llage in Gillies Street. The first Begonia Festival, a highly successful community celebration, was held in 1953. Elizabeth II visited on 8 March 1954. The Civic Centre, Prince Alfred Hall had burned down suspiciously that year, however a new Civic Hall was constructed and opened in March 1955. In 23 November 1956, the Olympic torch was carried through the city and the following day the rowing events were held at the lake. On 2 March 1958 the The Queen Mother visited Ballarat.
During the following decades, the city saw increased threats to its heritage. In 1964, the Ballarat City Council passed laws banning pillar supported verandahs in the CBD which threatened the removal of historic cast iron verandahs in the city. The by-law was met by staunch opposition from the National Trust who had begun campaigning to protect some of the city's most historic buildings. By the 1970s, Ballarat began to officially recognise its substantial heritage and the first heritage controls were recommended to ensure its preservation. With the opening of Sovereign Hill, the city made a rapid shift to become a major cultural tourist destination visited by thousands each year.
The city continued to grow at the national average throughout the late 20th century and early 21st century. In 2008 the City of Ballarat released a plan directing that growth of the city over the next 30 years is to be concentrated to the west of the city centre and through the redevelopment of inner city housing blocks, and other underdeveloped inner-city land in the East that is being redeveloped to create a higher-density housing structure
