If you are looking for a day out, and want to learn about the history of mining in Victoria, then a day trip to Sovereign Hill is just for you. Sovereign Hill is just a 90 minute journey from Melbourne, and provides you with the action and excitement of life as it was in 1850’s during the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever seen. Sovereign Hill is a goldfields town with shops, hotels, a theatre, schools, factories, a gold diggings and underground mines to explore.
- Life as it was..
- The sweet shop
Courtesy of Travel Zoo I purchased a cheap deal on a day trip to Sovereign Hill. The trip included transport, entry into Sovereign Hill and the Gold Museum. We also got a whirlwind tour of Ballarat from the comfort of our seats. The driver of our coach had a great deal of knowledge and provided us with commentary pretty much during the whole journey. Following the whirlwind tour of Ballarat we got dropped off at Sovereign Hill to spend the day explore the many things to see and do on site.
On entry to Sovereign Hill it feels like you’ve stepped back in time as it’s a living museum with working exhibits brought to life by costumed characters. Across the 25 acres of an original mining site horse-drawn carts are still in operation, transporting visitors from a-to-b.
- Stepping back in time
‘Tis Christmas in Sovereign Hill during the month of July which created a festive atmosphere around the old mining site. The site itself tells the story of Ballarat’s first gold-rush decade as it was through various exhibits and activities. Some of the activities we got involved with and saw are:
- Gold Mine Tour
- Musket Firing
- Gold Panning
- Metal Spinning
- Candle Dipping
- Sweet Making
- Candle Making
- Steam Powered Machinary
- Red Coat Soldiers
These activities were great to see and do and it really gave me a sense of ‘living’ in the goldrush days. My favourite activity had to be going deep down underground into one of the mines on a fully-guided Gold Mine Tour through the Secret Chamber. The conditions the miners worked in were pretty horrific. It was dark, dingy and confined, which made me feel rather clostrphobic. It’s crazy to think that the gold miners worked 10 hour days in these conditions all in attempt to discover some gold.
- Panning for gold
I’d recommend you arrive to Soverign Hill as early as you can in order to fit everything in. We spent a good three-four hours on the site but I would have liked longer. On exit, we crossed the road to visit the Gold Museum, allowing us to learn more about the goldrush era before making our way back to Melbourne.
On the Road with Marlow 