Sebastopol, Victoria

Sebastopol
Suburb
Royal Mail Hotel
Sebastopol
Interactive map of Sebastopol
Coordinates: 37°35′7″S143°50′22″E / 37.58528°S 143.83944°E / -37.58528; 143.83944
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
City	Ballarat
LGA	City of Ballarat
Location	5 km (3.1 mi) from Ballarat Central
Government
•  State electorate	Wendouree
•  Federal division	Ballarat
Area
• Total	8.46 km2 (3.27 sq mi)
Population
• Total	10,194 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	1,205.0/km2 (3,120.8/sq mi)
Postcode	3356
Suburbs around Sebastopol Redan Redan Mount Pleasant Bonshaw Sebastopol Mount Clear Ross Creek Cambrian Hill Magpie

Sebastopol is a southern suburb on the rural-urban fringe of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It is the third most populated area in urban Ballarat with a population of 10,194 at the 2021 census. ^[1]

It is named after Sevastopol in Crimea, the site of an important battle during the Crimean War.

Formerly a separate town, Sebastopol had municipal status between 1864 and 1994 after which the Borough of Sebastopol was merged into the City of Ballarat.

Today it is the site of numerous light-industrial businesses and primarily low cost single-family detached homes and is a fringe suburb in Ballarat and also one of the most car dependent areas in the city.

History

The first inhabitants of the area were the Wathaurong Indigenous Australian tribe.

The land on which Sebastopol now sits was first taken up as a pastoral run called Waverley by Henry Anderson and George Russell in June of 1838. ^[2] It consisted of 26,000 acres and was stocked with 11,000 sheep. It passed to Jock Winter in 1841 who named it “Bonshaw". ^[3] In 1855, it was renamed after Sevastopol in Crimea.

Most of Sebastopol is located on a platau on which deep-lead gold mining began in 1854. ^[4] At its peak as a mining community in the 1850s, Sebastopol had an estimated population of 20,000. ^[5]

Sebastopol's origin was a separate working class town servicing the rich gold mining fields south of Ballarat.

Albert Street Sebastopol in 1866

The Post Office opened on 5 October 1857. ^[6]

Sebastopol Town Hall was opened on 19 March 1869.

On 14 August 1913 the tramway to Ballarat opened which led to it becoming by the mid 20th century part of the Ballarat urban area.

Education

Sebastopol is served by a joint primary and secondary school, Phoenix College, several kindergartens, a post office and library, and several small shopping precincts including three supermarkets.

Transport

Buses have operated in Sebastopol since 21 September 1971 after they replaced the tram service. Ballarat Transit now provides regular bus services between Ballarat CBD and Sebastopol.

Sport

Sebastopol has an Australian rules football team competing in the Ballarat Football League. ^[7] The Sebastopol Vikings play association football/soccer in the Ballarat & District Soccer Association.

Notable locals

• Erin Carroll, Australian badminton player
• Paul Jenkins, Liberal Party politician
• Percy Trompf, commercial artist
• Bob Wilkie, VFL footballer

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Sebastopol (State Suburb)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
2. Billis, R.V.; Kenyon, A.S. (1974). Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Stockland Press. p. 177. ISBN   0909474087.
3. Sebastopol Timeline: 1800's
4. "Victorian Places". victorianplaces.com.au. Monash University & University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
5. Victorian Places
6. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List , retrieved 12 February 2021
7. Full Points Footy, Sebastopol, archived from the original on 7 September 2008, retrieved 25 July 2008