The club was formed in the 1876 as the Albion Imperial Football Club before becoming known as South Ballarat in 1884. The club was a provincial member of the
Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1883 whilst also competing in the local Ballarat / Western Districts football competition too. South Ballarat played a match against the touring
British footballers in June 1888, winning by seven goals, 18 behinds to three goals, seven behinds. The club was a founding member of the
Ballarat Football Association in 1893. During its time in the competition, it won eight senior premierships, including three in a row between 1911 and 1913. The club merged with the
Sebastopol Football Club in 1940 to form the South Sebastopol Football Club. The club went into recess during
World War II and did not return to competition after the war. ==Premierships==