About
About The Lake View Hotel
A Ballarat local since 1875, right on the edge of Lake Wendouree.
A place people keep coming back to.
There’s something about Lake Wendouree that draws people in.
A walk turns into a coffee.
A quick catch-up stretches into lunch.
Someone says, “We should do this more often”, on the way out.
That’s always been part of the Lake View.
Right on the edge of Lake Wendouree, it’s a place to meet, settle in, and stay a little longer – whatever the reason.
Some people come every week.
Some just when there’s something to celebrate.
Some discover it for the first time and come back again and again.
It’s a favourite for a reason.
Our Story
Part of the lake since 1875
The Lake View Hotel has been part of Ballarat life for over 150 years.
Established in 1875, The Lake View Hotel has long been part of the social life of Lake Wendouree. Basically, for 150 years, people have been doing much the same thing here: turning up for one thing and staying for something else entirely.
In its early days, this place would have sounded much the same – boots on timber floors, conversation drifting across the room, visitors arriving straight from the lake and not quite ready to go home yet.
The lake has always drawn people in, and The Lake View Hotel has long been part of what happens next.
In the late 1800s, Lake Wendouree was surrounded by hotels, each serving the growing city of Ballarat and the many people drawn to the area for fresh air, recreation and connection. Today, The Lake View Hotel is the only one still located directly on the foreshore. Which means if you’re here now, you’re part of a pretty long-running tradition.
Travellers once arrived by tram, circling the lake before stepping inside to meet, eat, and settle in.
It’s not hard to picture the kinds of moments that would have unfolded here – travellers sharing stories of the goldfields, families gathering after a walk, locals catching up on the news of the day.
The menus would have read a little differently too – more ploughman’s lunch and roast mutton than parma and chips. The menu’s changed, obviously. The reason people come here hasn’t.
A drink, a meal, a bit more time than intended, and someone saying, “we should do this more often” on the way out.
As Ballarat evolved, so too did the lake precinct. The many hotels that once lined the foreshore gradually disappeared as the city changed and habits shifted.
But the lake stayed.
And so did we.
Walking, rowing, cycling, picnicking – and then, inevitably… “Should we grab a bite?”
In 1956, the lake stepped onto the world stage, hosting rowing events for the Melbourne Olympic Games. But for most of us, it’s never been about the “big” moments – it’s the small ones that keep repeating.
Over the years, The Lake View Hotel has continued to evolve. Updated where it matters, but still playing the same role it always has.
A place to meet after a stroll around the lake.
A place to sit a little longer.
A place that’s quietly become part of the rhythm of Lake Wendouree.
For many, it feels like it has always been here – part of Ballarat’s story, and part of the moments people continue to share today.
150 years on,
and people are still doing exactly what they came here to do.
Even if it takes a little longer than planned.