Ballarat residents are invited to wear period costume, or black tie, and join members and guests of The Ballaarat Club to mark the milestone.

The Ballaarat Club president Peter Ridsdale said the club decided to celebrate the occasion with a ball because one of the club's main functions in Ballarat's social scene during the late 1800s to the mid to late 1900s was hosting six balls a year.

He said six months ago, club members found a large number of ball invitations addressed to prominent land owners and graziers from across the western district.

The invitations, along with other historic documents that were located, will be included in a commemorative book to be released in October.

Mr Ridsdale said the club-owned building, at 203 Dana Street, and its history would be showcased at the commemorative ball with guided tours on the hour.

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"The tours will provide a rare opportunity to gain an insight to the history of The Ballaarat Club that has provided social opportunities for residents of Ballarat since 1872," Mr Ridsdale said.

People will be able to see the Ballaarat Club once had a breakfast room and accommodation upstairs.

"Farmers would come in and do their business with their bank or lawyer downstairs, then they'd have dinner and play pool out the back before wandering up to sleep overnight and head back to the farm the next day," Mr Ridsdale said.

He said the club was quite different nowadays than what some people may have previously perceived as an "old gentleman's club".

"The tours will provide an insight to the transition from a traditional 'gentlemen's club' of the late 1800s to a modern all-inclusive club providing diverse social opportunities for our members and guests," Mr Ridsdale said.

"It's quite different nowadays, particularly in more recent history where the club has worked very hard to being more diverse in its membership, more inclusive. We have a diverse and very interesting social calendar that appeals to a younger membership group. Our fastest growing membership prior to COVID was our female members and guests."

The Ballaarat Club originally convened at Ballarat establishments, including Craigs Royal Hotel, however in 1889 members purchased the land at 203 Dana Street and built the substantial two-storey building.

Heritage Victoria's register describes the building as: "The composition is very flamboyant. The curved Byzantine arch of the pediment over the entrance bay is very unusual as are the heavy face brick columns supported on urns. The projecting bay has finely moulded window heads to the ground floor. The balustrading at three levels serves to unify the composition".

The commemorative ball is a significant event of the nine-day Ballarat Heritage Festival and has the support of the City of Ballarat. It will feature roaming canapes and platters, Ballarat's SEB Big Band and building tours.

It will be held at The Ballaarat Club, 203 Dana Street, on May 28 at 7pm.

Tickets are $130 per person and includes roaming canapes and platters, tours of the building and an invitation to join members in the second level club facilities after 11pm.

To purchase tickets, email names and contact details to ballaaratclub@gmail.com or for more information contact Mr Ridsdale on 0418 518 451.

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