A lot of people online write that there is not not much left to see, so I didn’t have high expectations when I planned my trip to Ballarat.
But it was a very special experience. When you drive there on the dirt road - silence is overwhelming. Nothing moves, no sound, no plants - just enormous field of evaporated salt.
The most interesting part is that a big part of the town is now a private property. Some guy bought this land and there is even one permanent resident who lives there all the time and “looks after” the place. I can’t even imagine how lonely it can be there…
When we arrived we noticed the building in the center which looked like a shop and American flag installed on top of it. In front of the building there were several people in chairs drinking and talking. We lucked out, as we met not only the resident of Ballarat - by the name Rocky, but also the owner of the land. He confirmed that though the land is privately owned - visitors are welcomed. Rocky told us he runs this grocery store on weekends mostly for the tourists.
Rocky proposed us to try his home-made moonshine and it was so good that we even got a bottle with us. So don’t miss on this if you even visit Ballarat. He told us he is making it for many years. We were hesitant to drink it, but found a lot of mentions online after our trip (for example, Rock Novak and Ballarat. Seems like the guy knows what he is doing.
The other thing that may get some of the visitor interested - Charles Manson and his “family” stayed here for some time while they were hiding in 1960. He even left his name carved into the door of the local morgue. Unfortunately, couldn’t find the exact spot, so no photo.
Manson’s carved name is somewhere on the top of these doors, probably from the inside. Door was locked when we were there.
Ballarat history
The town was founded in 1897. Ballarat was named after an Australian gold camp by one of its first residents, an Australian immigrant named George Riggins. It was in the original Australian town of Ballarat that the first gold was discovered in that country in 1851. In its heyday—from 1897 to 1905—Ballarat had 400 to 500 residents. It hosted seven saloons, three hotels, a Wells Fargo station, post office (that opened in 1897),school, a jail and morgue, but no churches. Who cares about churches if there are good saloons with nice paint ladies? As almost all towns in the area it originated from the mine near it - Ratcliff Mine in Pleasant Canyon. As many ghost towns in the area - its decline began when the mine closed. Post office functioned till 1917 and after that town hosted just a few residents.
There was a grave at the Ballarat’s cemetery that caught my attention:
I had no idea who is “Seldom seen Slim” (Charles Ferge). So I had to research this. Slim was a prospector who spent 50+ years living and working his claims in a deserted town called Ballarat, known for its extreme temperatures and mining history. Slim arrived in Ballarat between 1914 and 1917. He moved there before the town became deserted. When the last mine was closed and the post office closed in 1917, everyone who lived in Ballarat moved away, except for Slim. Ballarat became a ghost town and Slim was the only resident for many years. He lived there until he died of cancer in 1968 at the age of 86. He was buried at Boothill and his grave is marked with a plaque surrounded by an ornate fence.(1)
Nice view from the graveyard
Photos of the town from May 2017:
