Lake Gardens
VIC 3355 · Ballarat
1,801 (2021) → 1,741 est. (2025) · High Growth
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Lake Gardens is a high growth suburb in Ballarat, VIC 3355, about 105km from Melbourne CBD. Its median house price of $722K is around the same as the VIC average. The suburb has 2 schools, a transport score of 87/100, and is about 77km inland. Lake Gardens has an overall score of 80/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 45/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Top countries of birth: China (4%), England (3.16%), India (1.67%), South Africa (0.72%), Germany (0.61%)
Top languages: Mandarin (5.11%), Cantonese (0.78%), German (0.67%), Sinhal (0.67%), Hindi (0.61%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (DTF) · Updated 2024
Residential Safety
Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.
Commercial & services hub. This suburb is a major employment and services centre, drawing a significant daily influx of workers and visitors from surrounding areas. Crime figures are recorded by incident location and include offences involving commuters and visitors, not just residents, so the per-resident crime rates below may overstate the risk for people who live here.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
Totals include incidents involving commuters and visitors, not just residents.
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (suburb-level) · Updated 2025
Schools
Reasonable school mix
Around the national average — a reasonable mix of schools, though the strongest options may require some travel.
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1012 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Ballarat High SchoolSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 1016
- Ballarat Specialist SchoolCombined · GovernmentICSEA 950
Nearby (within 10km)
- Wendouree Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.3kmICSEA 925
- Loreto CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 1.3kmICSEA 1070
- Ballarat GrammarCombined · Independent · 1.5kmICSEA 1119
- Alfredton Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 1007
- St Thomas More SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.7kmICSEA 1091
- St Patrick's CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 2kmICSEA 1059
- Yuille Park P-8 Community CollegeCombined · Government · 2.1kmICSEA 831
- Ballarat Clarendon CollegeCombined · Independent · 2.1kmICSEA 1165
- Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat)Primary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1091
- Newington Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.5kmICSEA 1005
- Our Lady Help of Christians SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.5kmICSEA 1015
- Yuille Park P-8 Community College-Yuille CampusCombined · Government · 2.9km
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Fitness
Fitness paradise
Top 20% nationally — gyms, leisure centres, pools and sports fields all close by. Easy to stay active without travelling far.
Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Outdoors
Outdoor paradise
Top 20% nationally — abundant parks and green space, plus trails, bike paths and places to enjoy the outdoors.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Culture
Cultural hotspot
Top 20% nationally — theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and landmarks all within reach. A genuinely vibrant cultural scene.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Entertainment Scene
A few good options
A handful of local venues to choose from — nothing epic, but you're not driving far either.
No licensed pubs, bars or clubs are registered in this suburb per the VGCCC register.
View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →
Source: OpenStreetMap
Childcare
Outstanding childcare access
Top 20% nationally for childcare service density and quality — an excellent suburb for families with young children.
View childcare centres on the map →
Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register
Population & Growth
High GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Ballarat
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Frequently asked questions about Lake Gardens
Is Lake Gardens safe?
Lake Gardens has a residential safety score of 45/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 7,107 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Lake Gardens?
In Lake Gardens, the .
How far is Lake Gardens from Melbourne CBD?
Lake Gardens is about 105.2 km from Melbourne CBD.
What schools are in Lake Gardens?
Lake Gardens has 2 schools, with an average ICSEA of 983 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Lake Gardens?
Lake Gardens has a transport score of 87/100, including 1 train station and 6 bus stops.