Historical information

An image from the Herbert Richmond collection, gifted in 1982 to the Ballarat Library. The collection contains approximately 200 photographs of Ballarat and district in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, as well as photo albums, glass negatives and other memorabilia.

Herb Richmond was a keen photographer, a foundation member and a life member of the Ballarat Camera Club, and a photographer with the Ballarat Courier during the 1940s. The Ballarat Camera Club named an annual award after him. Mr Richmond died in 1981 aged 79.

These images were digitally re-photographed by members of the Ballarat Camera Club in September 2006.

The first site to be sold in Ballarat, where in 1853 Thomas Bath erected a timber building for use as a hotel. Parts of the present hotel date from 1862, when Walter Craig was owner. The hotel is associated with many historic figures, and no other hotel in Victoria has such an interesting succession of buildings and additions. The former Union Bank of Australia building was designed by Leonard Terry, the renowned bank architect, and was erected in 1863-4.