SEPTEMBER 28, 1986: The day after he shot dead police officer Maurice Moore in Maryborough, one-legged killer Robert Nowell walked into a Ballarat North home and gave himself up. It just happened to belong to then Courier photographer Herman Ruyg, who was gardening at the time. Herman is pictured here with his son Tim Ruyg.
AUGUST 30, 1971: An Overland train to Adelaide derailed at the Bungaree crossing. Nobody was killed but 17 passengers were injured.
DECEMBER 13, 1981: Fire destroyed historic sections of the 1862 Ballarat Railway Station. The fire swept through the station master’s office, booking office, station tower interior and part of the foyer, causing about $500,000 damage.
DECEMBER 13, 1981: Fire destroyed historic sections of the 1862 Ballarat Railway Station. The fire swept through the station master’s office, booking office, station tower interior and part of the foyer, causing about $500,000 damage.
DECEMBER 13, 1981: Fire destroyed historic sections of the 1862 Ballarat Railway Station. The fire swept through the station master’s office, booking office, station tower interior and part of the foyer, causing about $500,000 damage.
APRIL 15, 1983: Two years after they married, Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Ballarat as part of their tour of Australia and New Zealand.
SEPTEMBER 28, 1986: The day after he shot dead police officer Maurice Moore in Maryborough, one-legged killer Robert Nowell walked into a Ballarat North home and gave himself up. It just happened to belong to then Courier photographer Herman Ruyg, who was gardening at the time.
NEW YEAR'S EVE, 1991: Lydiard Street North and surrounding areas were submerged by floodwaters, when 76mm fell on Ballarat as the city bid farewell to 1991. A crane was called to life 15 Mitsubishi vehicles worth about $500,000, which were written off after being submerged in a yard below S.F Motors Mercedes Benz workshop in Lydiard Street North.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1991: Paediatric nurse Nina Nicholson, 22, was brutally murdered in her Clunes home for no apparent reason. Despite an exhaustive homicide investigation, her killer has never been found.
JULY 6, 1999: The body of 29-year-old Belinda Williams was found by bushwalkers on the Mount Buninyong Access Road, more than a week after she disappeared from her home. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled. Her killer has never been found.
DECEMBER 5, 1992: Career criminal Jockey Smith was shot dead outside Creswick's Farmers' Arms Hotel by a police officer. The police officer pulled over Smith's stolen white panel van after conducting a routine check on the number plate. When he confronted Smith, the criminal aimed a gun at the officer and demanded his gun. A passerby drove his car towards Smith, enabling the police officer to shoot.
NOVEMBER 22, 1998: Tracey Howard, 33, left Ballarat's Cheers nightclub in Lydiard Street after a night of partying with a girlfriend to walk to a taxi rank. 17 hours later her naked body was found dumped beside Clarkes Hill Road, Pootilla. She had been strangled but not sexually assaulted. Her killer remains at large.
NOVEMBER 22, 1998: Tracey Howard, 33, left Ballarat's Cheers nightclub in Lydiard Street after a night of partying with a girlfriend to walk to a taxi rank. 17 hours later her naked body was found dumped beside Clarkes Hill Road, Pootilla. She had been strangled but not sexually assaulted. Her killer remains at large.
DECEMBER 2, 1998: Five firefighters from Geelong West were killed when fire tore through bushland near Linton. After an unexpected wind change, the men's truck was engulfed by flames. An coronial inquiry into the deaths led to widespread changes to CFA safety standards.
DECEMBER 2, 1998: Five firefighters from Geelong West were killed when fire tore through bushland near Linton. After an unexpected wind change, the men's truck was engulfed by flames. An coronial inquiry into the deaths led to widespread changes to CFA safety standards.
JULY 6, 1999: The body of 29-year-old Belinda Williams was found by bushwalkers on the Mount Buninyong Access Road, more than a week after she disappeared from her home. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled. Her killer has never been found.
September 18, 1999: Ballarat born and educated former teacher Steve Bracks became Victoria's 44th Premier. The Labor Party claimed an unexpected victory over Jeff Kennet's Liberal National Coalition government and Mr Bracks went on to be Victoria's second longest serving Premier.
MARCH 24, 2000: Crowds flocked to see Queen Elizabeth II, who visited Ballarat with the Duke of Edinburgh as part of an extended Australian tour.
OCTOBER 1, 2000: After four Olympic marathons and four Commonwealth Games marathons, Ballarat's Steve Moneghetti ran for the last time for Australia at the Sydney Olympic Games, where he finished 10th. His best Olympic finish was fifth, at Seoul in 1988, while he won Commonwealth gold at the 1994 games in Victoria, Canada.
FEBRUARY 6, 2004: The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial on the edge of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens was opened by General Peter Cosgrove. More than 11,000 attended the opening, including then Governor General Michael Jeffery.
MAY 19, 2004: People power triumphed in Pittong, when, after a huge community backlash, the Victorian Government scrapped plans for a toxi waste dump in the farming community.
JULY, 2004: Coltman's Mitre 10 ceases trading in Ballarat, ending a 116-year era of the Coltman brand in the city.
NOVEMBER 26, 2004: East Timorese freedom fighter Jose Ramos-Horta was the keynote speaker at the Ballarat Democracy conference, which formed part of the Eureka 150 celebration. He is pictured with Alexandra Curtain.
APRIL 28, 2006: Two people were killed and dozens were injured when a V/Line train travelling from Ararat to Melbourne derailed after hitting a B-double truck at Trawalla.
APRIL 28, 2006: Two people were killed and dozens were injured when a V/Line train travelling from Ararat to Melbourne derailed after hitting a B-double truck at Trawalla.
November 1, 2006: The body of 19-year-old Creswick woman Naomi Bernaldo was discovered by a canoeist at St George's Lake. The teenager had been shot and stabbed, wrapped in chicken wire and weighted down with 30kg of rock. In June 2008, a Victorian Supreme Court jury found her partner, Darren Ellis, 37, guilty of murder. The prosecution said the father-of-two killed Ms Bernaldo because she was pregnant with his child and he did not want anymore children.
November 1, 2006: The body of 19-year-old Creswick woman Naomi Bernaldo was discovered by a canoeist at St George's Lake. The teenager had been shot and stabbed, wrapped in chicken wire and weighted down with 30kg of rock. In June 2008, a Victorian Supreme Court jury found her partner, Darren Ellis, 37, guilty of murder. The prosecution said the father-of-two killed Ms Bernaldo because she was pregnant with his child and he did not want anymore children.
2006: Ballarat experienced its driest year on record, with just 301.6mm of rain falling on the city. The previous record was 343mm in 1967.
November 19, 2007: A rockfall at Ballarat Goldfields' Mount Clear mine site trapped 27 workers one kilometre underground for nearly five hours. All were rescued uninjured.
2008: Ballarat City Councillor Wayne Rigg, centre, sparked a damning state government investigation into council when he asked the local government minister to investigate conflicts of interest and a lack of governance and accountability by councillors and senior council officers. It resulted in councillor Gary Anderson and former mayor David Vendy, pictured left, facing charges of failing to declare an interest, and several officers and councillors criticised for inappropriate actions. Vendy, pictured top left, was later fined by a court, as was Anderson. Rigg resigned from council and CEO Richard Hancock, pictured right, who was criticised for providing jobs for mates, left the role.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2008: Ballarat racewalker Jared Tallent claimed a silver medal in the 50km race walk, a week after taking bronze in the 20km walk. Four years later, Tallent claimed his second consecutive silver medal in the 50km event at the London Olympics.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2008: After two earlier grand final losses, the North Ballarat Roosters finally claimed a VFL flag. Coach Gerard FitzGerald and captain Shaune Moloney are pictured with the cup, which the pair would hold aloft again the following season.
DECEMBER 29, 2008 and JANUARY 22, 2009: When Lake Wendouree dried up during a prolonged drought, fairy grass ran rampant on the Ballarat icon. Twice during the summer of 2008/9 the city's once glittering centrepiece caught fire. The first time council workers were responsible, the second time, it was thought to have been deliberately lit.
DECEMBER 29, 2008 and JANUARY 22, 2009: When Lake Wendouree dried up during a prolonged drought, fairy grass ran rampant on the Ballarat icon. Twice during the summer of 2008/9 the city's once glittering centrepiece caught fire. The first time council workers were responsible, the second time, it was thought to have been deliberately lit.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009: Enormously popular Ballarat teacher Vivien Hodgins was holidaying at the picturesque Samoan resort village Lalumanu when a tsunami hit. Ms Hodgins died in the disaster and Ballarat openly mourned her loss.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009: Enormously popular Ballarat teacher Vivien Hodgins was holidaying at the picturesque Samoan resort village Lalumanu when a tsunami hit. Ms Hodgins died in the disaster and Ballarat openly mourned her loss.
MARCH 13, 2010: Chief Commissioner Simon Overland sparked a protest by Ballarat police, when he visited the city and said the latest crime statistics were not good enough. About 50 Ballarat officers marched to local MP Geoff Howard's office a few days later to demand more numbers. More police arrived later that year and a bit more than a year later, Overland stepped down.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2010: After steady spring rainfall, Creswick was hit by severe flooding, which prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents and submerged parts of the Main Street. Steady summer rain saw the town flooded again in January and February the following year.
2011: Ballarat dug deep for youngsters Tommi Knight and Braydon Stefan, who both required expensive experimental treatment for their rare afflictions. Tommi's Tay-Sachs Disease required treatment in Peru, while Braydon went to Germany for treatment for his brain stem tumour. Sadly, Tommi succumbed to his disease, aged 2, on July 9, 2012, while Braydon died less than two weeks later, on July 22, aged 5.
2011: Ballarat dug deep for youngsters Tommi Knight and Braydon Stefan, who both required expensive experimental treatment for their rare afflictions. Tommi's Tay-Sachs Disease required treatment in Peru, while Braydon went to Germany for treatment for his brain stem tumour. Sadly, Tommi succumbed to his disease, aged 2, on July 9, 2012, while Braydon died less than two weeks later, on July 22, aged 5.
JANUARY 15, 2011: Floods devastated the small rural town of Skipton, west of Ballarat. The town was cut in half by floodwaters and many of the town's businesses, including the supermarket and the pub, were forced to close due to water damage. The pub is still yet to reopen.
OCTOBER 3, 2011: Ethan Seccull, 3, died in hospital the day after he and a four-year-old girl were hit by a train at Wallace. Ethan's parents, Jon and Michelle, donated his tiny organs and have since been raising awareness about the importance of organ donation.
OCTOBER 3, 2011: Ethan Seccull, 3, died in hospital the day after he and a four-year-old girl were hit by a train at Wallace. Ethan's parents, Jon and Michelle, donated his tiny organs and have since been raising awareness about the importance of organ donation.
2011: Vehement public opposition greeted the announcement by Ballarat City Council that the long-derelict 1950s Civic Hall would be demolished to make way for new council offices with a $40 million price tag. Council dumped the plans and the future of the site remains in limbo.
2011: Vehement public opposition greeted the announcement by Ballarat City Council that the long-derelict 1950s Civic Hall would be demolished to make way for new council offices with a $40 million price tag. Council dumped the plans and the future of the site remains in limbo.
JANUARY 8, 2013: Nine houses, including the historic Carngham Homestead, above, were destroyed when fire tore through Chepstowe and Carngham on a hot summer's day in 2013. Seven sheds and up to 1000 head of cattle were also lost.
JANUARY 16, 2013: A 5.5kg gold nuggett, later named the Ballarat nugget, was found within 30km of the city. The half a million dollar discovery generated international media exposure and local gold expert Cordell Kent said it was the biggest nugget found in the local area in recent times.
MARCH 14, 2013: Respected Natte Yallock sheep farming brothers Douglas and John Streeter were found shot dead in the garden of John's home by Douglas' wife Helen. Douglas' son Ross Streeter was charged the murders of his father and uncle. The case is still to be heard in court.
MARCH 14, 2013: Respected Natte Yallock sheep farming brothers Douglas and John Streeter were found shot dead in the garden of John's home by Douglas' wife Helen. Douglas' son Ross Streeter was charged the murders of his father and uncle. The case is still to be heard in court.
More from Archival Revival
More from Archival Revival
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