Former Ballarat Orphanage Heritage Interpretation

For 117 years, 200 Victoria Street in Ballarat East was the site of the former Ballarat District Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage and Ballarat Children’s Home — once home to generations of children.

GML Heritage was commissioned by the City of Ballarat, working in collaboration with Ash Tree Projects, to develop design concepts for heritage interpretation at the site, reflecting its layered histories of care, loss and resilience.

Engagement with former residents was central to the project, ensuring their voices were heard and their memories were sensitively represented in the renewed landscape.

Guided by GML’s Interpretation Plan and a co-designed visual language, the new interpretation includes an entrance arch, sculptural marbles, text and image panels, outdoor seating and shelter, and landscaping improvements. Together, these elements create a space that invites both play and quiet reflection, while acknowledging the experiences of former residents and the enduring significance of the site.

A digital overlay is also being considered as part of the next stage of interpretation planning, enabling an archive of oral histories and photographs to become accessible to a wider audience.

The interpretation was officially opened by members of the former resident working group at an event in May 2026.