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G’day Ballarat! There’s a bit of energy in the air at the moment. Begonias gearing up to shine in March, bikes about to fly through the sky at Mars Stadium, and even our recycle bins doing something useful behind the scenes. Glad you’re here. Let’s get into it.

– Luciano Devoto

This one caught my eye because it’s easy to forget what happens after the bin goes out. Since July last year, Ballarat’s soft plastics recycling pilot has diverted more than 40 tonnes of plastic away from landfill. About 6,000 households are now using the orange bags to recycle things like bread bags, chip packets and food wrappers that usually can’t go in the kerbside bin.

The collected soft plastics are being processed and transformed into products such as fence posts, buckets and pavers.

Once full, the bags go out with the yellow kerbside bin on collection day. It’s that simple!

The 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival is less than a month away and this year’s program is shaping up to be a proper celebration of colour, nature and community across the Botanical Gardens from Saturday 7 March to Monday 9 March. Around 600 upright and cascading begonias will fill the Robert Clark Conservatory highlighting the depth of our prized collection.

There’ll be live talks and demonstrations at the Begonia Stage plus artistic touches like the Musical Plants installation that makes sound through living blooms. The festival also includes the beloved Begonia Parade, markets, family entertainment and plenty of food and drink for the long weekend.

The 2026 Victorian Honour Roll of Women is now open for nominations, celebrating women whose leadership, courage or commitment have made a real difference in their communities. It recognises achievements across areas like education, business, health, community service and culture, and is one of the state’s highest acknowledgements of women’s contribution.

Ballarat already has a place in its history. Mother Mary Gonzaga Barry, who helped establish Loreto schools in Ballarat and beyond, was inducted into the 2025 Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a Trailblazer. If there’s a woman whose work deserves that kind of recognition, nominations are now open.

The City of Ballarat has launched the latest round of its Ignite program, which aims to help people build creative capability, new work and practical skills.

Facilitators are local makers and industry professionals. Recent topics have included business basics, creative practice development and marketing know-how, with the idea of turning ideas into something people can actually sustain.

If you’ve been tinkering with something and want a nudge to turn it into more than a hobby, this is worth a look.

Council has published its updated list of advocacy priority projects ahead of the Victorian state election later this year. It’s a snapshot of the local infrastructure, services and initiatives Ballarat wants state government support for, from better regional transport links and health services to upgrades for community facilities and key arterial roads.

The list reflects feedback from residents, businesses and community groups, and will guide Council’s discussions with ministers and MPs in the months ahead.

This then and now shot of the former National Mutual Building at Sturt and Lydiard Streets is a reminder of how layered Ballarat’s history really is. Before the building went up, the site was home to a 160 foot deep mine shaft known as Bath’s Claim. The foundation stone was laid in 1904 and the building opened in 1906, complete with Ballarat’s first electric lift. The original terracotta dome once offered panoramic views across the city before disappearing sometime after the 1950s.

Thank you: Past & Present Photography

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This Ballarat Central home stood out for its mix of character, space and location. It’s a three-bedroom period house with high ceilings, original floorboards and a genuinely usable backyard, all within walking distance of the train station, Lake Wendouree, schools, shops and cafes. The big undercover alfresco and rear access make it feel practical, not just pretty. It’s the kind of place that suits people who want to live centrally now, with room to personalise over time.

It feels well suited to owner-occupiers who want to live close to everything and like the idea of having Bunnings basically next door when the next project inevitably pops up.

This one’s for the wing lovers. Crispy, sticky, spicy or saucy, Ballarat has plenty of spots that locals swear by when the craving hits. We’ve pulled together some of the most talked about places in town. Now it’s over to you to vote and settle the debate.

Events, activities and live music now live inside our events calendar, which means I can share a lot more of what’s happening around Ballarat each week. Check it out!

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Until next Thursday!

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