Ballan

The township of Ballan was settled many years before Ballarat. It was known as a resting place en route to the Ballarat Diggings. The military camped near the Werribee Hunt Inn at Ballan on their way to Ballarat prior to Eureka. Around 800 soldiers arrived there, and a military officer requisitioned from Ballan butchery of Michael Shannon (for the use of the troops) 1,000 pounds of cooked meat to be supplied within 24 hours. John Egan, the groom at the Inn stayed up all night to keep the stables open for the general and his staff, and stated that "a rumour was current that a body of armed miners was on its way to intercept the military, and the general and his staff went out after nightfall, reconnnoitred the country on all sides ... and did not return until 2 o'clock in the morning ... four of the soldiers were handcuffed to the wheels of the ammunition carts, probably as punishment for some breach of discipline. Marines in charge of artillery were with the troops and the whole force camped close to the inn, their tents extending over the space now occupied by the residence of Mr Andre Flack and Mrs O'Donohue and where the old Mechanics' Institute formerly stood. Some of the soldiers had their wives with them and practically every room in the house was occupied, shake-downs being made on the floors of rooms other than bedrooms."

Michael Tuohy