Snapshot of suburb’s past

ONE of the region’s earliest boroughs will have its past paired with its present as part of a retrospective exhibition taking place during Heritage Festival.

Organised by the Sebastopol Historical Society, the Lost Sebastopol show will see between 80 and 100 items showcasing the lost landmarks of the eponymous suburb.

Set to be held at the former state school at 185 Yarrowee Street, the society’s secretary and museum curator Ben Wright said the show is about highlighting the changes the borough has undergone.

“It explores lost aspects of Sebastopol that have been completely disappeared and been replaced either with modern buildings or no buildings at all,” he said.

“A lot of modernisation is going on, a lot of infrastructure and housing is going in, and perhaps those new residents might like to appreciate the character Sebastopol once had when it was a smaller community.

“The history of Sebastopol goes back to the earliest days of Ballarat. It’s where the first settlers came so it’s quite a historic area.”

The exhibition will showcase 57 sites each of which will feature a written description around its historic significance with photos depicting the site at present as well as a to 150 years ago.

Mr Wright said the show will be complemented with historical memorabilia.

“There’ll also be some objects that related to lost aspects of Sebastopol,” he said.

“There’ll be a 1930s racing bike which will tell the story of the lost [Ballarat] Sebastopol Amateur Cycling Club and the race they used to hold on Christmas day.

“We also have mayoral regalia from the lost borough of Sebastopol and other things like maps relating to mines and a tea urn from the Sebastopol Temperance Society.

“As an adjunct to the exhibition we’ll have our historical museum which has over 1000 items to look at.”

With comparisons to the modern era, the exhibition will showcase the region between the mid-1850s up to around 1970.

Lost Sebastopol will be on show between 18 and 19 May and again from 25 to 26 May, running from 9am to 4pm each day.