Victoria

Title: Lake Wendouree - Where have you gone?

I am a twelve year old boy who lives in Ballarat, Victoria. In the centre of our town we have a dry piece of land, which apparently use to be our beautiful lake. All I have to rely on is information and memories that my mum can tell me, as I cannot remember the amazing things the lake had to offer and all the reasons why it would bring people from all around to enjoy.

Mum will often say “when I was young I can remember the lake always being full of water. In summer there would always be sail boats, people fishing and sometimes even people would go swimming in the lake. At Begonia Festival time there would be paddle boats and a walk on water bubble”.

She would say “At school we often went rowing and sometimes we even windsurfed”. To me how could that be possible?

She can always remember the ‘Head of the Lake’ being held.

In winter mum remembers there being times when the water in the lake would be so full it could even wash over the road around Wendouree Parade.

One of the things my mum talks about the most was when her mum and dad would take her to feed the swans.

Over recent years we have seen our lake completely dry up right before our eyes. The swans and birdlife have left or been moved elsewhere. The lake is now just a dry piece of earth with weeds.

We have seen the worst drought maybe ever in Ballarat and this has been hard on our beautiful lake as it was one of Ballarat’s most beautiful attractions.

Mum often reminds me that people always took the water we had in our beautiful lake for granted. Who would have thought 35 years ago that we would be able to walk across Lake Wendouree with not even a drop of water in it.

Lake Wendouree before the drought.

Lake Wendouree now.