec 15th 1851’, 1852 [detail], lithograph, Federation University Art Collection. Source: Victorian Collections, A00463.

City of Ballarat Ballarat In The Know

16/09/2026

A sincere thank you to Professor Frank Bongiorno AM, Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Centre of Public Ideas (CoPI), University of Canberra for joining us last night to present the inaugural Raffaello Carboni Lecture.

In honouring the memory of Italian Eureka rebel, Raffaello Carboni, Professor Bongiorno's lecture connected Italian-Australian and intercultural histories to the wider story of Australian democracy. His lecture titled 'Why multiculturalism is good for democracy', reflected on the evolution of democracy in Australia and its origins in the Victorian gold rush. He spoke about early Victorian democracy, with a focus on First Nations and Chinese engagement with the political system, and drew on both his research and family history to reflect on the interactions of Italians with Australian democracy.

Presented to mark the International Day of Democracy, Professor Bongiorno also challenged us to reflect on the causes and consequences of growing social and ideological divisions, and their impact on the future of Australian democracy.

This special event was proudly presented in partnership with the Ballarat Italian Association Inc., and we extend our sincere thanks for their vision, generosity and commitment to establishing this important new lecture series, honouring Carboni and his enduring contribution to Australia's democratic story.

With the Raffaello Carboni Lecture now a biennial fixture in our program, we look forward to continuing the conversation in 2028.

City of Ballarat Ballarat Italian Association Inc. Intercultural Ambassador Program City of Ballarat

09/09/2026

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Ballarat writer, historian, educator and bon vivant, Nathan Spielvogel.

Nathan Spielvogel was born in Ballarat on 10 May 1874 to Newman and Hannah. His father was a tailor and pawnbroker. His parents were married at the Ballarat Synagogue in 1867, and Nathan had his Bar Mitzvah there in 1887. He was educated at Dana Street Primary School and trained there as a student teacher between 1892 and 1895. He then worked in various Victorian schools, finally returning to Dana Street, where he assumed the position of Headmaster in 1924, retiring in 1939.

In 1904, Nathan travelled overseas visiting Egypt, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. A book about his travels, 'A Gumsucker on the Tramp', was published in 1906 and sold 20,000 copies. Around this time, he moved through bohemian circles in Melbourne, fraternising with other creatives, including the Creswick-born artist and writer, Norman Lindsay.

Throughout his life, Nathan wrote and published books of fiction, history and poetry, including, 'The Affair at Eureka', first published in 1928. This slim fictionalised retelling of the events surrounding the 1854 Eureka Stockade concludes with the poem, 'Eureka'. The book was republished in 1945 by the Bread and Cheese Club of Melbourne, a literary social circle, with which Nathan was involved. The club was centred around the book collector, literary patron and 'Grand Cheese Master', J. K. Moir.

Despite his bohemian leanings, Nathan was a respected figure in the Ballarat community. He served as the first President of the Ballarat Historical Society from 1933 to 1956. He was also President of the Ballarat Hebrew Congregation, the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute, the Teachers' Institute and the Dana Street Old Scholars Association. In his retirement years, he was responsible for placing markers and plaques at historical sites around the Ballarat area.

During the 1930s, Nathan presented a weekly program on local radio station 3BA on various topics of Ballarat history, helping to create renewed interest in the city's past. The Ballarat Historical Society has collected these talks into a three-volume set titled 'The Spielvogel Papers', which can be purchased through the Society. Each year, the Ballarat Historical Society holds the Nathan Spielvogel Oration to honour his legacy.

To read more about Nathan Spielvogel's life, click on this link: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/spielvogel-nathan-frederick-8607

Nathan Spielvogel died in Ballarat on 10 September 1956, aged 82 and is buried in the Old Ballarat Cemetery. His grave is in Area H, Section 3, Row 2, Grave 2.

Image 1: Sherwood Orbost, 'Nathan F. Spielvogel, teacher, writer and historian', photograph, ca. 1925, State Library of New South Wales, P1/1615.

Image 2: Cover of 'The Affair at Eureka' by Nathan Spielvogel, published by John Fraser and Son, Melbourne, 1928, Australiana Research Collection, Ballarat Libraries

City of Ballarat Ballarat Historical Society Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute