How money and middle class families are changing Sebastopol

A Ballarat suburb with working class origins is attracting more young families and middle class affluence than ever before. Read why.

Brock, Will, Gage, Sophia, and Wendouree MP Juliana Addison at Sebastopol’s MR Power Park skate park.

A “proud” suburb on Ballarat’s fringe could develop into an urban hub as authorities spend large sums of money to give it a facelift and attract new residents.

From its mining heritage and namesake reportedly derived from the booms of gold blasting reminiscent of the Crimean War, to its mid-20th century industrial era and the domination of manual labour, Sebastopol appears to be attracting more young families and middle class affluence than ever before.

Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre committee of management chair Glen Crompton, speaking from the recently revamped MR Power Park on Grant St, said the former borough’s character was changing along with the dissolution of blue collar Australia.

“In those days, things didn’t evolve as quickly,” he said.

“Now we’re seeing the growth zone which really stretches all the way from Lucas up in the city’s northwest around to the west and south of where we’re standing right here.

“That’s slowly, relatively speaking, filling out with new housing estates and new builds, parks, public spaces.

“Whereas once upon a time MR Power Park was very much at the fringe of Sebastopol, it’s going to end up kind of being almost in the dead centre of it.”

MR Power Park was recently upgraded as part of the state government's Spotlight on Sebastopol program.

He said young families were attracted to the area mainly because of cheaper housing, but metropolitan escapees had probably also noticed that Ballarat was still the sort of town where “rush hour’s not really an hour”.

“I think Ballarat generally is enjoying a pretty significant expansion and growth and has been for six or seven years,” he said.

“It’s a cheaper tree change for people who are stuck in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with good train access, with good freeway access.

“I think Sebastopol will potentially evolve into its own centre: the signs are all pretty positive.”

The challenge, Mr Crompton said, was for a prudent town planner to keep up with the growth in private investment and demographic change.

City of Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson at the Sebastopol skate park.

“I think this will be, probably one day, one of those desirable parts of town for sure,” he said.

Ballarat mayor Des Hudson, who grew up in Sebastopol, called it a “proud, parochial community” which, after its amalgamation with Ballarat, had called for its “fair share”.

He brought up the state government's Spotlight on Sebastopol program, which involves spending $5m across more than a dozen projects.

They include lighting at St George Reserve, the planting of more than 1300 trees across the suburb, and a recently-completed upgrade to MR Power Park, which was once only a humble reserve.

“I think we will see kids actively coming to this area; we’ll see families coming to this area,” he said at the park, as both of those cohorts arrived in some force.

Reflecting on his 20-year tenure as the area’s councillor, he recalled handing out about 3500 leaflets to residences the first time, but more recently the figure was closer to 8000.

“There’s still the element of affordable living,” Cr Hudson added.

“The new subdivisions that are coming in, affordable housing for young families.

“Look at the population of Delacombe Primary School, which is getting near to capacity. Phoenix College, that is at 15, 1600.

Wendouree MP Juliana Addison and Ballarat mayor Des Hudson play basketball with children at Sebastopol.

Wendouree MP Juliana Addison agreed there had been some gentrification in Sebastopol as the government worked on improving “liveability” by amending an historical inequality of funding.

“If you just look directly across here at our new growth zones, we’re seeing people build housing there on smaller blocks, so there’s probably a better point of entry, a price point,” she said.

“As well as it being adjacent to such great facilities whether it’s the new Coles, or whether it's Phoenix College.

“It’s the second largest urban area in Ballarat … If you drive back as we head towards Delacombe, there is more and more housing being built.

“So obviously people are choosing Sebas.”