Eureka Centre Ballarat

09/09/2026

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Ballarat writer, historian, educator and bon vivant, Nathan Spielvogel.

Nathan Spielvogel was born in Ballarat on 10 May 1874 to Newman and Hannah. His father was a tailor and pawnbroker. His parents were married at the Ballarat Synagogue in 1867, and Nathan had his Bar Mitzvah there in 1887. He was educated at Dana Street Primary School and trained there as a student teacher between 1892 and 1895. He then worked in various Victorian schools, finally returning to Dana Street, where he assumed the position of Headmaster in 1924, retiring in 1939.

In 1904, Nathan travelled overseas visiting Egypt, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. A book about his travels, 'A Gumsucker on the Tramp', was published in 1906 and sold 20,000 copies. Around this time, he moved through bohemian circles in Melbourne, fraternising with other creatives, including the Creswick-born artist and writer, Norman Lindsay.

Throughout his life, Nathan wrote and published books of fiction, history and poetry, including, 'The Affair at Eureka', first published in 1928. This slim fictionalised retelling of the events surrounding the 1854 Eureka Stockade concludes with the poem, 'Eureka'. The book was republished in 1945 by the Bread and Cheese Club of Melbourne, a literary social circle, with which Nathan was involved. The club was centred around the book collector, literary patron and 'Grand Cheese Master', J. K. Moir.

Despite his bohemian leanings, Nathan was a respected figure in the Ballarat community. He served as the first President of the Ballarat Historical Society from 1933 to 1956. He was also President of the Ballarat Hebrew Congregation, the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute, the Teachers' Institute and the Dana Street Old Scholars Association. In his retirement years, he was responsible for placing markers and plaques at historical sites around the Ballarat area.

During the 1930s, Nathan presented a weekly program on local radio station 3BA on various topics of Ballarat history, helping to create renewed interest in the city's past. The Ballarat Historical Society has collected these talks into a three-volume set titled 'The Spielvogel Papers', which can be purchased through the Society. Each year, the Ballarat Historical Society holds the Nathan Spielvogel Oration to honour his legacy.

To read more about Nathan Spielvogel's life, click on this link: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/spielvogel-nathan-frederick-8607

Nathan Spielvogel died in Ballarat on 10 September 1956, aged 82 and is buried in the Old Ballarat Cemetery. His grave is in Area H, Section 3, Row 2, Grave 2.

Image 1: Sherwood Orbost, 'Nathan F. Spielvogel, teacher, writer and historian', photograph, ca. 1925, State Library of New South Wales, P1/1615.

Image 2: Cover of 'The Affair at Eureka' by Nathan Spielvogel, published by John Fraser and Son, Melbourne, 1928, Australiana Research Collection, Ballarat Libraries

City of Ballarat Ballarat Historical Society Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute

03/09/2026

Eureka Centre is excited to be exhibiting at the National Education Summit!

We love sharing our fabulous onsite and online Eureka Education programs, which target Victorian and Australian curricula in History and Civics and Citizenship learning areas, through hands-on learning activities and an interactive learning app.

Come and say hi at our stand near the kiosk, we love a chat!

National Education Summit History Teachers' Association of Victoria (HTAV) City of Ballarat

01/09/2026

Today is Wattle Day, marking the first day of Spring and celebrating Australia's national floral emblem. Yet the wattle is more than a symbol of seasonal change and renewal. In Australian art and literature, it has appeared as a profound symbol of national identity and belonging.

Henry Lawson's famous 1891 poem 'Freedom on the Wallaby' drew a line between the Eureka Rebellion of 1854 and the golden wattle, connecting it to the struggles of working Australians in the decades that followed. He used the image of 'blood on the wattle' to transforms the flower into a powerful symbol of collective action against tyranny.

Lawson's later poem, 'The Wattle' (c.1910), can be read as a companion piece. Though here the wattle is not tied to a single battle, but to devotion to Australia itself. Lawson asks who has earned the right to wear the wattle, and answers through a lifetime of loyalty and sacrifice.

The poem captures a growing sense of national identity and allegiance to Australia in the post-Federation era. Written at a time when political tensions were rising across Europe, only a few years before the outbreak of the First World War, Lawson's embrace of the golden wattle as a symbol of sacrifice in defence of the nation appears prescient.

"The Wattle"

I saw it in the days gone by,
When the dead girl lay at rest,
And the wattle and the native rose
We placed upon her breast.

I saw it in the long ago
(And I've seen strong men die),
And who, to wear the wattle,
Hath better right than I?

I've fought it through the world since then,
And seen the best and worst,
But always in the lands of men
I held Australia first.

I wrote for her, I fought for her,
And when at last I lie,
Then who, to wear the wattle, has
A better right than I?

- Henry Lawson (c.1910)

Photo: Wattle in bloom on the Bunny Trail, Eureka Stockade Memorial Park. Photo: Tanya Dickens.

City of Ballarat Ballarat Botanical Gardens Eureka Stockade Holiday Park Wattle Day Association Inc. Ballarat Historical Society

31/08/2026

Founded in 1853, the National Herbarium of Victoria at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is a globally significant archive of botanical diversity holding more than 1.6 million preserved specimens.

On Thursday 2nd September, at 5:30pm, join us at Eureka Centre Ballarat for The National Herbarium of Victoria: Talking History with Alison Vaughan, to explore this scientific and cultural treasure and discover the stories of the people who shaped its development.

Alison Vaughan is a collections management professional with extensive experience in the physical and digital curation of herbarium specimens. She has a long association with the National Herbarium of Victoria, having worked there in various roles since 2003, and serving as Collections Manager of the Herbarium since 2021.

See our website for more details.

Image: Botanical specimen, National Herbarium of Victoria Collection. Photo by Mathew Lynn, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.

City of Ballarat Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens

27/08/2026

Happy Book Week!

Today the (not-so-wicked) witch from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's beloved book, 'Room on the Broom' visited Eureka Centre Ballarat. Local children and their families celebrated the joy of reading through music, dancing and social play.

Little learners aged 0-5 are warmly invited to join Carly at 10:30am every Thursday during school terms, for this free Early Years program. No bookings required.

Head to our website to read more here: https://eurekacentreballarat.com.au/events/show-and-tell-with-carly/

City of Ballarat

21/08/2026

We are proud to join with the Ballarat Italian Association Inc. to honour one of the most consequential Italians in Australian history, Raffaello Carboni. The inaugural Raffaello Carboni Lecture will be presented by Professor Frank Bongiorno AM on Tuesday 15 September at 6pm. Click here for tickets and more information: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/raffaello-carboni-lecture-with-professor-frank-bongiorno-am-tickets-1992796530066

In a 1975 speech, the Hon Gough Whitlam, the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, spoke about the enduring Italian influence in Australia, with reference to Raffaello Carboni. He said, "The history of Italian migration to Australia is familiar to all of us, there are few countries with which Australia has had a longer contact, these contacts go back much further than the establishment of the modern (Italian) republic ... we know there was an Italian on the Endeavour, when Captain Cook came to Australia; we know there was an Italian in the First Fleet. During the 19th century, migrants arrived in Australia in small but growing numbers; particularly after the impetus of the gold discoveries. Raffaello Carboni was one of the miners' leaders at the Eureka Stockade. Giuseppe Garibaldi, the great fighter for Italian unification ... weighed anchor in the brig Carmen off Tasmania. Since those early beginnings the Italian community has grown to be the biggest, the most vigorous, the most valuable of all non-British national groups in this country."

Click here to read the full speech: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-3760

Raffaello Carboni had fought and was wounded in the Battle of Rome in 1849, and so came to Eureka with significant revolutionary credentials. He played a critical role in organising non-English-speaking miners during the agitation for democratic reform on the Ballarat goldfields that culminated in the Eureka Stockade. Carboni also published a first-hand account of Eureka that is a vital document, including a transcript of Peter Lalor's famous Bakery Hill call-to-arms speech.

We hope you can join the Eureka Centre and the Ballarat Italian Association Inc. for this special event.

Image: Peter Solness, 'Standing Tall' 2004, colour print on archival matte paper. Reproduced permission of Peter Solness ©

City of Ballarat Ballarat Italian Association Inc. Ballarat In The Know

12/08/2026

Eureka Centre and Ballarat Italian Association Inc. have joined together to present the inaugural Raffaello Carboni Lecture to support the International Day of Democracy. The lecture honours the memory of the Italian Eureka rebel, Raffaello Carboni.

Professor Frank Bongiorno AM will deliver the first lecture on the topic, ‘Why multiculturalism is good for democracy’ at the Eureka Centre on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.

Cllick here to read the media release:
https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/news/democracy-and-multiculturalism-inaugural-raffaello-carboni-lecture-eureka-centre

Click here to book your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/raffaello-carboni-lecture-with-professor-frank-bongiorno-am-tickets-1992796530066?aff=ehometext

City of Ballarat Ballarat Italian Association Inc. Harmony Fest (City of Ballarat) Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council - BRMC Multicultural Museums Victoria Eureka Australia Descendants and Supporters Ballarat Historical Society Ballarat In The Know

11/08/2026

We're excited to be exhibiting at the National Education Summit Melbourne on 3 & 4 September 2026 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Visit our stand to meet the our Education team, learn more about what we do, and see what's new. We look forward to welcoming you!

City of Ballarat

Free Registration

06/08/2026

The Eureka Centre Ballarat Education team is thrilled to be exhibiting this week at the History Teachers' Association of Victoria (HTAV) 2026 conference in Melbourne.

This year's annual conference theme is Ignite History. It's an important opportunity for History Teachers to join together and explore how they can deeply engage young people in history learning.

It's always a joy to meet Victoria's amazing History teachers in an inspiring and supportive educational space. We love a chat, so come and say hi if you're attending!

City of Ballarat

05/08/2026

A very special guest is hosting 'Show-and-Tell' at Eureka Centre Ballarat tomorrow!

We are delighted to welcome Broni Lisle: a local musician, primary teacher, performer and dad. Broni is an expert in whimsy, who has been sharing the joy of music and play with little learners for over ten years.

Don't miss Broni and his guitar for this songs and stories session at 10:30am on Thursday 6th August. This is a free event, no bookings required.

Carly will return to Show-and-Tell on Thursday August 13th.

City of Ballarat Ballarat In The Know