Township of Ballaarat from Bath’s Hotel, 1855, lithograph, State Library Victoria
ST Gill first visited the goldfields in 1852. Three years later, he found the area transformed. In this Ballarat street scene from 1855, diggers still appear in their uniforms of old but they are outnumbered by townsfolk in winter coats strolling past well-constructed buildings on wide and well-laid streets with well-kept footpaths. Orderly bullock drays mix with horse-drawn carts, and there is a streetlight in front of Bath's Hotel.