Lola Montez – feisty, fearless and legendary! The mythology that surrounds this 19th century actress is so great that just mentioning her name is enough to start a conversation about her most infamous moments. Was it the racy and daring Spider Dance? Or horse whipping local Ballarat Times editor, Henry Seekamp in Main Road as […]
Author: goldmuseumballarat
Puzzles
We’ve turned our stunning collection of historical fashion prints into digital jigsaw puzzles to help you through lockdown! The Sovereign Hill Museums Association’s collection features over 3,000 original historical fashion pieces, including these fashion prints from some of Europe’s most prestigious lifestyle publications. These prints have been acquired by the museum to recreate the fashion […]
‘A Most Splendid Discovery’: The Canadian Nugget
Towering above the skyline, the massive timber poppet head of the Sovereign Quartz Mine is a Ballarat landmark, and a striking reminder of a truly golden past. Surrounded by roads, housing and businesses, it is easy to forget that our goldfields township rests on land that yielded gold during the 19th century gold rushes that […]
Love Your Garden
Sovereign Hill’s Bright View garden is a paradise of natural wonder and fine craftsmanship courtesy of our garden team
A Welcome Discovery
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.
Victoria Theatre
Step inside our glamourous Victoria Theatre and discover the history of Ballarat’s most famous entertainment venue
United States Hotel
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 […]
‘A Journey into 19th Century Outer Space’: United States Hotel Dining Room Wallpaper
The Ballarat Times
Dangerous. Rebellious. Controversial. Ballarat’s first newspaper, the Ballarat Times, had a colourful history.
David Jones’ Criterion Store
Discover the history of David Jones’ Criterion Store which is recreated alongside other businesses on Sovereign Hill’s Main Street