Where Gold Rush Meets Code Rush

Ballarat DevCommunity

From the historic goldfields to cutting-edge tech fields. We're building Victoria's most vibrant regional tech community, 90 minutes from Melbourne but a world away from the hustle.

Next meetup: Third Thursday @ The Mining Exchange

The Numbers Tell Our Story

From humble beginnings in 2023, we've grown into something special

180+

Active Members

Developers, designers, founders

25+

Local Tech Companies

From startups to scale-ups

90min

From Melbourne CBD

But feels like another world

$450k

Avg House Price

vs $1.2M in Melbourne

Our Origin Story

From Gold Rush to Code Rush

Ballarat built its fortune on gold. Today, we're mining a different kind of treasure: innovation, talent, and community.

Started by Mastrowcorp in late 2023, Ballarat Dev began as monthly pizza nights in a cramped co-working space. We've grown into something bigger—a movement that's putting regional Victoria on the tech map.

We're not trying to be Melbourne. We're trying to be better. Lower costs, higher quality of life, and a community that actually knows each other's names.

Founded 2023

Mastrowcorp Initiative

Community Driven

Every Thursday @ 6pm

The Mining Exchange, Lydiard St

The Ballarat Tech Ecosystem

We're not just a meetup—we're the connective tissue of Ballarat's growing tech scene

Local Tech Companies

From fintech startups to established software houses

• DataRock Analytics

Series A

• GoldCode Solutions

Bootstrap

• Regional Fintech Co.

Scale-up

+ 22 more companies in our network

Federation University

Strong partnership with local education

• 500+ IT & Engineering students

• Industry placement programs

• Graduate pipeline into local companies

Co-working Spaces

Where the magic happens daily

• The Mining Exchange (our HQ)

• Ballarat Tech Park

• Various café co-working spots

Success Stories

Sarah Chen - DataRock Analytics

Founder & CEO

"Started DataRock from my kitchen table in 2022. The Ballarat Dev community gave me my first customers, my co-founder, and the support network that got us to Series A. You can't put a price on that."

Marcus Thompson - GoldCode

Senior Developer

"Moved from Melbourne in 2023 for the lifestyle. Found a job through Ballarat Dev within two weeks. Now I'm 10 minutes from work, 5 minutes from hiking trails, and my mortgage is half what it was."

March 15-16, 2024

Ballarat Dev Fest

Two days of talks, workshops, networking, and showcasing why regional Victoria is the future of tech

Day 1: Conference

Keynotes from industry leaders, local success stories, and the future of regional tech

Day 2: Workshops

Hands-on sessions, hackathon, and deep-dive technical workshops

All Weekend: Networking

Connect with founders, developers, and businesses shaping our region's future

Featured Speakers

Jane Mitchell

CTO, Atlassian

David Park

Founder, Canva

Sarah Chen

CEO, DataRock Analytics

Early bird: $99 | Regular: $149 | Student: $49

Ready to Join the Gold Rush 2.0?

Whether you're a developer, designer, founder, or just tech-curious, there's a place for you in our community.

For Professionals

Join our Slack, attend meetups, find your next role or co-founder

For Businesses

Partner with us, find talent, showcase your company

Next Meetup: Thursday, March 7th

"Building Scalable Systems in Regional Australia" + Pizza & Networking