Pat yourselves on the back, Australia – your children will thank you. Congratulations, you have saved some of the most stunning landscapes in this wide, brown land for the following generations.
Even in the midst of the all-powerful resources boom, sometimes communities put their collective feet down, taking on governments and industry to defend and conserve these stunning areas. Of course, there are still many battles being fought and to be fought. But in the meantime, here are seven triumphs – landscapes of great environmental, cultural and sentimental significance (and, of course, commercial value) that your grandkids and their grandkids can will be able to experience and enjoy.
1. Koongarra, NT
Kakadu National Park’s boundaries were declared in 1979, but an area near the famous Nourlangie Rock (famous for indigenous rock art) was excluded from the park because of a large uranium deposit there. For years Jeffrey Lee, the senior Djok traditional owner of Koongarra, was courted by mining companies to use the land but he insisted it be incorporated into Kakadu. Finally, in 2013, the Kakadu Project Area Act was repealed and this extraordinary part of the region was included in the National Park and World Heritage Area.
2. Franklin River, Tasmania
Probably Australian environmentalists’ most famous battle and one that was ultimately successful. In 1982-83, 1272 people were arrested at Warner’s Landing, 6km from the junction of the Franklin and Gordon, during protests against the Tasmanian government’s plan to dam the Gordon. These concerted protests (during a federal election campaign) meant the river was saved in 1983 after actions by the Hawke Government and a High Court decision.
3. Arkaroola, SA
This wilderness reserve in northern Flinders Ranges, about 600km north of Adelaide, was described by Dick Smith as one of Australia’s finest arid landscapes. Sir Douglas Mawson also often brought his Adelaide University students here on field trips. Until 2011 the area was under threat from uranium mining, but after a community campaign in July of that year, the government announced that mining would be banned in Arkaroola, aiming eventually for a World Heritage listing.
4. Hattah Lakes, Victoria
Hattah Lakes wetlands, part of the Murray-Darling river system, did not experience a proper flood between 1996 to 2010. Too much water, mostly for irrigation, was being taken out of the wetlands (one of Australia’s most significant) for the natural floods, which are vital for the area’s birds and animals, to occur. Recently an environmental works program is bringing Hattah’s river redgums and animals back to life in this stunning series of freshwater lakes.
5. Mary River, Queensland
The Queensland government wanted to flood the Mary River Valley at Traveston Crossing, near Gympie, to shore up Brisbane’s water supply. The plan threatened the habitat of Australian lungfish, Mary River cod and Mary River turtle, and would have flooded large tracts of farming land. After a community campaign, then Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett invoked Commonwealth environmental powers to stop the project.
6. James Price Point, WA
A plan to build a gas processing plant at James Price Point, 50km from Broome on the Kimberley’s coastline, faced opposition from environmentalists, who said the plan posed risks to whales, dugongs, bilbies and dinosaur footprints in the area. There was also a strong opposition from the land’s traditional Goolarabooloo owner Richard Hunter. But in mid 2013, after protracted court action, the gas project was shelved, the companies opting to obtain the gas from a floating platform out at sea instead.
7. Mt Everard, Harts Range and Fishers Ridge, NT
Some of Australia’s most arid landscapes, Mt Everard and Harts Range (near Alice Springs) and Fishers Ridge (NT, near Katherine) had been shortlisted as possible radioactive waste dump sites. But all three sites, of great environmental and cultural significance, have since been removed from consideration after various community campaigns.
Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.
Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans
“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.
Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.
Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)
Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.
Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.
Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)
For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.
You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.
How Ballarat is preserving the past
The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.
While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .
The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.
Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.
Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.
A city steeped in food and flavours
Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.
The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.
Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.
The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.
The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury
The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.
Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.
Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.
A traveller’s checklist
Getting there
It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.
Staying there
Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.
Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.
Eating there
The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)
Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.
Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.
Dining at Grainery Lane.
Playing there
An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.
