VIC · Ballarat Council

Blowhard, 3352

Est. population · Jun 2025

81

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

56

Median income

$1,458/wk

Employment rate

57.5%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Education hub
What Blowhard is known for: Education hub

Suburb profile

In Ballarat Council, Blowhard keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice.

Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk. Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here.

Reported crime has been falling recently. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

At a glance

Blowhard snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$430/wk

Population (ERP)

81

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

18.9%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

47th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

7th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

51st

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Housing

All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
$430

Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

81(June 2025)

0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 7th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in VIC
7th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~100), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
82
Median age
56
Median household income / week
$1,458
Dwelling vacancy
18.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
7 of 37
Median monthly mortgage
$2,106
Employment rate
57.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
33 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
4
Against the person
0
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
49.4
State safety percentile
47.1th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-66.7%

Most common offence types

  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
  • B49 Other Theft1
  • E13 Resist Or Hinder Officer1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,008
Median ICSEA percentile
51th
School list
  • Mount Blowhard Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1008 · 51th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 79 students · Top SEA quarter 14% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Decent local green space0 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Community(1)
  • Mount Blowhard Primary SchoolSchool

    527 Millers Road

Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Playground
  • Sports field
Other(1)
  • Parking

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Health access

Nearest hospital
Creswick Hospital and Nursing Home (10.0 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
2
Participants per 1,000 residents
24.7

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
26° / 12°
Rainfall
128 mm · ~16 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
124 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 6°
Rainfall
149 mm · ~19 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
182 mm · ~23 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

2 planning-related records

2021· 1 proposal
  • April 2021

  • Erection of Machinery Shed
    196 Cricks RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 1 proposal
  • December 2020

  • Use and develop the land for carrying out of an extraction industry involving stone extraction, crushing, processing and sale of crushed rock products and ancillary works
    231 LEARMONTH - SULKY ROAD BLOWHARD 3352In progress

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Ballarat
Member of Parliament
Catherine KING (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,238
Turnout (2025)
93.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 39.3%Labor 60.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.0 km away).

Coalition 43.5%Labor 56.5%

4.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -2.0 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Miners RestLabor 59.6% · Coalition 40.4% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
  • LearmonthLabor 44.3% · Coalition 55.7% TPP (2025)5.7 km away
  • CreswickLabor 64.3% · Coalition 35.7% TPP (2025)10.1 km away
  • Creswick NorthLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)10.3 km away
  • Wendouree NorthLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)11.0 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Ballarat Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.