In anticipation of St Andrew’s Day on 30 November, Dr Ben Wilkie as will explore the contribution of Scottish migration to Ballarat and the Western districts in the nineteenth century.
Ballarat is home to statues of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, and its national hero, William Wallace. The city hosts world-class pipe bands and even has its own tartan. This talk explores Scottish migration to Western Victoria in the nineteenth century and will discuss the wide influence of Scots in Ballarat and beyond.
Dr Ben Wilkie is a Ballarat-based historian. He has interests in the history of the Scots in Australia and the environmental history of western Victoria. His books include ‘The Scots in Australia, 1788–1938’ and ‘Gariwerd: An Environmental History of the Grampians’. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Glasgow and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Image: Percival Ball (sculptor), ‘Statue of William Wallace’ c1889, Ballarat Botanical Gardens
