On the western side of the lake, Ballarat's beautiful and serene gardens were first planted in 1858. The 40 hectares include immaculately maintained rose gardens, wide lawns and a colourful conservatory. Visit the cottage of poet Adam Lindsay Gordon or walk along the Prime Ministers' Ave, a collection of bronze busts of all of Australia's prime ministers up until Tony Abbott.
As each bust costs $50,000, Australia's recent high turnover of PMs has cast doubt on any addition to the line-up.