Rubicon Street

Rubicon Street is a street in Redan, which 1.43kms in length. It runs in a east-west direction and is the southern boundary of Redan. In the east it begins at the intersection with Orion Street and in the west it ends at the intersection with Sutton Street. The street becomes Whitelaw Avenue after crossing Sutton Street.

Name
The street is named for the river crossed by Caesar in 49 BC, thus starting civil war with Pompey.

Julius Caesar's crossing the Rubicon river in January 49 BC precipitated the Roman Civil War, which ultimately led to Caesar becoming dictator and the rise of the imperial era of Rome. Caesar had been appointed to a governorship over a region that ranged from southern Gaul to Illyricum (but not Italy). As his term of governorship ended, the Roman Senate ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome. He was explicitly ordered not to bring his army across the Rubicon river, which was at that time a northern boundary of Italy. In January of 49 BC, Caesar brought the 13th legion across the river, which the Roman government considered insurrection, treason, and a declaration of war on the Roman Senate. According to some authors, he is said to have uttered the phrase "alea iacta est"—the die is cast—as his army marched through the shallow river.

Today, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is a metaphor that means to pass a point of no return.

Rubicon Street was the border between the City of Ballarat and the Borough of Sebastopol, thus its name. Several roads change their name as they cross this border, so Pleasant Street becomes Alfred Street, Ripon Street becomes Verdon Street, Talbot Street becomes Clarkson Street, and Skipton Street becomes Albert Street.

History
A fire destroyed a shop in December 1906: "An unoccupied shop in Rubicon-street, Redan, belonging to Mrs. Burke, was destroyed by fire on Saturday. (The fire is) supposed to have been caused by swagmen."

In March 1915 a group of students on their way to the Redan Primary School found gold in the street. In 2022 prices, this would be about $7500: "NUGGET FOUND BY CHILDREN. BALLARAT, Monday. Several children, when walking along Rubicon-street, Redan, this morning, on their way to school, noticed something glittering in the dust on the roadway. They picked up the object, and were examining it when Mr. Hicks, mine manager, came along, and found that it was a slug of gold, which had become embedded in the road, and had been flattened by cart wheels passing over it. Mr. Hicks estimated that the nugget weighed 3 oz., and was worth between £12 and £18. It was agreed that the proceeds from the sale of the gold should be equally divided among three children, who will receive about £4 each."