LukeEllis

Alfredton's popularity is not accidental: there's a reason why it has achieved this! But there are two parts of Alfredton to be aware of - 'old' Alfredton, mainly subdivided in the early 20th century and generally ending at the intersection of Cuthbert Rd and Kallioota St/Hume Cres. 'New' Alfredton begins after this junction and ends at Dyson Rd, where Lucas begins.
Both sections of Alfredton are quite pleasant but traffic in the newer parts can be a problem, particularly in the mornings. But compared to traffic problems in Melbourne, the issues in this suburb are quite trivial! It is an easy drive to the centre of Ballarat, and two dedicated bus lines service the suburb: the 15 (Sturt St West) and 18 (Alfredton) lines. It is also possible to catch a 16 (Lake Gardens) bus, but it is only practical if you live in the section of old Alfredton closest to Gillies Street. It is quite feasible that a new bus service may be required to accommodate new residents of Lucas, and therefore run through Alfredton, but this could just mean either the 15 or 18 are modified to run into this new suburb.
Many schools are in easy reach, both public and private. Some of Ballarat's finest secondary schools are a short distance away, including Ballarat High School, Loreto College (all girls), St. Patrick's College (all boys) and Ballarat & Clarendon College (co-ed). Ballarat Grammar School is also in reasonable proximity.
Traffic can be sometimes noisy on Learmonth & Gillie's streets (larger trucks, cattle trucks) but these aren't numerous enough to be a major issue.
Shopping is reasonable in the immediate suburb, with Aldi and some strip shopping located in old Alfredton. The newer part of Alfredton also has some strip shopping, and a newly completed shopping complex (containing a Woolworths and Wilson's Fruit & Vegetables) in Lucas means higher order shopping is not far away.