The oldest continuously used synagogue on the Australian mainland.

The Ballarat Synagogue is known to be the oldest continuously used synagogue on the Australian mainland. The Hobart Synagogue, on the island of Tasmania is slightly older. Ballarat is Victoria’s third largest city, founded largely because of the gold rush of 1851. In 1853, within two years after gold was discovered in the area, a fledgling Jewish community met in the Clarendon Hotel. Their numbers grew until a permanent synagogue was desired.

A first synagogue was built in Ballarat East, however in 1859 the Town Council requisitioned the land for a town hall. As compensation, the Town Council gave the congregation the present location and paid for the construction of a new synagogue. The synagogue was designed by an English architect, TB Cameron, and was consecrated in 1861.

Quoting from Helen W’s MelbourneBlogger:

“The Ballarat newspapers were delighted that such an elegant building had been completed. They felt it gave Ballarat, so recently a tatty mining town of tents and cheap pubs, the cachet of refinement and learning.

Remodelling was undertaken in 1878, including the extension of the women’s gallery along the sides of the hall (instead of just along the back wall), and the addition of a second staircase to the gallery and ante-rooms towards the front of the building. Externally the latter are in a style consistent with that of the building. The Synagogue was originally constructed in face brickwork, with contrast provided by rendered pilasters and columns. But the entire building has since been rendered.

The interior of the synagogue is largely intact with its original furniture and fittings, including a cedar bimah/reading table and cedar-fronted ark. The cast iron balustrading on the women’s gallery comes as something of a surprise. The building was designed to accommodate 350.”

There is no accurate count of the number of Jewish residents in Ballarat during the heyday of the community. However, it is known that there were about 300 members of the Ballarat Synagogue and that those names only included men. Therefore, it’s reasonable to suppose that there may have been around 1000 in the Jewish Community. While the Jewish men did not tend to be gold miners, they worked in support industries such as banking, shop keeping and trade. When the banking system collapsed in 1891 the Jewish Community shrank and nowadays there are very few Jews living in Ballarat. The Synagogue is used only on high holy days, for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and special occasions.