Sovereign
Hill is a popular attraction, depicting
Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery
of gold, in 1851. It is located at Ballarat,
Victoria within Australia. First officially
opened on 29 November 1970 on a 25 hectare
site, Sovereign Hill is an interactive
museum which has been proven to be popular
with children. Set in the Australian 1850s,
the complex comprises over 60 buildings
that are known to have existed during
that time, and have been historically
recreated with great accuracy. The park
is "inhabited" by costumed volunteers,
who are able to answer questions and will
pose for photos. The recreation is completed
with antiques, artwork, books & papers,
machinery, livestock and animals, carriages
and devices all appropriate to the era.
The Diggings is one of the centre points
of the complex, featuring a winding creek
in which visitors are able to pan for
real gold. This area is surrounded by
tents and shacks contemporary to the early
years of the gold rush, as well as a beautiful
Buddhist Temple.
There
are two mines which have guided tours
at regular intervals. The Red Mill Mine
tells the story of two Chinese brothers
and their experiences on the goldfields
by using a sound and light show. Sovereign
Quartz Mine runs guided tours and features
several underground displays. It also
features steam-driven machinery for pumping
water and processing the ore. The Main
Street is lined with shops, two hotels
and a theatre. There are horse and carriage
rides that last for around 7 minutes and
give visitors a good tour of the park.
Among the shops on Main Street there is
also a blacksmith's workshop, stables,
apothecary, two bakeries, a jeweller's
shop, grocer, tentmaker, milliner, woodturner,
tinsmith, pottery, bank, post office and
library. The candlestick maker’s
shop at the top end of the street is a
great place for the children, who can
see candles being made and coloured and
for a few dollars you can make your own
colourful candle.
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