Spotlight on Ballarat’s leading ladies

Meet the trailblazing women behind some of Ballarat's best cafes, restaurants, attractions and experiences.

The hospo heroes

• Mother and daughters trio Jane Baker (botanist), Elizabeth (distiller) and Georgette (designer) from Mrs Baker's Still House
• Chef Lilly Wright from Flying Chillies and Not Your Grandma's Pantry
• The Shared Table owner and chef Dianne Ray
• Erin Taylor, co-owner of Hop Temple, Aunty Jacks, Grainery Lane and Roy Hammond
• Carboni's co-owner and event manager Irene Beghini
• Cornerstone Cafe owner and chef Nicole Edwards
• The Little Cupcake Ballarat's mother and daughter duo Madeleine Witham and Chelsea Foord
• The Turret Cafe and The Turret Bakehouse co-owner Belinda Hand
• Cake queen Sara Kittelty from Kittelty's
• Eclectic Tastes and Eleanora owner Jane Miller
• La Miette Patisserie owner and pastry chef Jacinta Hogan
• Lilly's at Eureka owner Catherine Gill
• Kilderkin Distillery co-owner Rebecca Matthews
• Sip Champagne Bar owner Lauren Irwin
• The Crypt Ballarat's mother and daughter owners Shani and Savannah Stevens
• Lucky & James owner and chocolatier Jade Davidson
• Mrs Browne Bakes cookie queen Erika Browne

The art & culture champions

• Sovereign Hill CEO Sara Quon
• Art Gallery of Ballarat director Louise Tegart and curator Emily Wakeling
• Wadawurrung Traditional Owner and visual artist Jenna Oldaker from Murrup Art
• Ceramicist and Ross Creek Gallery owner Ruby Pilven
• Mother and daughters trio and Wadawurrung artists Aunty Marlene Gilson and Deanne Gilson plus traditional weaver Tammy Gilson
• Ceramics queen and The Pottage owner Shelby Sherritt
• Cyril Callister Museum founder and general manager Liza Robinson
• Travis Price's Hop Queen mural in Hop Lane

The retail & relaxation queens

• The Crafty Squirrel owner Morgan Wills
• Hattie and the Wolf founder and graphic designer Andrea Hurley
• GOR Woollen Mill co-owner Isabel Renters
• Women of the Well founders and South Sudanese refugees Mary Top and Mary Deng
• Wen & Ware Living owner Wendy McLachlan
• Ballarat's Sanctuary Day Spa owner Sarah Emmanuel

The nature warriors

• Ballarat Botanical Gardens curator Donna Thomas
• Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat beekeeper Amanda Collins

The nostalgic namesakes

• The Provincial Hotel's European-inspired restaurant Lola is named after spirited gold rush showgirl Lola Montez. The Lydiard St hotel is also home to Clara the cocktail caravan – a nod to The Ballarat Times' first female editor, Clara Seekamp
• The boutique Hotel Vera is named after co-owner David Cook-Doulton’s maternal grandmother, Vera. "We wanted the hotel to embody her warmth, generosity and, most importantly, her beautiful heart," David said
• New Ballarat neighbourhood cafe Naomi & i is named after co-owner Frazer Wyley's beloved grandmother, Naomi – "inspired by handwritten notes, gardens full of flowers and a love that can never be broken"
• Hotel Canberra's Vesta x Jigs restaurant is named after Vesta, the mother of co-owners and brothers Pete and Paul Dillon. Vesta was also the Roman goddess of the home and hearth
• Pat's Sandwiches is named after co-owner Thom Mitchell's publican grandmother, Patricia. "Pat embodied the true sense of hospitality – love and care expressed through providing beautiful food and spaces for others," Thom said