Ballarat has one of the best collections of terraces houses of a non-capital city.  Like other Victorian cities at the time, the Victorian Gold Rush timed the city’s population and real estate boom perfectly for the popularity of this housing style.

Distribution

Terrace houses can be found within 1 kilometre of Ballarat’s city centre.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data (2006), postcode 3350 which includes Ballarat CBD and inner suburbs consists of around 7% terrace or semi-detached housing.

Significant clusters can be found in Lydiard Street Nth in suburban Soldiers Hill, Webster Street, Victoria Avenue and Loch Avenue in suburban Wendouree and Victoria Street in East Ballarat.

The majority of Ballarat’s terraces are single storey, however there are taller terraces of up to three storeys close to the city’s central activities district.

Regional Variation

There does not appear to be a singular Ballarat style of terrace house.  There is quite a diverse range of syles from early London style to Edwardian and contemporary revivals.

History

The earliest terraces in Ballarat appeared in the 1850s during the gold rush.

Terrace houses were built from this time until early in the 20th Century.  However Ballarat’s growth slowed and suburban expansion began as the terrace fell out of favour.

Since the 1990s, several new medium density developments in Ballarat have featured terrace style housing with nostalgia seeing the replica Victorian terrace being a favoured style over contemporary styles to maintain a sympathy with the heritage character of the city.  However in newer areas, contemporary styles are favoured.

Significant Ballarat Terrace Houses

• Ballarat Terrace
• Camp Street Terrace

References

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