{"product_id":"2026200013041-secondhand-ballarat-a-brief-history","title":"Ballarat: A Brief History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFew Australian cities carry as dramatic and turbulent a past as Ballarat — the gold-rush boomtown that shook the foundations of colonial authority and helped forge the character of a nation. Ballarat: A Brief History by A. W. Strange presents a concise yet richly informative chronicle of this iconic Victorian city, tracing its origins from the fertile grazing lands of the Wathaurong people through the thunderous gold rush of the 1850s, the infamous Eureka Stockade rebellion, and the city's remarkable rise into one of Australia's grandest provincial centres.\n\nPart of Lowden Publishing Co.'s Historical Briefs Series, this compact volume illustrates the broader social and political forces that shaped Ballarat — from waves of immigrant diggers arriving in pursuit of fortune, to the civic pride that produced its magnificent architecture and cultural institutions. Strange writes with clarity and authority, distilling a complex history into an accessible and engaging narrative that rewards both the casual visitor and the dedicated local historian. Whether you are encountering Ballarat's story for the first time or revisiting its legendary past, this book leaves one wondering just how much of Australia's democratic spirit was born in the dust and defiance of its goldfields.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203275890907,"sku":"2026200013041-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/a6e1f152-3066-4f80-b553-11d5c6ae757e.png?v=1788147214","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200013041-secondhand-ballarat-a-brief-history","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}