Ballarat is the name of the city, although it was often spelled "Ballaratt" in the middle of the 19th century. It, along with Bendigo, was a major goldfield in Victoria; ships would dock at Geelong and their crews would desert en masse to travel the 60 odd miles north to Ballarat. It started around 1851, was the site of the Eureka Stockade (at Bakery Hill) and features in lots of songs as well as the history of various characters like Lola Montez.

These days the city (about 70 miles northwest of Melbourne) has its own university and a reputation of being cold, at least by Victorian standards. I'm sure Googling any of the names/terms I've mentioned would give you more info than I could muster, but feel free to PM me with specific requests.

Cheers, Rowan