About The Area

Ballan

Ballan is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River, 78 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. At the 2011 census, Ballan had a population of 2,774.

It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool local government area.

It was named by the first settler, Robert von Steiglitz, in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland.

During the Victorian Gold Rush, it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. Gold was found in the area in 1851, which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The post office in the township opened around September 1853, although two earlier offices in the area were named Ballan.

Ballan Primary School was established on 8 January 1855.

The first Mechanics' Institute in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics' Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the façade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.

St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.