News Alert |

What: The unveiling of the new City of Ballarat Mayoral Chains and the portraits of Ballarat mayors since amalgamation

When: Friday, October 26, 5.30pm-7pm

Where: Trench Room, Ballarat Town Hall

Who: City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh and former Ballarat mayors

In 1921, the City of Ballaarat and the Town of Ballaarat East amalgamated, with their mayoral chains joined to become the Ballarat Mayoral Chains.

Made of 34 ounces of old Ballarat gold, they consist of a series of gold medallions, with one added each year since 1856.

The chains have been housed at the Ballarat Gold Museum since 1994 where they have been viewed by millions of visitors and periodically used by the mayor of the day for official functions.

However, due to their fragility and continuing damage from occasional use, the chains were retired after the re-election of Mayor Samantha McIntosh on 30 October 2017.

They were also considered to no longer adequately reflect the modern, post-amalgamation City of Ballarat, which is made up of parts of the old City of Ballaarat, the Shire of Ballarat, the Shire of Buninyong, the Borough of Sebastopol and the Shire of Bungaree.

The chains also did not include the names of any mayors since amalgamation, including:  

To acknowledge these mayors, and to have chains available for official functions, new chains were commissioned which replicate the old chains as closely as possible.

However, the outer ring of the chains was too difficult to copy so the inner ring was duplicated instead.

These chains will be unveiled, and the former mayors since amalgamation acknowledged with an unveiling of all their mayoral portraits, at a civic reception in the Ballarat Town Hall Trench Room on Friday, October 26 at 5.30pm.

Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh said the new Mayoral Chains would be an official symbol of the vibrant and thriving city Ballarat has become.

“These chains will reflect our past, and the past of the councils who amalgamated to form the City of Ballarat. But they will also reflect our golden future as a city that is prosperous and a wonderful place to live and work,” Cr McIntosh said.

“I am very proud to be the first mayor to wear these chains and I will always carry them with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

During the reception, a baby grand piano donated to the City of Ballarat will also be played by budding young musician Jack Stacey.

The piano was donated by a former neighbour of Cr McIntosh, Mrs Lynette Davies, in recognition of her long friendship with the mayor.

Mrs Davies, who has recently moved overseas, also donated numerous pieces of antique furniture, including a piano stool, chair and table.

Piano specialist Phil Cockerill and wife Liz, along with Janet Low of the Ballarat Theatre Organ Society, have paid for the piano strings to be replaced and the piano serviced.

Cr McIntosh thanked Mrs Davies, Mr and Mrs Cockerill and Mrs Low.

“This piano will take pride of place in the Ballarat Town Hall reception area and I thank everyone involved for their very generous donations to the City of Ballarat. We will remember them every time the piano is played,” Cr McIntosh said.