Kryal Castle is a replica

medieval castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

located eight kilometres east of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, at Leigh Creek, just north of Dunnstown, in the foothills of

Mount Warrenheip Mount Warrenheip ( Wathawarrung: ''Warrengeep'') is an inactive scoria volcanic cone in Victoria, Australia.Victorian VolcanoesMt Warrenheip , Victorian Volcanoes accessdate: December 16, 2017 The mountain has an elevation of AHD. A landmark ...

. The castle features a

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...

and

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

, a

maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...

, castle towers,

stocks Stocks are feet restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation. The use of stocks is seen as early as Ancient Greece, where they are described as being in use in Solon's law code. The law describing ...

, and an armoury. There are also shows involving

jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament (medieval), tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying t ...

, live theatre, a

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

juggler Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object o ...

and

fire eating Fire eating is the act of putting a flaming object into the mouth and extinguishing it. A fire eater can be an entertainer, a street performer, part of a sideshow or a circus act but has also been part of spiritual tradition in India. Physi ...

, as well as a "Wax Of Torture" museum. The castle also provides accommodation and hosts weddings and conferences.

History

The castle's name derives from the first initial and surname of its builder, Keith Ryall, who had made his fortune selling

body armour Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...

. Ryall, born in 1942, had left school at 16 and had also been a refrigerator salesman in Creswick. He received a loan of $75 000 from the Victorian Development Corporation to realise the project. Construction began in 1972, and the attraction was opened to the public in 1974. In 2007 the property was listed for sale with an asking price of $10 million, but failed to find a buyer. There was interest from some parties in turning it into a medieval-style

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

. After having been on the market for several years, it was sold in January 2011 to Jay Finch and Wendy Alexander, who intended to continue it as a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

and

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

. However, in August 2011 ownership of the property was returned to Keith Ryall after the Finch family was unable to complete payment for it. In January 2012, Kryal Castle was acquired by Castle Tourism & Entertainment Pty Ltd. It closed for a major renovation and upgrade, reopening in 2013, having been developed into a multi-use venue, offering daytime and night-time tourism, and entertainment experiences. There are Castle Suites with four-star accommodation, as well as function, wedding and conferencing facilities. Medieval adventure, fantasy and theme park concepts have been developed. The medieval sport of

has been reintroduced along with sound and light attractions. In 2015, Keith Ryall, the original owner of the castle died. His funeral was held at Kryal. Castle Tourism & Entertainment placed Kryal Castle on the market in 2016 and it was ultimately purchased by the then-current leaseholders. In 2022, it was nominated for Best Victorian Tourism Attraction.

References

External links

* {{coord, 37, 34, 19, S, 143, 57, 23, E, region:AU-VIC_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Ballarat Tourist attractions in Victoria (Australia) Amusement parks in Victoria (Australia) 1972 establishments in Australia Tourist attractions in Ballarat Replica buildings Castles in Oceania Mock castles