Eureka! Gardens will get new plan

A CONSERVATION management Plan is being developed for Ballarat’s historic Eureka Stockade Gardens.

The gardens are considered to be the site of the 1854 Eureka Stockade and the original home of the Eureka Flag, making them nationally significant.

The development of a conservation management plan will help create a better understanding of the needs of the site in order to maintain heritage aspects, and any need for future conservation works on the monument and interpretation signage will be included.

This plan will aim to build on previous ones, such as the conservation analysis and master plan which was completed in 2001, and an interpretation plan, now five years old.

The community are being asked to share what they would like to see happen in the garden on the City of Ballarat’s MySay website until Saturday 15 June.

“The Eureka Stockade Gardens is a significant and extremely important site for Ballarat. It is a place to remember those who lost their lives at the Eureka Stockade and reflect on the legacy that lives on 168 years later,” said City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson.

“I look forward to hearing the community’s stories and connection to these gardens and seeing how this can be incorporated into the conservation management plan.”

The project is being funded by $96,000 from the Federal Government, and Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said the gardens are an important part of the community.

“The history of the Eureka Stockade is integral to the history of our city and many community members have an interest in, or even family stories of the event,” she said.

“Consultation on the new Conservation Management Plan is an opportunity to have input into how we can continue to engage with this significant story into the future.”