Ballarat ( /ˈbæləræt/) is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately 105 kilometres (65 mi) west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth most populated inland city in Australia. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the City of Ballarat, which encompasses both the urban area and outlying towns spanning an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and an estimated population of 97,810. Inhabitants of Ballarat are known as Ballaratians.

It was named by Scottish settler Archibald Yuille who established the sheep run called Ballaarat in 1837 with the name derived from local Wathaurong Aboriginal words for the area, balla arat, thought to mean "resting place". The present spelling was officially adopted in 1996.

It is one of the most significant Victorian era boomtowns in Australia. Just months after Victoria was granted separation from New South Wales, the Victorian gold rush transformed Ballarat from a small sheep station to a major settlement. Gold was discovered at Poverty Point on 18 August 1851 and news quickly spread of rich alluvial fields where gold could easily be extracted. Within months, approximately 20,000 migrants had rushed the district. Unlike many other gold rush boom towns, the Ballarat fields experienced sustained high gold yields for decades.

Danny Bhoy (born Danni Chaudhry on 17 January 1974) is a Scottish comedian who has performed in New Zealand, the UK, Australia, Canada and the United States. He is half-Indian and half-Scottish.

Bhoy was born in Moffat, Scotland, one of four children and attended Lockerbie Academy and all-boys private school Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.

His humour is observational, often involving his own personal experiences as an international comedian. While he does mention his Indian heritage, it is often a quick reference and never the focus of the show. Despite his stage name, Bhoy is not a fan of Celtic F.C., his favourite team is Newcastle United.

He began stand up in 1998 after going to see his first comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival. A year later, he won The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award, Britain's biggest competition for comedy newcomers. In 2001, Danny took his first full length solo show to the Edinburgh Festival, where, within a week, he had sold out his entire three-week run, and added extra shows to cope with the demand for tickets.