Australian_Traveller-May.June.July_2019

I’minthebasementbarofacontemporaryartgallerythat

usedtobeamasonictemple.Itservescocktailsmadewith

pineforagedfromanearbyforestandisstyledwitheclectic

furnishingsforagedfromGumtree.Onanotherevening

Imighthavecaughtafilmscreening,a‘DrawtheNude

Man’lifedrawingclassoragin-blendingworkshopwith

localdistillers,buttonightI’mjusthangingoutwiththe

residentcatPyeandenjoyingtheatmosphere.Fouryears

ago,TaraPoolefellinlovewiththisbuildingwhenitwas

anemptyshellfulloflittlemorethanhistoryandpotential.

Shehadnoprecedentfortakingonsuchatask,butthrough

passion,hardworkandlearninghowtoanglegrind,she

transformeditintotheLostOnesGalleryandBar.

It’sthekindofenterprisingspiritIencounter

throughoutBallarat,whereanewgenerationofcreators,

artisansandmakersareforgingtheircity’sfutureby

tappingintoitsrichculturallegacythatdatesbacktoits

heyday,andfurtherbackstill–butmoreonthatlater.

Thegoldrushbroughtwithitacreativewave:asthe

towntransitionedintoanindustrial-agecityinthelate

19thcentury,tradeslikeleather-making,blacksmithing

andwoodsmithingflourished;foundriesandflour

millspoppedupallovertown.Aliteraryanddebating

traditionearnedtheVictoriancitythenickname‘the

AthensofAustralia’andthecountry’sfirstpurpose-built

regionalartgallery,theArtGalleryofBallarat,was

establishedin1884.

ThisformativeeradefinesthestreetscapeofBallarat

today,andnewlifeisbeingbreathedintoitsattractive

heritagebuildingsandindustrialspaces.WhenMitchell

HarrisWinesopenedina140-year-oldformerproduce

store,tentmakersandmotorworkshopin2013,itstood

outinthecity’shospitalitylandscapeasapocketof

Melbourne-stylequalityandcool.Fastforwardsixyears

andwhilethisrustic-chicwinebar,whichshowcases

cold-climatewinesofthelocalregionsaswellasMitchell

Harris’sown,isstillatthetopofitsgame,thebarhas

beenraisedaroundit.

TuckedawaydownalanewayintheCBD,Hydrant

FoodHallisagreatbreakfastandlunchspotinan

atmosphericoldwarehousespace.Andfiveminutes’walk

fromhereisThePubWithTwoNames–aheritagepub

thatwasreopenedin 2018 followingacreativemakeover

byrenownedartistsDavidandYugeBromley.Itsrelaxed

menufocusesonitsSouthAmerican-stylecharcoalgrill.

ThepiècederésistanceofBallarat’snewfoodiewave

islocatedinaspacewithnosignatthedoor.Underbaris

chefDerekBoath’s16-seatfinedinerthatopenson

FridayandSaturdayeveningstoserveatastingmenu

shapedbytheseasonsandsurrounds.Whatstartedlife

asapop-upatpopularbrunchspotFIKACoffeeBrewer

eachSaturdaynightevolvedintoapermanentpremises

attheencouragementoflocals,whotoldBoath,“Thisis

whatBallaratneeds,”thechefrecounts.Whilethecity

51

CLOCKWISE

FROMLEFT:Some

oftheBallaratregion’s

mostavant-gardewines

areproducedatEastern

Peake;Davidand

YugeBromleyadjust

theeclecticartworkat

ThePubWithTwo

Names;Therenowned

artistsgavethisheritage

pubacreativemakeover.

BALLARATREINVENTED

PHOTOGRAPHY: TONY EVANS (THE PUB WITH TWO NAMES); ROB GEARY (DAVID AND YUGE BROMLEY) 1

The 100 | Culture fix

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