Ballarat Botanical Gardens

At the western end of Lake Wendouree, the Ballarat police horse paddock was set aside for the gardens in 1857. Soon after, George Longley, recently of Lowther Castle, England, moved into a tent on site where he lived for two years while he established the gardens.

In 1884 a wealthy Scottish bachelor, Thomas Stoddart, returned from a trip to Italy with a group of statues he gave to the gardens. This sparked a series of gifts and bequests. One of the most interesting collections is the Prime Ministers Avenue, an impressive and unique avenue of the busts of the 25 Prime Ministers since Federation.

The first tuberous begonias were introduced to the gardens in 1889, not long after their discovery in Peru and Bolivia. This began a tradition that has been highlighted by the annual Ballarat Begonia Festival. There are also azalea, camellia, dahlia, rose, and Australian native gardens. A number of trees have been registered by the National Trust.