Living in Ballarat
Everything you need to know about living in Australia’s most liveable regional city
Ballarat is Australia’s most liveable regional city. That may seem like a big statement, but we can prove it!
In 2020, the RMIT Healthy Liveable Cities Group released the findings of an eight-year study mapping health and liveability in 21 of the country’s largest cities. Ballarat performed best for access to public transport and public open space, and ranked among the top five for access to supermarkets, local employment, social infrastructure and housing affordability.
More than 2,000 people move to Ballarat each year, drawn by the famous city’s livability, affordable housing, extensive employment opportunities, health facilities and diverse schooling options.
Housing
Ballarat is renowned for being one of the most affordable places to live in Australia for both renters and homeowners. In the most recent national census, the median weekly cost of rent in the city was found to be 26% lower than the overall Victoria average, and 29% lower than the national average.
Purchasing property in the Ballarat is exceptionally affordable, too, with the same census finding that homeowners in Ballarat paid on average 28% less in monthly mortgage repayments than borrowers throughout the rest of the country.
Employment
Ballarat offers numerous job opportunities across retail, professional services and trades, as well as state and federal government, academia and health care.
IBM, McCain Food, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, MaxiTrans, FMP Group, H.Troon, Haymes Paints and Alstom are just a few of the major businesses based in the region.
Established in 1995 by Federation University, the Ballarat’s three ‘Technology Parks’ are the base for 64 businesses and agencies that collectively employ around 2,100 locals, contributing $100 million in wages and salaries annually.
Ballarat GovHub is a recently-opened, multi-million dollar business precinct that is home to an estimated 1,000 Victorian Government workers. Consumer Affairs Victoria, Regional Development Victoria, The Department of Education and Training, VicRoads and Service Victoria are just a few of the government agencies based in the Ballarat GovHub precinct.
Ballarat also has numerous home-grown companies producing textiles, general industrial engineering, food products, brick and tiles, building components, prefabricated housing components and automotive components.
Schooling
From first-class state schools to preeminent private education, Ballarat boasts some of the finest primary and secondary institutions in Australia. The city offers parents a choice of 37 preschools, 55 primary schools and 11 secondary colleges with a broad range of curriculums.
Ballarat Clarendon College and Ballarat Grammar School are private boarding schools that provide education from preschool age to Year 12. Both schools are classified as “academically excellent” and rank in the top 100 Victorian schools based on median VCE scores and the percentage of scores 40 and above.
Other non-governmental institutions in the area include eight Catholic primary schools, three Catholic secondary colleges and one Christian secondary college.
Ballarat has two universities, Federation University and a campus of the Australian Catholic University. Having been established first under a different name during the Victorian gold rush in 1870, Federation University is the fourth-oldest tertiary education institution in Australia. The public, multi-sector university offers undergraduate degrees across a wide range of study areas, including humanities and social sciences, engineering, business, science and mathematics, education, psychology, nursing and midwifery, visual arts and more.
Public Facilities
From world-class soccer pitches to forward-thinking family spaces, Ballarat offers its residents a plethora of public facilities and venues.
Families are well-catered for in the city. The Lucas Community Hub contains a dedicated maternal and child health centre, a two-room kindergarten facility, a specialist consulting room and a large community room for hire. The team at Parent Place are on hand to offer families with young children general support and information on services in the region. If they need it, families can even visit Parent Place’s office to feed or change their baby’s diaper!
The city also offers plenty of facilities for nights out. The Ballarat Civic Hall hosts an annual season of diverse, entertaining and world-class events and performances for local, regional, national and international organisations.
Unmatched in Australia outside of major metropolitan stadiums, the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility (also known as Morshead Park Stadium) has hosted both international and Australian teams, including Bahrain, The Matildas and Melbourne Victory.
On a more tranquil note, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens are one of Australia’s most significant cool climate gardens. Located on the western shore of picturesque Lake Wendouree, the gardens feature a remarkable collection of mature trees and marble statues set amongst colourful bedding displays.
Medical Facilities
Ballarat is home to some of the best-quality healthcare facilities in Victoria, offering a broad range of public and private hospitals, GPs and specialists. This includes two major regional hospitals, the public Ballarat Base Hospital and the private St John of God Ballarat Hospital. The Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre is a world-class cancer centre providing cancer care, treatment and research for the community, while Ballarat Allied Health offers physiotherapy and podiatry services.
Living in Ballarat never looked so good!
Ballarat Veterinary Practice
