Suburb by suburb snapshot: Soldiers Hill

The size of Soldiers Hill is approximately 1.5 square kilometres and has four parks covering nearly 0.4% of total area.

The population of Soldiers Hill in 2011 was 2,833 people and by the 2016 Census the population was 2,798 showing a population decline of 1.2% in the area during that time, although more recent data indicates a turnaround in these numbers as shrewd home buyers turn their attention to this suburb.

Soldiers Hill is a suburb immediately north of central Ballarat made up predominately of houses that are a mixture of single fronted cottages built in the first half of the twentieth century, or earlier, some more elaborate buildings, and some recent townhouses projects.

It was named after the military encampment, adjoining the goldfield commissioner, from where soldiers marched on 3 December 1854 to suppress the Eureka miners’ rebellion.

The actual location of the encampment was at the corner of Lydiard and Mair Streets, south of the present suburb.

At the very south of the suburb, the now heritage listed Ballarat West railway station was opened in 1856, adding over the decades a large locomotive and workshops complex.

It soon became Ballarat’s central station, and the Ballarat East station was reduced in importance. CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Soldiers Hill is 30-39 years with households in Soldiers Hill being primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying $1,000 – $1,399 per month on mortgage repayments and in general, people in Soldiers Hill work in a professional occupation.

In 2011, 63% of the homes in Soldiers Hill were owner-occupied compared with 62% in 2016.