Over half a million to be put into Ballarat Orphanage memorial

A long awaited memorial, or heritage interpretation project, for the Ballarat Orphanage may finally get off the ground in the near future with the council committing $500,000 to the project over the next two budgets.

The former Ballarat Orphanage site at 200 Victoria Street has been redeveloped into a childcare centre and an IGA supermarket, with housing mid-development.

The site was granted heritage protection in 2015 including the former school house, toddler's block, a memorial garden, significant trees, plaques, foundation stones and a wall on Stawell Street.

The child care facility was redeveloped from an original building, the toddler's block, while the school house became apart of the supermarket development, however the 'waiting wall' on Stawell Street remains.

The area behind the supermarket is now being developed for housing, with blocks of land for sale.

The planning amendment which included the protection allowed for residential development, a medical centre, supermarket and shops to be developed on the site.

A former resident of the orphanage and long-standing advocate for preservation of the site, Deborah Findlay, brought her concerns to council over the site.

Ms Findlay said 10 years ago former residents met and worked with the council about design consultations for a memorial.

"All those consultations for nothing," she said at the City of Ballarat council meeting held on April 24.

Ms Findlay said there was now the houses being built and businesses making profits, while there has been "no action from the council".

Frustration from former residents kicked up when the site became derelict, with two buildings needing to be pulled down in 2016.

But even in 2012, former residents were trying to save the site from being demolished.

The former orphanage, once known as the Ballarat District Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage and Ballarat Children's Home over its life, was open from 1866 to 1983 - 4500 children would go through this facility over its history.

In response to Ms Findlay's enquiry for an update after several years of silence, the council's development and growth director Natalie Robertson, who took over the role in late 2020, said it had "indeed been a long journey".

Ms Robertson said it had been previously discussed with the developers that the works needed to be completed before the memorial, which would be interpretive signs, could be installed to prevent damage.

Ms Robertson said the council was working on the project with a group of former residents.

She said the project aimed to "recognise the experiences of more than 4000 children who passed through the doors of the institution" and confirmed the "detailed designs for heritage interpretation at the site were finalised in late-2023".

Mayor Des Hudson said in the 2024-25 budget, the council had put aside $100,000 for the project and then a further $400,000 for the following 2025-budget.

The developer would also be committing $59,000 and a donation had been made for about $80,000.

Cr Hudson said council needed to be better at keeping the former residents informed.

"It's really important to continue to tell the story of previous occupants of the Ballarat Orphanage," he said.