Canadian, Victoria
Canadian is a residential suburb in Ballarat, Victoria, located 3km south-east of Ballarat Central. At the 2021 census, Canadian had a population of 4,098.
| Canadian Ballarat, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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A view over the suburb of Canadian from the Sovereign Hill open air museum's poppet head. | |||||||||||||||
Canadian | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37.576°S 143.877°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 4,098 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 532/km2 (1,378/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3350 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 7.7 km2 (3.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 4 km (2 mi) SE of Ballarat | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Ballarat | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Eureka | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Ballarat | ||||||||||||||
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A small gold rush at Canadian Gully occurred in September 1852, during the period known as the Victorian gold rush. The discoveries of three large gold nuggets in January 1853—including the Canadian, then the largest recorded nugget ever—led to another gold rush which lasted for several years. Canadian became its own suburb. A post office opened in 1886 and closed in 1988. Urban settlement had spread to Canadian by the 1980s.
It is primarily a residential area, but has a school, a small shopping area, and several parks and reserves including Canadian Lake and also Sparrow Ground, which has been the subject of much community debate.