s . ▁Robert ▁von ▁Ste ig l itz ▁first ▁settled ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 ; ▁he ▁named ▁the ▁area ▁after ▁Ball an ▁in ▁Ireland . ▁Other ▁early ▁sett ler ▁names ▁included ▁C owie , ▁Ste ad , ▁Wal lace ▁and ▁Eg erton . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁cl ash es ▁between ▁ind igen ous ▁Austral ians ▁and ▁white ▁sett lers ▁during ▁settlement . ▁Robert ▁von ▁Ste ig l itz ▁stated ▁in ▁his ▁journal ▁ ▁" … ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁question ed ▁by ▁some ▁fe ather - bed ▁phil anth rop ist ▁whether ▁we ▁had ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁country ▁from ▁the ▁black s ▁but ▁I ▁believe ▁the ▁general ▁rule ▁is ▁that ▁if ▁people ▁cultiv ate ▁or ▁gra ze ▁the ▁land ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁claim ▁to ▁it . ▁These ▁cre atures ▁did ▁neither ▁… ". ▁ ▁Gold ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁which ▁brought ▁an ▁infl ux ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁during ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁The ▁Ball an ▁Hotel ▁dates ▁from ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁period ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 . ▁The ▁town ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁st aging ▁point ▁for ▁coach es ▁trav elling ▁to ▁the ▁Ball ar at ▁gold fields . ▁The ▁post ▁office ▁in ▁the ▁town ship ▁opened ▁around ▁September ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁although ▁two ▁earlier ▁offices ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁were ▁named ▁Ball an . ▁ ▁Ball an ▁Primary ▁School ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁ 8 ▁January ▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁