Ballan

Ballan (/bəˈlæn/) is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River 78 kilometres (48 mi) north west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Ballan had a population of 1,807. It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area. It was named by the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland. During the Victorian Gold Rush it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. The area around Ballan was part of the tribal area of the Wautharong people, part of the Kulin nation. The area was rich in fauna including kangaroo, kangaroo rats, bandicoots, dingos, and two species of native cat. Many species had vanished by the...