Your journey of discovery starts here Ballarat’s heritage comes to life with a full program of historical buildings, unique heritage collections, demonstrations, free guided tours and fun activities. With so much on offer it’s a great idea to plan ahead. Create your own Ballarat Heritage Weekend itinerary or follow the suggested itinerary in this program. Be sure to start your journey at the Ballarat Mining Exchange where you can collect a map from the Event Information Desk and follow your own trail. Event Information Desk Ballarat Mining Exchange Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May, 2011 9am – 5pm www.ballaratheritageweekend.com If your plan is to discover the city at your own pace, visit the Ballarat Mining Exchange and collect a set of fact sheets on some of Ballarat’s most significant heritage venues and learn about intriguing architectural features, mysteries and stories of past inhabitants. The Ballarat Mining Exchange will also feature many local heritage groups and associations displaying collections and projects that relate to this year’s theme of learning and discovery. Members from these groups will be on hand during the weekend and ready to answer questions you may have about their projects. Humffray St Mair St Train Peel St Station Mair St King St Drummond St Humffray St Ballarat Mair St Doveton St Mining Sturt St Lydiard St Exchange Curtis St Victoria St Windermere St Dana St Little Bridge St Barkly St King St Eyre St Armstrong St Dana St Grenville St Drummond St Errard St Eastwood St Eyre St Peel St Lyons St Dawson St Doveton St Lydiard St Main Rd Eureka St Albert St Grant St Barkly St Raglan St Humffray St Mayor’s Message The Ballarat Heritage Weekend is on again and I am thrilled to invite you to join me at what will be a fun, vibrant and free weekend for people of all ages. History really does live in Ballarat all year round but it’s during the Mother’s Day weekend each year that Ballarat’s history and world-class heritage places come to life. This weekend we open the doors of many significant Ballarat heritage places allowing visitors the chance to peek inside and discover parts of our city that they may not have explored before. Something new this year is the set of fact sheets that has been developed for selected venues providing people with an opportunity to learn about the building’s architectural features and interesting stories. Together with open buildings, the Ballarat Heritage Weekend is packed full of heritage collections, demonstrations, free guided tours, talks, activities and of course great food. There really is something for everyone to enjoy. This year the Weekend focuses on the lessons and discoveries which shaped Ballarat and the world as we know it today. Education, inventors and inventions feature prominently in the Ballarat Heritage Weekend program. This year’s event highlights include displays and talks of two of Australia’s most distinguished sons; Henry Sutton, an outstanding intellect from Ballarat who once shared the world stage with inventor Thomas Edison, and Pompey Elliott, a significant military leader in the First World War. It’s during this weekend, that you will have an opportunity to see three of Sutton’s original and possibly last remaining invention prototypes as well as listen to the stories behind Sutton’s inventions told by his Great Granddaughter. You’ll also be able to attend the official Ballarat Heritage Weekend launch ceremony where a beautiful bronzed Pompey Elliott statue will be unveiled in Ballarat’s main boulevard, Sturt Street. This weekend promises to be something truly wonderful and I invite you to take the time to explore and enjoy all that Ballarat Heritage Weekend has to offer. Cr Craig Fletcher Mayor of Ballarat Contents THINGS TO SEE Collections and demonstrations ..................5 – 9 Buildings ...................................................11 – 12 Don’t forget to collect Museums ..................................................13 – 15 your map to make this Gardens ...........................................................15 program work for you. THINGS TO DO Tours .........................................................16 – 19 Tales and Trails .........................................20 – 21 Activities ..........................................................23 Food and Wine ................................................25 Henry Sutton Image courtesy of University of Ballarat Historical Collection The statue unveiling ceremony of Harold ‘Pompey’ Elliott Collections and When: 9.30am Saturday 7 May demonstrations Where: Sturt Street Gardens (between Doveton Street and Dawson Street) Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: A3 Australia’s forgotten genius – Cost: Free the Henry Sutton story Ballarat Heritage Weekend will be launched When: 9am to 5pm both days this year with the unveiling of a bronze statue Where: Mining Exchange Building, Lydiard of ‘Pompey’ Elliott in Sturt Street boulevard Street North gardens to commemorate his incredible Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: C3 contribution to Australia’s military history Cost: Free and local connections. When Thomas Edison patented some of the In 1895 Harold enrolled at Ballarat College world’s most significant innovations, Ballarat where in his final year he was the ‘dux’. He born and self taught Henry Sutton was also served with distinction with the 4th Imperial proving his incredible genius on the world stage. Contingent in the Boer War in South Africa, joined the militia on return and by the start Between 1870 – 1912 Henry Sutton invented: of the Great War was a militia battalion • the telephane (a forerunner to the television, commander. developed three years before John Logie Baird Elliott raised the 7th Battalion AIF and fought was born); at Gallipoli. In 1916 he became the Commander • 23 different telephones; of the 15th Brigade, a position he held for the • the carbon filament light bulb (16 days after rest of the war. Post war, Elliott returned to his Thomas Edison had announced his success); legal practice and became a Senator for Victoria. • the world’s first portable wireless radio; • a colour printing process; and • built and drove one of the first motor cars FREE talks – in Australia. Lorayne Branch By the time he was 14, Sutton had read every When: 1pm both days science book in the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute extensive library and was credited with Where: Mining Exchange Building, being the first person in Australia to have Lydiard Street North experimented with flight using his Ornithopter. Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: C3 Follow the timeline of Sutton’s achievements Cost: Free and see three of his original and possibly only The great grandaughter of Sutton, remaining invention prototypes. Sutton’s great Lorayne Branch will talk to Jarrod Watt granddaughter, Lorayne Branch, will be on from ABC Radio Ballarat about Henry hand to tell some of these amazing stories. Sutton; his life and incredible inventions. Much of this story and collection has never Lorayne will also be available for informal before been displayed in one place. talks at various times over the weekend in the Ballarat Mining Exchange. 5 Quills, Pens and Calligraphy Demonstrations – the art collection of beautiful writing When: 10am to 5pm both days When: On the hour every hour Where: Mechanics’ Institute, Humffray Room, (except for 12pm) both days 117 Sturt Street Where: Mechanics’ Institute, Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: C4 117 Sturt Street Cost: Free Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: C4 Do you remember those golden days, when Cost: Free dipping girls’ pigtails in your desktop inkwell Marvel at the skill of Mark Hennessy’s was a famous schoolboy prank? On display in hand as he demonstrates the art of the Mechanics’ Institute this weekend, the beautiful handwriting. Mark’s calligraphy Australian Pen Museum presents the history of is an artwork that is rarely seen today. You the Pen. The collection will include an interesting will have the opportunity to create your selection of Quills, slate board, pencils, pens own heraldic crest with symbols and and inkwells. A carefully crafted framed copy family name inscriptions or create your of Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation of own scribed piece of writing. Emancipation is the centrepiece of this display. The handwritten copy by an unknown artist has been designed to form an image of Lincoln using the text of the document. Random Memory collection When: 9am to 5pm both days Spinners and Weavers Where: Mining Exchange Building, Lydiard collection Street North When: 10am to 5pm both days Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: C3 Where: Ballarat Town Hall Trench Room, Cost: Free corner of Armstrong and Sturt streets A journey through some of the wonders of the Map: Ballarat Central, Ref: B4 Information Revolution through items used at Cost: Free the University of Ballarat, or its predecessor institutions such as the Ballarat School of Ballarat Spinners and Weavers will be displaying Mines and the Ballarat College of Advanced their craft and demonstrating the techniques Education. Even during the Prehistoric era tools involved in spinning and weaving natural fibres were important to humans and made tasks such as wool, alpaca, mohair, silk and cotton and easier to perform. This was also true during the weaving on table and inkle looms. Equipment Industrial Revolution, but over the last 150 will be on show including niddy noddies, years tools amplifying the human mind were carders, combs, wool winders and raw materials created starting an Information Revolution. (fleeces and fibre). Crochet and knit items