On 9 June, 1858 at 8.20pm an excited shout rang out from Ballarat’s Red Hill Mine.
The Welcome Nugget, the largest piece of gold in the world, had just been discovered.
Find out why this was such a special moment for Ballarat and what happened to the nugget afterwards.
Step inside our glamourous Victoria Theatre and discover the history of Ballarat’s most famous entertainment venue
The original United States Hotel appears in Ballarat newspapers from 1855 onwards. Located in Main Road, it was named by its two founders, Americans Albion Nicholls and John William Emery. Tragically, the hotel burnt down in the early hours of 1st December 1855, killing three people, including Nicholls. Newspaper items of the day[1] report a […]
Dangerous. Rebellious. Controversial. Ballarat’s first newspaper, the Ballarat Times, had a colourful history.
Discover the history of David Jones’ Criterion Store which is recreated alongside other businesses on Sovereign Hill’s Main Street
It is with heavy heart that we announce our temporary closure to the public due to the Coronavirus pandemic. All our upcoming events and exhibitions have been cancelled. We will use this time to continue caring for our sites and collection, and to develop our experiences and services to you, our dear visitors, so that […]
Join us for our biggest summer ever! The gold rush is happening all over again this summer as part of our Sovereign Hill school holiday program. This summer, Sovereign Hill is busier than it’s been since the 1850s gold rush. With NEW activities every day and the chance to win a $400 gold nugget every […]
A collection relating to Ballarat’s Harris and Pearce family has been lovingly donated to the Sovereign Hill Museums Association.
Deakin University student Jessie Tudor tells us about her Museum Studies internship at the Gold Museum
