Sovereign Hill
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2014) |
Sovereign Hill is an open-air museum in Golden Point, a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Sovereign Hill depicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of gold there in 1851 and has become a nationally acclaimed tourist attraction.[1] It is one of Victoria's most popular attractions and Ballarat's most famous.[2]
Set in the Australian 1850s, the complex is located on a 25-hectare site that is linked to the richest
History
The second-largest gold nugget in the world was found in Ballarat in the Red Hill Mine which is recreated in Sovereign Hill. The Welcome Nugget weighed 69 kg,(2,200 ounces) and comprised 99.2% pure gold, valued at about 10,596 pounds when found, and worth over US$3 million in gold now, or far more as a specimen.
The idea of Sovereign Hill was floated in Ballarat in the 1960s, as a way to preserve historic buildings and to recreate the gold diggings that made the city. The complex was officially opened to the public on 29 November 1970.[3]
Main street is a loose reconstruction of Main Street, Ballarat East which was once the settlement's main street, consisting of timber buildings. It was consumed in a large fire during the 1860s and a more substantial town centre planned around Sturt and Lydiard Street in Ballarat West.
Attractions
The gold diggings are the centre point of the complex, featuring a winding
There are two mines which have guided tours at regular intervals. The Red Hill Mine is a self-guided tour that tells the story of a group of
Main Street is lined with shops, two hotels and a theatre. There is a blacksmith's workshop, stables, photography studio, apothecary, bakery, jeweller's shop, grocer, tentmaker, tinsmith, bank, post office, candle-dipping shop, lolly shop, nine-pin bowling saloon and library. Behind Main Street there are a number of period cottages which are open for visitors. There are also four schools where children in school-groups dress in period costume and attend as a child of the 1850s.
A number of workshops at Sovereign Hill display traditional trades such as coachbuilder, wheelwright, tinsmith, blacksmith and farrier.
AURA is a son et lumiere show depicting the story of gold. It is run at night for a length of 90 minutes, using only sound and lights.
Mine tram
The Sovereign Hill mine tram, opened in March 2008, is an inclined tramway that takes tourists into the mine for a tour.[4] Each tram is 1.35 metres wide and 1.55 metres high, and can carry 33 passengers. The tram goes through a flap, and enters a dark tunnel.[5]
Stations
The Sovereign Hill mine tram has 3 stations – the top station, and two bottom stations. The two bottom stations are located in the mine, and the top station is located in a small hut, which has 2 platforms and a tram per platform. The two bottom stations only has a single platform, as each mine tram goes to a different section.
See also
- Chilean mill, a replica of which has been constructed at Sovereign Hill open-air museum in Ballarat.
References
- ^ "Media Release: SOVEREIGN HILL CLAIMS NATIONAL TOURISM AWARD". 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009.
- ^ "Attractions, Restaurants & Accommodation". Visit Ballarat. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ 简体. "Family Tourist Attraction, Goldrush, Fun for Kids, Day Trip from Melbourne". Sovereignhill.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ "Sovereign Hill Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sovereignhill.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ "The Secret Chamber Journey underground into the depths of a gold mine". Sovereignhill.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
Bibliography
- Frost, W (2005) Making an edgier interpretation of the Gold Rushes: contrasting perspectives from Australia and New Zealand. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 11 (3), pp. 235–250.
- Evans, M (1991) Historical interpretation at Sovereign Hill. Australian Historical Studies 24 (96), pp. 142–152.