Take a walk through the re-created landscape of Ballarat at Pioneer Park, where many of the region's lakes, mountains and plains have been incorporated into the park's design. Gravel walking tracks travel around the grassy park, passing by the miniature versions of well-known local landmarks such as Lake Burrumbeet, Mount Bolton, Saddleback Hill and more. The tree-lined avenues and ornamental lakes add to the attractive setting.
Pioneer Park was created as a bi-centennial project in the late 1980's and commemorates the region's history and pioneering spirit. A competition was held to establish the park's design, which was won by students from the University of Melbourne's School of Environmental Planning.
There are two undercover areas within Pioneer Park, both containing picnic tables. The first is located right alongside the car park, and the other is located over the other side, beyond "Lake Burrumbeet".
You will notice small plaques at the foot of each tree along the President's Avenue, where a tree has been planted for each President of the Shire since 1863.
A stone Pioneer Memorial stands at the front of Pioneer Park.
An information board provided by City of Ballarat stands alongside the parking area, and displays a map with numbered points indicating the re-created landmarks throughout the park. Map points listed are:
- Lake Burrumbeet
- Lake Learmonth
- Mount Misery
- Mount Bolton
- Weatherboard Hill
- Saddleback Hill
- Cardinal Hill
- Mount Pisgah
- Mount Blowhard
- Mount Hollowback
- "The Lookout"
- Pioneer Avenue
- Pioneer Memorial
- Obelisk
- Sunrise Gate
- Carpark
The sign also displays the following text:
PIONEER PARK
Pioneer Park was created prior to the Council amalgamations of 1994 and was originally located within the boundaries of the former Shire of Ballarat. The park is now managed by the City of Ballarat.
A BI-CENTENNIAL PROJECT (1788-1988)
In the late 1980's, the Shire of Ballarat was among numerous municipalities provided with funding to mark the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia. Pioneer Park was established to reflect the history and pioneering spirit of the district.
DESIGN COMPETITION
The concept was to create a public park to serve passive recreational purposes. A competition was run to determine the landscape architecture and planning. The successful design came from students from the University of Melbourne's School of Environmental Planning.
A RE-CREATION OF THE SHIRE'S LANDSCAPE
The landscape plan called for the naturally occurring earth forms of the Shire - the mountains, lakes and plains - to be re-created at scale. The park also incorporates a Shire President's avenue, with a tree planted for each President of the Shire since 1863.
OFFICIAL OPENING
The park gate was officially opened in September 1988 by Shire President Cr Reg Kinnersly. The park itself opened on 5 December 1988 with Cr Kinnersly again officiating.
DESIGN CONCEPT
Historical Themes, 1987
School of Environmental Planning, University of Melbourne.
BBQ
Ballarat
