[1] The former town retains much of its shambolic character, particularly its winding and unplanned streets which arose organically among the many gold mines.

In the 1840s, the Yuille cousins, the first colonists to own land in the region of Ballarat, operated their farm from the rich alluvial plain at the base of Black Hill and south of the Yarrowee River.

As these surface deposits were exhausted the quartz reefs at deep levels were exploited and several mines worked at depths exceeding 600 metres.

The Ballarat East Municipality was created as a result of the findings of the commission appointed in 1855 to investigate the grievances of the rebellious miners.

[5] In 1859 the newly formed council acquired land in what was to become the Barkly Street civic area and on 26 December 1861 the foundation stone was laid for the Ballarat East Town Hall, which was built in a Renaissance Revival architecture style and set in formal gardens.

In 1927 the Ballarat Teachers College moved to the old town hall, however during the great depression the building was mostly unused and was finally demolished in 1946.

Subsequently, the station and its platforms were demolished, however the old goods shed still stands across from the train crossing on Humffray Street North.

As a result, much of the residential and business architecture of Ballarat East still exists from the 1860s through to early 1940s, with tree lined streets and grassy verges (nature strips), as well as bluestone canals.

According to historian Weston Bate in his 1978 work Lucky City: the first generation of Ballarat: "[T]he tone of the East was strident and individual.

The two co-existed like the head and tail of a coin, looking in different directions and displaying the contrasting imprints of the historical and geographical dies that had made them.

It might be thought the East was more Australian because it was less subjected to imported urban forms and institutions and had a restless larrikin quality.

[17] At its furthest west point, East Ballarat is home to the historic Eastern Oval, with its Edwardian grandstands.

[19] Created in 2004, the community garden is located on the corner of Queen Street and Dyte Parade - near the old site of the old railway station - and is managed by the Ballarat City Council.

Ballarat East is home to Barkly Square, a community centre focusing on education, training and employment outcomes in the Central Highlands and surrounding regions.

The City of Ballarat, in partnership with BGT completed consultations with local community to design an integrated landscape plan and a vision for the site.