Lake Wendouree, a large artificial lake used for the 1956 Olympics rowing events, is a natural focal point for the town. Old timber boatsheds spread along the shore, and a popular walking and cycling track encircles the lake. Alongside the lake are the botanical gardens and a tourist tramway .
On the western side of the lake, Ballarat’s beautiful and serene botanical gardens were first planted in 1858. Stroll through the 40 hectares of immaculately maintained rose gardens, wide lawns and the colourful conservatory. Visit the cottage of poet Adam Lindsay Gordon or walk along Prime Ministers Avenue, a collection of bronze busts of Australia’s prime ministers. There’s a visitor centre in the glass Robert Clark Conservatory.
A tourist tramway operates on a short section of tramline around the lake, departing from the tram museum. Horse-drawn trams started running in the city in 1887, but were later replaced by electric trams, which ran until 1971.
