Moving to Lake Gardens VIC 3355
What the official numbers say about living in Lake Gardens — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $745,000 for a median house (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 67% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $360 a week, against a median household income of $1,534 a week.
About 70% of homes are owner-occupied and 29% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Lake Gardens grew 8% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (1,666 → 1,801 people).
Around 69% of households are families, averaging 2.3 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, England, India; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, German.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Lake Gardens sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 8 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (72% of workers), while 25% work from home.
Nearest train station: Wendouree, 600 m north-east.
Nearest tram stop: Loop, 650 m south-east.
Nearest railway halt: Invermay Miniature Railway, 5.6 km north-east.
Nearest bus interchange: Ballarat Station, 4.1 km south-east.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 105 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 31 schools · 18 cafes & restaurants · 5 supermarkets · 40 parks — see them all on the Lake Gardens profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Ballarat Specialist School 950 m · Ballarat High School 1 km · Wendouree Primary School 1.2 km · Ballarat Grammar 1.5 km · Loreto College 1.6 km · St Thomas More Catholic Primary School 1.7 km · Alfredton Primary School 1.8 km · Yuille Park Community College Grevillea Campus 1.9 km
Groceries: Coles 1.2 km · Aldi 1.3 km · Woolworths 1.4 km · Ryan's Super IGA 2.6 km · Woolworths 2.7 km
Parks and reserves: St John's Wood 200 m · Lake Gardens Playground 200 m · North Gardens Reserve 700 m · South Gardens Reserve 1000 m · Victory Avenue Reserve 1.2 km · Almurta Street Reserve 1.2 km · Warrick Park Reserve 1.4 km · Shaw Avenue Reserve 1.4 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Lake Gardens, most often seen first: Black Swan · Magpie-lark · Pacific Black Duck · Eurasian Coot · Australasian Purple Swamphen · Dusky Moorhen.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Lake Gardens, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Gardens here | 1,801 | $745,000 | 8/10 | 5% |
| Wendouree | 10,376 | $440,000 | 1/10 | 3% |
| Alfredton | 11,822 | $605,000 | 7/10 | 4% |
| Lake Wendouree | 2,878 | $1,292,500 | 10/10 | 13% |
| Newington | 1,844 | $617,500 | 9/10 | 15% |
| Mitchell Park | 887 | $440,000 | 2/10 | 3% |
| Ballarat Central | 5,378 | $575,000 | 7/10 | 10% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Ballarat — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Ballarat — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3355 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Lake Gardens profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Lake Gardens has a median sale price of $745,000 (2024 sales). Renters pay a median $360 a week, and about 29% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 8% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 1,666 people to 1,801. It sits about 105 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Wendouree station is roughly 0.6 km away. Local government is Ballarat council, and the federal seat is Ballarat.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Lake Gardens vs Lake Wendouree · Lake Gardens vs Newington.
Nearby guides: Wendouree · Alfredton · Lake Wendouree · Newington · Mitchell Park · Ballarat Central.
Keep an eye on Lake Gardens
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