G'day Ballarat! School holidays have arrived, which is lovely if you enjoy snack negotiations, wet shoes and someone saying they’re bored 14 minutes after breakfast.

This week, I’ve pulled together seven family picks to help get everyone out of the house, plus a record result for Dancing With Our Stars, two sustainability wins for Ballarat schools, a few council updates worth knowing, and Sturt Street putting its pinkies up.

Enjoy the read.

– Luciano Devoto
PS: If you’d like to support this free community newsletter, you can buy me a coffee or choose to advertise with us.

School holidays are here, which means the kids are home, the weather is rude, and “just play quietly” has probably already failed. Luckily, we have a few good ways to get everyone out of the house.

Ballarat’s Dancing With Our Stars has raised a record $306,000 for the Ballarat Foundation. Ten locals swapped normal life for ballroom and Latin routines, with the money helping fund food access, housing support, children’s books and L2P mentors. Very Ballarat: sequins first, practical help straight after.

Two Ballarat schools picked up ResourceSmart Schools Awards this month. Wendouree Primary’s Stephen McNeight won Teacher of the Year after years turning school grounds into wetlands, gardens and wildlife habitat. Pleasant Street Primary won for its student-led container recycling work, proving the humble bottle bin can have range too, apparently.

Ballarat locals are being asked what stories should shape the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid. The survey covers First Peoples’ heritage, multicultural histories, women’s stories, mining, industry and the natural environment. Good, because if Ballarat is going to tell the world who we are, locals should get a word in.

Smythesdale Pharmacy has added a driver and delivery vehicle for Goldfields Pharmacy Delivery, taking medicine, meals and home-care goods from Smythesdale to Skipton, Ballarat and Dereel. Owner Briddon Hardwick says distance, fuel costs and older residents were the push. A practical fix for long roads and one-tablet trips.

Ballarat Council has adopted its 2026/27 Budget, with a 2.75% average rate rise, about $58 a year for the average property. The $92.3 million works program includes roads, Eastwood, Marty Busch, BALC heat pumps and gallery upgrades. So yes, rates are up; the spreadsheet is busy too.

Ballarat Transfer Station has changed its pricing system, with 13 load-size categories from car boots to large caged trailers. A second gatehouse should help move queues along. Free items like e-waste, batteries, cardboard, glass and textiles stay free. Sort before you go, unless you enjoy expensive surprises.

Hearing Australia is offering free 15-minute hearing checks for adults at Ballarat Library on Tuesday 14 July and Sebastopol Library on Thursday 16 July. Results are given on the spot, with referrals if needed. Handy, because “I heard you” and “I understood you” are not always the same thing.

Cafe at Provincial Ballarat is now hosting High Tea on the first Saturday morning of each month, with handcrafted sweet and savoury bits, plus bottomless tea and coffee. Tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for children under 12. Pinkies up, Ballarat. Sturt Street is getting fancy.

3🛏️ 1🛁 1🚗 | House | 599m²

Hints: Raglan Street South is not exactly short on good houses, and this Victorian three-bedder understands the assignment. You get the high ceilings, open fireplace, built-in robes and landscaped front garden, with a rear deck, above-ground pool and possible subdivision potential, subject to council approval. Old Ballarat charm, with a calculator quietly waiting out the back.

What do you reckon the asking price is?

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Until next Thursday!

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