Families, revellers and bell ringers herald in new year

By Marcus Power
Updated November 2 2012 - 11:09am, first published December 31 2008 - 1:54pm
Partying  at Irish Murphy's are, from left, Sylvia Sokolik, Hilary Gregson and Georgie Adeney.
Partying at Irish Murphy's are, from left, Sylvia Sokolik, Hilary Gregson and Georgie Adeney.

BALLARAT gave 2008 a low-key farewell at New Year's Eve celebrations held last night. Residents and visitors to the city saw in the new year at backyard barbecues, parties, pubs and clubs. Families from across the state had their own low-key celebrations at A Welcome Stranger Holiday Park in Ballarat East.While many Ballarat residents headed for the beach, Anthea Reid and other members of a Torquay mother's club had come from the other direction to stay at the caravan park."New Year's Eve with kids is hard, but when you're camping it's easy," Ms Reid said. Gary Willoughby and his family travelled from Aspendale Gardens for a Ballarat new year."The coast tends to be so packed and the inland is a bit quieter. It's been really good." At Irish Murphy's, in Sturt St, revellers dreamed of warm summer days and made their new year's resolutions at a beach-themed party.Sylwia Sokolik said her resolution was to finally quit smoking."I've tried to do it four times before," Ms Sokolik said.Around the corner at Karova Lounge, Ballarat band Epicure along with The Underminers and Red City Sons kept patrons happy.At the Regent and Rafters, DJs helped the crowds dance in the new year. Others gathered outside the Ballarat Town Hall for the annual ringing of the bells at the city's municipal headquarters.To warm up for the moment, the bells were peeled at intervals for two hours from 9.15pm and of course at midnight.James Daly's wife Janette and their sons Shane and Mitchell came from Goulburn in New South Wales to ring the bells.Mr Daly said the family was on a bell ringing tour which would take them to several locations in Melbourne this week."We rang at Beechworth last night," Mr Daly said. Meanwhile, police warnings of a crackdown on public drunkeness appeared to pay dividends in the early evening, with a quiet night reported up until 11pm last night.

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