Ballan /bəˈlæn/ is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River, 78 kilometres (48 mi) northwest of Melbourne. At the 2011 census, Ballan had a population of 2,774.It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool local government area.It was named by the first settler, Robert von Steiglitz, in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland.During the Victorian Gold Rush, it became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.