Named after a district in Australia, Ballarat town in Inyo County of California is a former mining town formed in 1897. Ballarat which is now deserted was primarily a community of miners who worked at mines around and in the town.

Rise of Ballarat town.

Being a semi-desert, Ballarat was inhabited until the late 1890s when several mining companies set camp in the area. A nearby city, Panamint city also contributed to the establishment and development of the town. Within a short period, it grew fast and steady and by the 1900s, it had a population exceeding 400. Most of the occupants of Ballarat town were miners with few who provided services for them. Non-locals who passed by always loved the town because most nearby towns (those located in desert and semi-desert regions) at that time had no constant water sources like Ballarat. The death of the town began soon after one of the biggest mining companies in the region withdrew from the town. Years that followed more mines closed rendering residents jobless. Residents at the town one at a time migrated to the nearest towns after the post office (which was the life of the town) closed in 1917.

Gold of Ballarat

Ballarat town could not support economic activities such as farming due to its unfavorable soil, therefore, it majored in mining. Locals in the town worked at the mines day in day out to make sure that it provided the high demand for its gold. Gold ores from Ballarat were larger than any other from mines across the globe. For this reason, its ores were loved and preferred by many.

Lawlessness at Ballarat town

Most fugitives used the town as their hiding spot for it was rural and police rarely passed through the town. (Ballarat did not have a police post or a church.)This made the town uncivilized and immoral that it did not favor families with children. Gangs were later eradicated when a railroad which is no longer there reached the town making it more easily accessible by law enforcement.

What remains of Ballarat town?

The town was deserted by nearly most of its residents and currently has only one resident. Some of its buildings still stand but most have collapsed over time. A man by the name of George Novak couldn’t convince himself to leave his beloved town and therefore stayed. George, in the company of his dogs, still resides in the town running a store that sells mementos and other necessities to tourists who visit the area. Most film industries love the town and have used it to shoot several movies. Although it is now private property (the land was bought after its abandonment) tourists are allowed to visit Ballarat town anytime.