On 18 March, Consul-General Song Yumin visited the Western town, Ballarat, and met with Mayor Joshua Morries, visited Sovereign Hill and had talks with local Chinese Australians and students.

Ballarat was one of the earliest settlements of Chinese in Australia during the "gold rush" in the 1800s. Located 105 kilometers from the center city of Melbourne, it is famous for the gold mine site and historical constructions in the colonial era. Consul-General Song had a cordial conversation with Mayor Morris on sister city cooperation, economic relations, and cultural interaction. CEO of Ballarat Anthony Schick talked about the development plan as the future "western capital" of Victoria, and expressed his readiness to enhance cooperation with China in Agrifood trade, professional training and people-to-people exchanges.

The Sovereign Hill re-creates Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of gold when thousands of international adventurers rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of fortune. Now this special museum attracts more than 500,000 visitors from around the world, including over 90,000 Chinese visitors. Consul-General Song visited this town with the company of CEO Jeremy Johnson, and talked with him about the tourism development in Victoria and the prospect of Chinese market. He also visited the Art Gallery and Botanical Garden of Ballarat.

Consul-General Song had talks with members of the Australian Chinese Cultural Society Ballarat and some local Chinese students. President of the Australian Chinese Cultural Society Ballarat Mitchell Philips talked about the composition and activities of the Society and the upcoming "Harmony Fest". Consul General Song encouraged the members and students to promote Chinese culture in the local community and make more contribution to people-to-people communication. He also invited them to visit the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne.