Step back in time and explore Ballarat’s rich heritage at Ballarat Old Cemetery, home to over 30,000 interments telling the story of the city’s gold rush beginnings. Wander through peaceful gardens and admire a range of striking heritage features, including the impressive front gates, the graves and monuments of the soldiers and diggers involved in the 1854 Eureka uprising, a decorative fountain, a ceremonial oven in the Chinese section, and a beautifully restored historic rotunda.

Visit the Information Centre at the Old Cemetery, your gateway to Ballarat’s past. Discover a wealth of stories, records, and historical insights, or use the touch screen computer to research your family history. Learn about the enduring legacy of the city’s early European and Chinese settlers. All resources are free to explore, with donations welcomed to help preserve the cemetery and its services.

Continue the journey just two kilometres away at the Ballarat New Cemetery, where history meets natural beauty. Stroll among monuments encompassing historic examples from the High Victorian era to current, contemporary designs. Take in sweeping, elevated views of the surrounding countryside, and admire heritage features set within the cemetery’s magnificent botanic gardens, featuring more than 2,000 roses in bloom from November to June.