Ballarat North: Water Play Park and Selkirk History

Ballarat North combines outdoor activities at Midlands Reserve with the history of Selkirk Bricks. At the reserve, a water play area and playground sit side by side on a large grassy area; the local brickmaking history stretches from the start of operations at Allendale to the site in Ballarat North. These two themes offer different starting points for planning your trip: outdoor activities and the development of a local industrial business.

Water play and playground facilities at Midlands Reserve

At Midlands Reserve and Water Park, a water play park and a well-equipped playground sit side by side on a large grassy area. The outdoor water play area is also called Midland Reserve Splash Park and is located at Midlands Reserve on Doveton Street North. For a family outing, water play and the playground are two specific, adjacent recreational facilities that you can consider together as an outdoor destination. Midlands Reserve and Water Park also has barbecue facilities, a shaded area and public toilets.

Ballarat North as a geographic reference

Ballarat North extends east of the Ballarat–Creswick railway line, between Norman Street and Howitt Street, for about 2.5 km to Black Hill. The place name therefore refers to a geographic area, not a single destination. Doveton Street North and 618 Howitt Street locate the water play area and Bournedale more precisely. The area and a specific address represent two different scales: the first gives a geographic context for your search, while the second identifies a single point of reference.

Bournedale and the history of Selkirk Bricks

Bournedale, also known as Selkirk House and Garden, is at 618 Howitt Street in Ballarat North. It is one of the Selkirk family’s original homes and the only one still standing. The Selkirk Brickworks, established in 1900, are right next door. The house and brickworks thus offer two distinct historical points of interest: a preserved family home and a brickmaking business with its own local history.

Selkirk Bricks is next to the railway line and is considered a distinctive landmark of Ballarat North. The site has numerous kilns and chimneys. The brickmaking business began in 1883 at Allendale, near the Creswick goldfields; in 1900, the company moved to its current site in Ballarat North. The dates mark different milestones: 1883, the start of operations at Allendale, and 1900, the move to the site in Ballarat North.

Which focus suits your trip plans?

If you want to focus on one of the two themes, you can make a specific choice: Midlands Reserve brings together the outdoor play facilities, while Selkirk Bricks tells a story of change from the start of operations in 1883 to the relocation in 1900. If you’re travelling with children, you can make the play areas your priority; if you’re interested in local history, the brickworks’ development takes centre stage. For either theme, Ballarat North is the shared location to search for accommodation.

Discover more destinations: Mitta Mitta, Granite Rock, Smiths Beach, Trentham East, Apsley, Bushy Park, Bridgewater On Loddon, Dunkeld

For the main travel overview: Victoria.