Lake Wendouree

Lake Wendouree is a large artificial urban lake in Ballarat, Victoria, located west of the city centre adjacent to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Created in 1851 by damming Yuille's Swamp, it covers about 238 hectares and is encircled by the 6-kilometre Steve Moneghetti Track. Notable as the venue for rowing and canoeing at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, it is Ballarat's central recreational area for walking, cycling, rowing, sailing and birdwatching.

Visitors can expect a large open lake surrounded by parklands, gardens and residential areas with a flat, sealed 6 km track encircling the water. The foreshore includes jetties, rowing sheds, playgrounds, barbecue areas and the adjacent Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Activities centre on walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, sailing and birdwatching, with open views across the water, abundant waterbirds, and monuments including the Olympic Rings display.

Originally Yuille's Swamp, the site was dammed in 1851 to create a water supply and recreational lake for the Ballarat goldfields settlement. It became a centre for rowing and sailing from the 1860s. It gained international significance as the venue for rowing and canoeing at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. The lake dried completely during drought from 2006 to 2011 before refilling after heavy rains.

Lake Wendouree is the central recreational and community focal point of Ballarat, used daily by residents for exercise and leisure. It is closely associated with the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and events such as the Ballarat Begonia Festival, and is commemorated by the Steve Moneghetti Track named after the Ballarat Olympic marathon runner.