It’s the feeling you get when you put on an old pair of jeans and find a $20 note in the pocket. Like when you are running late and the guy leaving the car park gives you his parking ticket with just enough time on it to save you buying one.

It’s like a cracking op-shop find. Uncovering a band that none of your mates are on to yet. Perfecting chicken soup. A hand-me-down watch that fits to perfection… It’s that same little rush you’ll feel when you walk into The Western.

It’s been a few years since a few local Ballarat boys gave The Western the old ‘Joan Rivers’ – a little nip here and a small tuck there – to bring this grand dame back to life and into the 21st century. Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength, much like Joan herself.

Welcome to the all-singing, all-dancing, Western Hotel…