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The foundation stone for the building was laid in 1870 after the original town hall burnt down about a decade prior, and stemmed from the development of the Trench Room space in 1860.<\/p>\n
While many of the items on display were pulled from storage when the tours were first established.<\/p>\n
For those unable to attend in-person, the tour is available in audio form which can be accessed via the Historic Urban Landscape Ballarat website as well as 10 QR codes placed throughout the building.<\/p>\n
A virtual tour is also available, giving people the ability to see into the Town Hall tower\u2019s Alfred bells which was closed to public access about six years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach bell weighs about four-and-a-half tonnes each,\u201d Mr McVitty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have bellringers every second Sunday of the month to do a ring of the peal. They also ring it when there\u2019s a new mayor and on special occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each tour is capped at five people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HOW much do you know about Ballarat\u2019s Town Hall? Free, guided tours have returned to the historic building following a pause during the pandemic, and now take place every Wednesday and Friday at 2pm. The tour, which was launched in 2018, highlights many of the building\u2019s rooms from its marble-lion guarded entrance up to the […]<\/p>\n