Acculturation and change in ethno-linguistic cultural expression: the Welsh in Ballarat, Victoria, in the second half of the nineteenth century

Abstract This article provides an analysis of the cultural expression of the Welsh ethno-linguistic community in Ballarat, Victoria, during the second half of the nineteenth century. The study considers culture maintenance, and focuses on the way Welsh cultural expression, especially as manifest in the Eisteddfod, was modified over time. The article argues that this change was closely linked to the forces of assimilation, particularly occupational change, high levels of exogamy, and contemporary developments in Wales that served to undermine the vitality of Welsh culture.