Send a creative invite to the city

CELEBRATING Ballarat autumn, four local artists have produced a series of creative postcards for the new tourism initiative as part of the We Are Ballarat campaign.

The designers, Peter Townsend, Caroline Keys, Jacinta Weyers and Jen Lesley, created the postcards alongside the City of Ballarat to encourage residents to invite friends and family to the region.

Available at the Ballarat Information Centre and from a selection of cafes and businesses around town, the postcards include imagery of Webster’s Market and Café, Sturt Street and Mount Buninyong.

Renowned Ballarat illustrator Caroline Keys said she took inspiration from the Webster Street streetscape and mural by Travis Price as well as sunny afternoons and warming drinks.

“This has been a fabulous opportunity to showcase what makes Ballarat so special in autumn and is a welcome support of local artists,” she said.

After a tough year for the tourism and hospitality industries, with the Tourism Research Australia data showing a decline in over $100 million in that sector, City officials are aiming to help businesses bounce back.

“This season the events and experiences we know and love are coming back in re-imagined ways,” mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said.

“The nature and space in and around Ballarat offer a fresh escape from the city and, our eat and drink scene is buzzing with talented chefs and fresh local produce and we want to make sure our biggest advocates, our locals, are helping spread the word.

“From the fuel they purchase from local petrol stations, to shopping locally, visiting our attractions and dining out at cafes and restaurants, it’s money spent in our community.”

For more information about the campaign or the postcards, visit visitballarat.com.au/autumn.