Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Botanical garden by Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Australia.
Ballarat Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, made up of several sections with a mix of ornamental trees, open lawns, and planted beds. The central part follows a classic English pleasure garden layout, with curving paths that connect the different areas.
The gardens were established in 1857 when Alfred Ronalds, a nurseryman also known for writing about fly fishing, supplied trees and plants from his nursery just across the lake. Over time the site grew and was later listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Prime Ministers Avenue lines a garden path with bronze busts of every Australian Prime Minister. Walking along it feels like passing through a quiet open-air gallery of the country's political past.
The gardens are open year-round and the paths are generally easy to walk, making the site accessible for most visitors. Going in the morning or early afternoon gives the best light for seeing the statues and planted areas.
A set of 12 white marble statues from Italy, donated by a private collector named Stoddart, depict figures from classical mythology and are rarely found in Australian public gardens. Among them are personifications of the four seasons and a figure of Hercules.
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