Informative blue signs with eye catching historical images and stories are popping up around Sebastopol as the Discover Historic Sebastopol trail comes to life. The signs are sure to delight history buffs, and entice those not so familiar with Sebastopol’s history, to dig a little deeper, and discover some very interesting histories. Kate Owen, Community Development Officer, from Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre worked closely with the Sebastopol Historical Society over the best part of 2 years, to produce a series of signs and a complementary information brochure, marking significant historical sites across Sebastopol. The group members dug into their archives to find places of interest and identified 10 significant sites to create and install signs at. Sites include Sebastopol Town Hall, the former Sebastopol State School, Holy Trinity and Carmel Welsh Churches, Blythewood Grange, the Fire Brigade and others including the Tram Terminus at the Royal Mail Hotel in Albert Street. The Discover Historic Sebastopol brochure has also just been published, and covers 27 historical sites with a map, stories and rare photos of each site.
Did you know that the Sebastopol Fire Station was originally built on the opposite side of Albert Street (near the current library) and the building was physically moved across to its current location across the road in 1929? Or that the Central Plateau mines in Sebastopol yielded 34,789 ounces of gold; today worth approximately 85 million dollars? Or that an elephant once escaped a circus and spent several hours roaming the streets of Sebastopol?
Explore these forgotten stories and sites of Sebastopol in the Discover Historic Brochure. Collect a copy of the brochure from various places around Sebastopol, including:
Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, 11 Tuppen Drive Sebastopol
Sebastopol Historical Society (brochure holder on the Former Sebastopol State School sign out the front of 185 Yarrowee Street)
Sebastopol Library, 181 Albert Street, Sebastopol
The Discover Historic Sebastopol trail is part of the Regional Development Victoria’s Spotlight on Sebastopol funding which was supported by the City of Ballarat and coordinated by Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre.