Sovereign Hill
When gold was found in the Victoria colony it sparked a gold rush which would see the growth of the colony rise in a way that no one would have thought possible. The town of Ballarat, which had been founded in 1838, would become a magnet for those seeking their fortune.
The site of Sovereign Hill initially found fame when a 69kg nugget of gold was found by a Cornish miner in 1858. As the gold began to run out Ballarat continued to flourish as manufacturing and business shifted from gold to lead. The modern site of Sovereign Hill opened as a museum in November 1970.
With recreated buildings; volunteers who play the part of the locals from the era; film shows; theatre events and tours down the mines a visit to Sovereign Hill is a full day out. The town is laid out with a main street featuring shops and bars while the surrounding areas show life as they would have been with camps, mines and entertainment.
Across the road from Sovereign Hill is the Gold Museum which tells the story of the 1850s gold rush and shows just how gold has been used throughout the history of mankind.
Link: Sovereign Hill Gold Mine and Museum
