Everyday photos give The Other Ballarat love

WHEN you shut your eyes and imagine the Ballarat you know and love, what imagery comes into your mind?

A month-old Instagram page is having fun with the concept of The Other Ballarat, curating photos of neighbourhood pockets and broader city details that wouldn’t typically feature in glossy marketing material.

The Other Ballarat curator, Jen Founder launched the project when all she seemed to notice seeing on social media was a very small part of where she lives; always “the same Ballarat.”

“Lake Wendouree and the heritage precinct in the centre of town is beautiful, but they’re featured heavily on the council’s Instagram and the Visit Ballarat accounts,” she said.

“These things are lovely, but we also have sunsets in the other suburbs.

“There’s an old saying that Victoria doesn’t end at Melbourne’s tram tracks, and it’s the same with Ballarat. Think cool mid-century buildings out in Sebas, old sheds… It’s fun.”

Attributing photos to their original source, Ms Founder shares shots locals have taken while living life in “their everyday town,” from popular walking tracks, to old local pubs, to buildings that are dilapidated or derelict.

“These things are all part of Ballarat. The account is about finding ordinary beauty in the things we see every day,” she said.

“The account is not heavily curated, the photos aren’t all by good amateur photographers or professionals, and they’re from all over the town, including Warrenheip, Sebastopol, Redan, the Yarrowee River Trail… places that just don’t get a mention.”

Ms Founder has gained hundreds of followers within a few weeks, understanding her neighbours are “keen to see a realer view” of their home or nearby suburbs.

The page already has loyal fans sending in their photos or hash tagging them #theotherballarat.

White Flat, Brown Hill Pool, Woowookarung Regional Park, the Millers Arms Hotel, a mural in Ballarat East and the Sebastopol Library are just some of the locations getting their time in the spotlight.

“One of the best things is seeing the town through a variety of eyes,” Ms Founder said.

“We get gorgeous sunrise pics, but also photos of shopping trolleys dumped at Black Hill. It’s a no-holds-barred view of our town, with lots of love and humour,” she said.

Visit instagram.com/theotherballarat.