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Aradale Day Tour & Ghost Tour

Location: Entrances at Grano and Heath Streets, Ararat

About: Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of "lunatics" in the colony of Victoria. Construction began in 1865 and was opened for patients in 1867. It was closed as an asylum in 1993. At its height, Aradale had up to 1000 patients and is a large complex with up to 70 interesting historic abandoned buildings.
 



Aradale Day Tours
Phone: 0400 977 575 
Email: info@jward.org.au
Click here to view website or make a booking
 



Aradale Ghost Tour
Phone: 1300 856 668
Email: info@eerietours.com.au
Click here to view website or make a booking
 

Ararat Mountain Bike Trails

The Ararat Dirt Riders are a group of passionate mountain bikers from the Ararat and Grampians Regions. They formed late in 2013 to help maintain and construct trails for their local community with the help of Parks Victoria. They are a diverse group of people from different backgrounds, abilities, ages and walks of life, all who share a common cause (their love of cycling) on any spare moment they can find. 

Click here to view the Ararat Dirt Riders website, or click here to view the Mountain Bike Trails in the area.

Astor Cinema

Location: 250 Barkly Street, Ararat
Phone5352 2616

Click here to view website

Grampians Adventures

Paintball, Sailing, Gliding, Nocturnal Tours & Adventures!
Click here to view Grampians Adventures website to find out more

Address: 126 Mint Road, Moyston
Phone: 0455 235 715

Historic Driving Tour

A map for the Historic Driving tour and a booklet for both the Historic Driving and Walking tours are located at the bottom of the page.
 

1 - Railway Precinct
Stroll towards the Railway Museum from the Railway station. Just past it on the left is the signal box, and at the foot of the steps, note a piece of rusty equipment once vital to any train. It is a sand-drying box. Sand was used to help brake the trains.  

1a - Sand Dryer  
This sand dryer was originally located in the Ararat Locomotive Depot. A fire was lit to dry the sand it contained. The dried sand was collected and placed in the sand box on board for train brakes to function efficiently. When the brakes were required, a lever on board the train allowed dry sand to be delivered in front of the driving wheels. The dry sand caused friction and minimised wheel slippage in wet conditions and on steep grades.  

1b - Ararat Railway Station   
Ararat Railway Station opened in 1875 to link Melbourne to the gold centre of Ararat. Later it became a part of the Melbourne-Adelaide line. A branch line to Portland in 1877 and another to Avoca-Maryborough in 1890 made Ararat the key junction of an interstate and port-hinterland system. It was also the controlling point for the Maroona-Geelong line, established in 1913. At the height of the steam era up to 88 locomotives were at the Ararat Depot and by the 1950s the railways employed around 600 people.  


Return to your car and drive along the laneway nearest the tracks. On your left is   

1c - Commercial House
Built for Mr. Walter Augustus Claringbold in 1905, “Claringbold’s Commercial House” represented the latest in boarding houses and was designed by local architect James Irwin. Mr. Claringbold had earlier managed the Railway Refreshment Rooms and in 1900 had built a commodious Coffee Palace. 1922 saw the building leased by David McAdie, a member of one of Ararat’s pioneering families, who also ran it as a boarding house until after the Second World War.  It continues to operate as a boarding house today.  


To your right is the once busy  

1d - Railway yards  
The depot was constructed to maintain large numbers of rolling stock when the Ararat yards were the busiest in rural Victoria. In 1928 an electronically operated turntable was built in Alfred St. which was the first and the longest in Victoria. An engine shed built at the same time was originally a 24 road round house with a 15 tonne crane and 3 work pits. The turn-table itself still exists, but most of the shed has been demolished and engine pits filled in.


Straight ahead is the 

1e - Terminus Hotel  
The original building was erected in 1877, and then rebuilt in 1911 by Alexander McDonald, who ran it until the early years of the Second World War.  As Ararat was a key centre for Victoria’s interstate and port-hinterland rail system, with large numbers of shunting engines moving back and forwards 24 hours a day, the Terminus bar became the bar that never closed, and was a favourite meeting place of many railway workers. The Terminus is currently a private residence housing an art gallery & art supplies store.


 Turn left here, then turn right onto High Street, passing the    

2 - Lyceum Theatre site and the Common School  
Ararat's first permanent school building in Collegiate Gothic style, the Common School served the public from 1867 until 1875.  It later became public baths and in 1952 the building was leased to the YMCA as club rooms. The indoor heated swimming pool was originally the site of a Protestant Hall and later became the Lyceum Theatre.  In 1913 a fire broke out, but the building was not destroyed.  Later still, it became Ararat General Electric’s store which was totally gutted in 1980 by one of Ararat's most memorable fires.  


On your left is the site of      

3 - Ararat’s power generating station now the Senior Citizens Club Rooms
Gaslight was used in Ararat from 1887 to 14th June 1913, when electricity from the Power Generating System was switched on. The site is now the Senior Citizens Club. It was centrally located in order to reduce power loss and long cable runs. When running costs and fuel became too expensive the supply was bought out by the State Electricity Commission (SEC) in 1969. There were 8 Ruston Hornsby Diesel Engines providing power to the turbines, one of which is displayed at the Langi Morgala Museum.  


Continue to the lights and turn right. Drive straight ahead to    

4 - Alexandra Gardens on the left  
In 1859 land was allocated for botanical gardens and early plants were supplied by Baron Ferdinand Von Meuller of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Work was undertaken by prisoners of Ararat Goal; however the bulk of development work began in 1901 with Hugh Linaker as curator.  In 1907 the Ararat Traders Association raised sufficient funds to pay for wrought iron gates at the entrance (later removed). Mayor R Hargreaves officially opened the botanical gardens named in honour of Princess Alexandra. A walk through the garden will reveal a fountain presented by William McCulloch, a well known pioneer of the district. A rockery and drinking fountain was erected by the Rechabites, along with the fernery and adjacent native garden, the Orchid House and many of the original planting trees.  


After the gardens, continue to the T-junction with Girdlestone Street and turn left to see   

5 - J Ward  
Completed in 1861, this infamous bluestone building was originally a goldfields prison.  In 1886 the buildings became a temporary housing for the Criminally Insane. They then became a ward of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum where the most dangerous men in Victoria were housed. The Ward was closed in 1991 and is now one of Ararat’s major tourist attractions.  Information regarding tours can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre.


Return along Girdlestone Street, passing     

6 - Pyrenees House   
Completed in 1886 as a general hospital to replace its 1860 predecessor. The architect, A G Legge, was directed to erect a Queen Anne style structure fashionable in the 1880s. It operated until 1937 when it was converted to a nurses’ home.  From 1953-1986 it became John Pickford House, Geriatric Centre. Since 1988 it has been used as administration offices and with recent refurbishment in 2011 continues to operate as a Conference Centre and Nurse Education Centre.    


To your right is the home of   

7 - Donald Chisholm Residence  
Designed by Michael Ryan and built in 1902 for the successful local draper, Mr. Donald Chisholm, this was for several decades the Chisholm’s family home.  It represents the move by shopkeepers from living above their businesses to living in suburban residences early in the 20th century. At the beginning of the Second World War it was let to Robert Shea, a local farmer, who then purchased it in 1947. His purchase illustrated another trend, that of successful farming families retiring into Ararat.


Continue until you reach a T-junction then turn left onto Campbell Street. Drive 1.4 km to reach the   

8 - Ararat Cemetery  
The cemetery was set up on this site on 1st July 1861, following the closure of the old Cemetery Hill site (in Lowe St., behind the hospital).   Seven pioneer headstones were transferred from the old cemetery and the first burial on this new site was conducted in 1862.  The robing room at the entrance was built in the early 1930’s.  A short drive around the cemetery will reveal Chinese headstones and the graves of many of our pioneer settlers.  


Return along Campbell Street, turning left at Baird Street. When you reach the roundabout, take the second exit and go under the railway overpass. Turn right then take the next street left. On this corner is   

9 - Donisthorpe  
English-born James Donisthorpe Smith, engineer, came to Ararat and set up a store in Barkly Street, which he later sold to George Grano. He built Donisthorpe in 1872 as a wine and spirits store to attract the custom of railwaymen and asylum workers as they made their way home but he was unable to obtain the beer licence he wanted. The corner door you see led to the bar area. It was de-licensed when he died. It has only had five owners in 131 years.  


Proceed to the next corner and turn left. Drive to the roundabout, then follow the Western Highway towards Melbourne, noting on your left   

10 - Aradale Mental Hospital  
Aradale was constructed between 1864 and 1867 as the Ararat Lunatic Asylum. It had its own market gardens, orchard, vineyards and piggery.  At its height it employed over 500 staff. Today the complex has 63 buildings, including a forensic unit built two years before the facility closed in 1993. Despite being closed, the facility housed female prisoners until 2001 when it became a campus of the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT). Information about tours can be obtained at the Visitor Information Centre.


Past this view of Aradale is a left turn entrance to   

11 - Green Hill Lake  
Green Hill Lake was originally called the Warrayatkin swamp. Many attempts were made to develop this area into a recreational reserve. In the 1980s work began to deepen it and with the help of prisoners from the local gaol, volunteers and the Municipal Council, the embankment was erected and the lake deepened. On 22nd March 1987, a plaque to commemorate the upgrade was unveiled by Prime Minister R. J. Hawke.   

3000 people attended the occasion. Today the lake is used for boating, swimming and camping.


Return to Ararat, taking the left road at the roundabout into Barkly Street. Follow the road, turning left into King Street next to the Catholic Church. Take the first turn right to pass the first State Primary School   

12 - Ararat Primary School 800 State School  

This attractive building marked the arrival of free, compulsory and secular education in 1872.  The foundation stone was laid with great festivities on 6th April 1875, the day the railway also came to Ararat. Built from polychrome brick, popular for school buildings at that time, it was opened on 1st November 1875. Additions and alterations have been made over the years, notably larger windows in the early part of the 20th century.  A central tower was removed in 1915 when wooden offices were added to the facade.


On the next corner note the elegant   

13 - Radley Residence  
Built in 1916 by William Radley, a plasterer and contractor, this house may be one of architect Michael Ryan’s designs. It is unusual, being symmetrical about a diagonal axis. The entrance is on a corner under a heavily ornamented portico. The bay windows are richly decorated with broken pediments in the Mannerist style. The decorations distinguish the house from other Federation houses and may reflect the relationship between the owner and architect.


Drive on, crossing King Street and Vincent Street into Banksia Street At the T-junction, turn right into View Point Street Cross Barkly Street and continue, noting on your right the

14 - Holy Trinity Church  
The Church is of local significance historically.  It is a great example of the work of church architect Leonard Terry [1825-1884].  Its English Anglican Gothic style, simple forms and use of blue stone was typical of Terry’s church work. It could not be consecrated until it was free of debt in 1882.The church was gutted by fire in 1940. The diocesan architect, Louis Williams was responsible for the new design. The condition of the building is excellent. The Rectory at 49 High Street is worthy of an inspection.


Continue, turn left at the junction with Lambert Street (Western Highway). Note on your left    

15 - Mt Romnya House  
This very impressive home was built in 1893 by local builder Daniel Beer. He lived in it briefly but for many years it had a succession of middle-class tenants. The house was eventually sold to Dr de Crespigny for use as a private hospital which functioned for many years. It is supported by a terraced garden which includes several mature palms, a popular choice at that time. Architecturally it is early use of the Federation/Queen Anne style. It remains in good condition and is now used as a private dwelling.


Continue a short distance to    

16 - Gum San Museum (Canton Lead)
The world-class Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre tells the story of the arduous journey made from Southern China to the Victorian goldfields during the 1850’s. As they made their great trek on foot from Robe in South Australia to Bendigo, these men discovered one of the world’s richest shallow alluvial goldfields at the Canton Lead, Ararat. Designed in the traditional Southern Chinese style and incorporating the principles of Feng Shui, the dramatic two-storey building with its authentic Chinese tiled roof houses a fascinating selection of interactive audio-visuals and static displays.


Continue along the Highway, turning left at Golf Links Road, pass Chalambar Golf Course on your right. Turn right at the T-junction and follow the sealed road up the hill to   

17 - One Tree Hill Lookout  
This is named for a tree which stood on the crest of the range forming Ararat’s western boundary, also marking the boundary of three large properties, Burrumbeep, Allanvale and Lexington. It offers unparalleled views over the surrounding landscape. The first interstate television signal between Melbourne and Adelaide passed through here in December 1962. Signals now transmit television and telephone data between Queensland and Perth. The monument on the hill was erected by the Rotary Club of Ararat in memory of the pioneers of the district. A popular car rally is conducted here.  

Historic Walking Tour
Historical Walking Tour Map
Historical Walking Tour Map


A booklet for both the Historic Driving and Walking tours is located at the bottom of the page.


1. View Point - Corner of Barkly Street and View Point Street

This site is also known as The Edith Cavell Reserve where a memorial was erected to the English-born nurse executed in 1915 for assisting the escape of Allied prisoners from the Germans.  Each Anzac Day a nurse lays a wreath in her memory. The monument was dedicated in 1931 with money raised by Ararat 800 Primary School Mother’s Club. The site is the oldest and most historic part of Ararat, as being on high and dry land it was the natural focus for the observations of the Police and Gold Warden.


2. Court House Hotel - 84 Barkly Street

The Court House Hotel was one of Ararat’s first hotels - built approximately 1858/9- and by 1862 had 5 rooms. It was constructed of wood and iron and once boasted a spacious ballroom and supper room which doubled as a billiard room.  It is one of the oldest surviving hotels, named for its direct association with the police camp/station opposite. The hotel has suffered the usual changes for a building of its type. However, it remains in good condition with a good degree of integrity.


3.Cannons Store - 88 Barkly Street 

In 1857 John E. Dobson had a stationer/newsagent’s shop and circulating library here in a one storey wood and canvas shed. From 1859 John Cannon continued the business for nearly 50 years, first in a 2 storied wood building and then in the present building, erected in 1877. The building has served a variety of purposes, including a steam laundry and the local registrar of births, deaths and marriages. The building is conventional with ground floor store and residential accommodation above and is of Renaissance Revival Style. 


4. 94 Barkly Street 

The original owner of this building was Dr James Galbraith, who erected the building in 1864. This building served continuously as a surgery and home for a succession of medical practitioners until 1906. Subsequently it was adapted to a number of purposes. The building is simple but refined, an example of the Renaissance Revival style. It is one of the oldest permanent buildings in Ararat. 


5. Vine Tree Store - 104-106 Barkly Street 

A commemorative plaque records the origin of the Black Hambro grape vine growing in front of the store. The Council gave the first owner of the dwelling, Mr G. Grano, permission to plant it in September 1874. The vine cutting is thought to have been given to Mr Grano by the Henty family of Portland. The business of groceries, hardware & spirits traded under various owners. The vine still thrives today. Cuttings have been taken and these now grow along the verandas in the business centre of the city. 


6. Bull and Mouth Stables - South Right of Way 

This significant bluestone building in the South Right of Way (Banksia Street) was renowned for its form, use of bluestone and quality construction.  It was erected in 1866 as stabling for one of Ararat's most prominent early hotels and was described at the time as "one of the finest in the country".  Partially destroyed by fire in 1867, the stables were rebuilt within the existing bluestone walls. Cobb and Co coaches used the stables as their staging post and when horse based transport declined it became a wool store. 


7. Tuson’s Camp Hotel (Ararat Hotel) - 130 Barkly Street 

The Ararat Hotel started its life in 1857 as Gower’s Camp Hotel. It then became Tuson’s Camp Hotel and later Tuson’s Ararat Hotel. It has remained an imposing building throughout its existence, undergoing periodic improvements to move with the times. The two-storied complex is large with bars, foyer and staircases, kitchen and dining room and several shops. Accommodation and lounges are on the first floor. The size and scale of the porch and the hotel make it one of the most important landmarks in Ararat. 


8. 32 Barkly Street

These premises were probably built in the late 1870s or early 1880s by James Tuson, the owner of the Ararat hotel. From the early 1880s until after World War II it functioned continuously as the shop and home of a succession of bakers, including the McCubbin family who owned it for decades. This building has an unusually fine first floor with tall pediment window surrounds with rare surviving timber blind hoods for external venetian blinds and unusual details on the parapet. 


9. 156-158 Barkly Street 

This striking building was designed by James Irwin and built in 1914-15 for R. Edwards, the boot maker, who owned several shops in Barkly Street. It is two storied and, typically for the period, uses red brick with cement render bands and details. The stepped gable is unusual and may have Dutch or South African origins, an echo of the Boer War. There is a dramatic blind arch motif.  The first floor windows have alternate square and arched tops. The shop front is intact but the original verandah has been removed. 


10. R Edwards Boot Emporium - 174 Barkly Street 

In 1918 boot-maker Robert Edwards, moved into the existing premises on this site. In May 1919 he invited tenders for the erection of a new double fronted brick shop with parapet in the Art Nouveau style. The architect was James Irwin, who was Mayor of Ararat at the time. Mayor Irwin also designed the Mechanics Institute building opposite.


11.  178 Barkly Street   

This shop was built in 1897 and designed by architect Michael Ryan for printers FJ & M Murphy who established the Ararat Chronicle, rival of the Ararat Advertiser. The building is of regional historical significance as the office of the defunct Ararat Chronicle and for its association with Patricia Grano, third generation of the important pioneering family and Ararat’s first female barrister and solicitor. It is noteworthy architecturally for its use of the Renaissance Revival style.    


12.  210 Barkly Street

Although these premises were not built until 1913 the undertakers’ business formerly conducted here was established by Thomas Lymer in 1857. The business was passed to the Dunn family though marriage in 1890. The premises were modernized in 1940  and the façade and entrance were redesigned but they represent an unbroken link with the past. The building is a sober but well detailed example of the Art Deco style more usually associated with glamorous buildings such as cinemas.   


13. State Savings Bank  - 224 Barkly Street

Designed by P. S. Stephens and built by J. S Stephenson of Ararat, the Bank operated from these premises from 1912 until 1962 when it moved to a new building at 110 Barkly Street. The building continued to be used as the manager’s residence until 1969. Architecturally, it represents a mixture of styles. The oriel window owes its inclusion to the Queen Anne style and the large semi-circular window to the Romanesque Revival.  


14. Shire Hall Hotel  - 240-242 Barkly Street

The hotel began life in 1860 as a grocery and was used by the owner, Samuel Laundry, as his home and workplace until 1875. It was then converted into a hotel by his brother Henry in order to take advantage of its close proximity to the Shire Hall and the advent of the railway. It was completely rebuilt in 1925 by the then licensee, Larry Cashin and remains much the same, apart from the loss of its verandah.   


15. Carroll’s Saddlery & Produce - 244 Barkly Street

This building with its separated interior was once stables for the Shire Hall Hotel and later became a foundry.  It also housed Deans Cordial Manufacturers and with the advent of motor vehicles became a garage.  Note the original façade above the verandah.  


16. Midland Theatre (Astor Cinema)  - 250 Barkly Street

Completed in 1938, the cinema was one of the largest purpose-built cinemas in rural Victoria. It was designed by architect Rhys Hopkins in the Moderne style to hold 1000 patrons and built by Otto Spehr and J. Friedman.  A stage for theatrical productions was included, but was little used. Internal decoration is minimal, in keeping with the Moderne style. The cinema was closed after the advent of television, but reopened in 1959. It has since been remodelled internally to accommodate an additional two cinemas within the former dress circle and upper foyer.  


17. Catholic Church precinct  - 302 Barkly Street (Brigidine Convent of the Sacred Heart)  

Marian College was founded in 1888 by the Brigidine Sisters from Ireland. The first part of the convent was built in 1899 in the Collegiate Gothic style by Michael Ryan. The completion of the second part, including the façade, was celebrated in 1900. By that time the convent housed 22 nuns who conducted classes from early primary to matriculation standard. The Brigidine convent is typical of the convents and schools built in metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria at the end of the 19th and early 20th century. 


304 Barkly Street (Immaculate Conception RC Church)   

The Catholic community held services in a temporary chapel/school building from 1857 on this site. The first bluestone church was completed in 1864, extended and improved over time until being demolished to make way for the present building which was designed by A.A. Fritsch. The Romanesque Revival style may be a conscious return to the style of the early Christian basilicas. The church is deliberately simple and traditional in form and plan. Its use of bluestone is also traditional and probably marks the last period it would be used.   


304A Barkly Street (Catholic Presbytery)  

The building has served as a presbytery since the first catholic priest took up residence in Ararat. For a short period of time the presbytery housed the newly arrived Brigidine Nuns before the convent was opened in 1889. 


18. Dominica House - 291 Barkly Street

Dominica was the first two-story building in Ararat erected for purely residential purposes. It was built in 1899 for Theo Grano, son of the founder of the Vine Tree Store. He had two families. The names of his thirteen children were incised into the quoins flanking the two entrances, where they can still be seen. It is supported by an intact Interwar garden surrounded by a magnificent cypress hedge. It remains in excellent condition and stayed in the Grano family until a few years ago. It remains a private residence.  


19. George Hotel (Blue Duck) - 257 Barkly Street

The earliest licensee discovered so far was Augustus Peoppel who ran the hotel from 1877. The licensee during the First World War referred to it as “a blue duck.” The term originates from mining when a gold mine which had run out of gold was known as “a blue duck.”  During the First World War when men deserted the area to join up, the hotel was understandably short of patrons and income, and was therefore referred to as, “a blue duck.”   


20. Langi Morgala Museum - 48 Queen Street

Aboriginal name meaning “Home of Yesterday”  

This was built in 1874 for Michael Byrne Carroll as a wheat and wool store. Later, Dodd & Hargreaves took over the building as wool brokers and agents. During the Second World War it was used by the army to manufacture parachutes and store emergency canned food.   

In April 1962 the Ararat & District Historical Society acquired the building.It houses displays depicting the history of Ararat with aboriginal artefacts donated by the family of Mr L.J. Mooney in 1956 and by Mr H.C Best amongst others from the district.   


21. Ararat Civic Precinct  

a. Shire Hall  
The Shire Hall was built in 1871 by Architect & Shire Engineer, Alexander White.  White produced a building of excellence and quality that expresses the Shire’s pride in itself and confidence it had in the future. It stands as arguably one of Ararat’s most distinguished buildings.  The fence and brick wall were added in 1872, with the casting coming from William Blomely’s foundry in Ballarat. The building houses the WW1 Honour Board and a beautiful stained glass window honours the fallen.

b. Cenotaph  
The architects deliberately modeled this structure on Sir Edward Lutyens’ Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The monument was dedicated in 1930 to those who served Australia in various conflicts and in memory of those who died.   

Two circular seats in Grampians stone have bronze panels commemorating events in World War II. Reliefs show Simpson and his donkey, the work of the Army Medical Corps, the Light Horse and troops going up to the line.  The bronze plaques were sculpted by Wallace Anderson and cast in Melbourne.  

c. Town Hall  
Converted Market sheds served Ararat as a Town Hall in the late 1860s and were later demolished to make way for the new Town Hall.This was designed by Molloy and Smith of Ballarat and built in 1899 by James Irwin, who later became mayor on three occasions and gave civic leadership for thirty years. The Clock tower and other external features are largely unaltered but internal alterations have been made to accommodate an Art Gallery. The building is a typical example of Municipal architecture and uses the Roman Revival style.  

d. Ararat Boer War Memorial Fountain  
The fountain was planned to mark Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, but it was suggested that it should also commemorate those of Ararat's volunteers who fought in the Boer War. Ararat had sent twenty-one volunteers and survivors received gold medals from fellow citizens. When the mayor interrupted the opening ceremony for the new Town Hall in 1899 to read a telegram giving news of a British victory in the war, the audience broke into 'Rule Brittania.' The fountain was apparently obtained readymade from a Melbourne firm for between 100 and 125 pounds.   

e. Memorial Drinking Fountain   
It was decided at a public meeting in 1936 to erect a memorial drinking fountain dedicated to the late King George V in the town hall square.   

The tender was given to G H Robson of Stawell at £144.15 and the fountain was erected in July 1937.  


22. Leopold Hotel - 191 Barkly Street

This site has been continually occupied by a hotel since 1858.  By 1868 there was a structure of 13 rooms. The tenders for the current building were called in 1874 and although soon in use it was not completed until 1903. The Leopold family owned the hotel for over half a century and in the 1920s it was briefly owned by W.A Claringbold of Commercial House. It once had a magnificent cast iron lace verandah, removed in the 1960s.  In its heyday the hotel boasted Vice Regal patronage.


23. Mechanics’ Institute  

What was once the site of the Great Eastern Hotel, is now the two storey Mechanics Institute rebuilt in 1908.  Designed by James Irwin this building is of particular interest as one of the last to be built and one of the few in the style current in the Federation period.  Typical of such buildings it has rooms either side of the central entrance, leading to a large hall and reading room at the rear.  It currently houses a lending library as is required for a Mechanics Institute.


24. McGibbony Building - 161 Barkly Street

Bought by John McGibbony at the first government land sale in 1858 this site was where he established his watchmaker and jewellery business in a calico and wooden building.  In 1865 he replaced this with a two storey red brick building, including a residence for his family, displaying details typical of the Federation period.  Restored in 1870 after a fire and remodelled about 1910, the clock face can still be seen on the parapet and bears the name of his son Henry McGibbony.


25. Turf Hotel - 157-159 Barkly Street  

The site appears to have functioned as a hotel in the 1800s, but the present building dates from 1911 when it was graced by a cast iron and timber verandah. In 1921 it was one of the first hotels to replace its stables with garaging for cars. At three storeys, it was the tallest building in Ararat prior to World War II. Remodelling occurred in the 1930s. The building incorporates Art Deco and Modern styling. 


26. 129-131 Barkly Street  

Originally the site of the Manchester Hotel built in 1858 and destroyed by fire in 1870, the owner Robert Scott and his neighbours united to rebuild after the fire, giving four premises a similar Renaissance Revival design.  The present facade dates from 1954 and is a post war interpretation of classical architecture with a Moderne  twist. The rear of the building has not seen as many alterations and is closer to the early periods of its development.


27. Shamrock Hotel - 119-121 Barkly Street

The hotel once stood next door to the Rex Hotel on the site now occupied by a pharmacy. The building was destroyed by the fire of 1870 and rebuilt by the draper James Chadwick as three separate shops with rooms above. The first floor is considered unusual, with very tall windows and an “attic” storey incorporating roundel windows. The site has been occupied by a number of pharmacies, including T.A. Wild, who invented the preserving sauce known as Ezy-Sauce.


28. London Charted Bank (ANZ)  - 107 Barkly Street

One of the first banks on the Ararat goldfield, the present building was not built until 1868, eleven years after the start of the gold rush. It was designed by the leading Melbourne architect Leonard Terry, who designed many banks in Victoria.  The premises contained a spacious and well appointed residence upstairs with the latest amenities for the manager.  

The building uses the conservative Renaissance Revival style that evoked the stability and security sought by the bank’s clients. The most serious change is the painting of the exterior brickwork.


29. Bank of New South Wales - 95 Barkly Street

This was the first bank on the goldfields in 1857, when Mr. W. J. M. Larnach, was Manager.  His bank was a tent and his equipment consisted of dogs, a gun, and strong boxes.  

The Bank of New South Wales next banking site is now currently the site of the Westpac Bank at 95 Barkly Street.  Many of the internal glass panels inside the Bank have been etched with text and images reflecting our history. One such door panel depicts a Chinese image utilising the Westpac symbol.   


30. The Old Fire Station (Post Office) - 93 Barkly Street  

The old Fire Station stood on the corner of Barkly Street and Stawell Road, now Ingor Street, from 1875/76 - 1970. The observation platform was originally built with six levels, but was reduced in height as the bell's vibration was found to be weakening the brick structure. The site is now the home of Ararat’s current Post Office.


31. Vindell House (Post Office & Sub-Treasury)  - 90-93 Barkly Street  

Vindell House was constructed in two separate parts. The Sub-Treasury and Assay office was the first section and was constructed in 1858. The Post Office was not attached until 1862, replacing an earlier portable wooden building near the town square.  

The simple Italianate design of the Post Office with its Palladian influence reflects the sophistication of leading English architect, William Wardell. This building, the third major bluestone building in Ararat, is still in excellent condition although it has undergone significant interior alterations in the twentieth century.


32. Police Station - 77-89 Barkly Street

The previous Police Station used the Georgian Revival style to domesticate the function of the building. This is in contrast to other contemporary police stations which adopted more Moderne and adventurous styles. It was compared with the Stripped Classicism of the former Commonwealth Bank at 113 Barkly Street. The building was stripped of detail, which reflected the austerity of the time of its construction during World War II.  

The current Police Station was finished in 2010.


33. Court House  - Corner of Barkly and Ligar Street  

Ararat Court House is historically significant as a Court of Mines, established in 1857. It operated from a temporary wooden building until 1859, when Ararat was declared a General Sessions District and a basalt court house was erected. Completed in 1866-67, Ararat Court House was a small, symmetrical brick building designed by architect Gustav Joachimi in the Victorian Free Classical style with a recessed entry and gabled roof. This court house was succeeded by the present building which reflects Ararat’s status as a site for Supreme Court sittings until 1909.


34. Ararat Advertiser - 3 Ligar Street

The Ararat Advertiser was founded by Jabez Walter Banfield with partner J. Nuthall in August 1857 soon after the discovery of gold and was first published in a tent. The building is said to be the first brick building in Ararat and as such has regional significance, but it has been altered over the years. Next to it are two houses: 5 Ligar Street, built in 1873 for the proprietor, and 7 Ligar Street, built for Miss Lorna Banfield, author of “Green Pastures and Gold”, the history of early Ararat.

 

 

J Ward Tours & Ghost Tours

Location: Girdlestone Street, Ararat

About: J Ward started its life as a goldfields prison in 1859. When the gold ran out in the mid 1880s the prison buildings were acquired by the Lunacy Department as a temporary housing for the Criminally Insane. The County Gaol then became a ward (J Ward) of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum where the most depraved and most dangerous men in Victoria were housed in horrific conditions under the highest security.

The Ward was closed in 1991. J Ward is now a museum complex within the original prison structure dedicated to recording and preserving the history of the criminals imprisoned and hanged here during the life of the goldfields gaol and later as the infamous maximum security housing for Victoria's Criminally Insane men in a ward (J Ward) of the Ararat Mental Hospital.



J Ward Day Tours
Phone: 0400 977 575
Email: info@jward.org.au
Click here to view website or make a booking
 



J Ward Ghost Tours
Phone: 1300 390 119
Click here to view website or make a booking

Lakes

Alexandra Gardens Lake
Alexandra Avenue, Ararat
- Bank fishing only, ideal for children
 

Green Hill Lake
Green Hill Lake Road, Ararat - 2.5km east of Ararat
- Fishing, watersports and camping
Click here to view website
 

Lake Bolac
Glenelg Hwy/Ararat-Mortlake Road, Lake Bolac
- Fishing, watersports and camping
Click here to view website
 

Lake Fyans 
650 Mokepilly Road, Halls Gap
- Fishing, watersports and camping
Click here to view website

Skate Park & Dog Park

Ararat Skate Park
Cnr. Alexandra Avenue & Queen Street 


Dog Park
Cnr. Alexandra Avenue & Queen Street
- Fully fenced featuring a ramp, tunnels and poles arranged in a course 

Swimming Pools

Click here for more information on Swimming Pools within the Ararat Rural City Council Municipality.

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