Ballarat’s Outdoor Gallery: The Community Behind the City’s 120+ Public Artworks

Ballarat has the largest collection of outdoor public artworks in regional Australia, with more than 120 pieces scattered across the city and its surrounds, according to Creative Ballarat, the council’s cultural arm[1][3][4]. The collection is not a top-down installation but the product of a committed community that includes local artists, property owners who donate walls, and members of the public who turn out for painting days and walking tours.

Where to find the works

Among the most recognised murals is the 2016 Hop Lane piece by Travis Price and Mass Motion, a blast of colour tucked off the main retail strip. On Main Road, a 2018 mural depicts 19th-century history in a style that blends archival imagery with contemporary linework. Further south, the 2020 Campsite mural by Marley Smith and Billy Blackall celebrates First Nations campsites that existed long before European settlement[2].

The Gallery Annexe Wall in Alfred Deakin Place is another community touchstone: it hosts an annual temporary mural competition. The most recent winner, installed in 2024, is by local artist Joel Hammonds, who used black, pink and purple tones to create an abstract composition that changes with the daylight[9].

Walking trails and self-guided tours

A good way to experience the breadth of the collection is through the city’s public art walks, which are mapped by Creative Ballarat and available as downloadable brochures[3][4]. The walks link pieces across the CBD, Lake Wendouree and the suburbs, and include short written explanations of each work’s context. Walking maps are also published by independent organisations such as Walking Maps, with routes that take in the street-art heavy areas of the CBD and the railway precinct[5][6].

Ballarat Foto, the city’s photography collective, regularly features public art in its exhibitions and meet-ups, another sign of how embedded the murals have become in the local creative calendar[7].

Practical advice for visitors

The murals are free to view at any time. The Gallery Annexe Wall is outdoors in Alfred Deakin Place and accessible 24/7. For those who want a structured experience, the Creative Ballarat website (creativeballarat.com.au) lists all 120-plus works by location and artist, along with suggested walking itineraries[1][10]. Local guides also run occasional curated tours; details are announced through the council’s events page and via Visit Ballarat[8].