Many exciting new attractions

Sovereign Hill

OVER the past year the Sovereign Hill team has been working at a hectic pace to launch five exciting attractions to this 1850s living museum. Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, now more than ever, gives visitors a feel for the hustle and bustle of daily life back 140 years ago.

The most spectacular addition to the park is a $50,000 Goldpour where you can see liquid gold melted and poured into a bullion bar. Demonstrations run on the hour and give people the chance to see the magic color of three kilograms of pure liquid gold before their eyes.

The newly-opened Butchers Shamble, the 1850's version of the suburban butcher's shop, has raw meat hanging in a small hut of the period. Mutton was staple diet for the diggers and was cheaper than flour. So, often it was meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A Candlemakers and Undertakers, at the top of Main Street, gives visitors another aspect of goldfields life. You can see candles being dipped in hot wax with a "Nodding Donkey" (the name given to the candlemaking machine) and there are lots of shapes and sizes of candles and candleholders to buy.

Sovereign Hill is well known for its extensive underground mine. Tours run every 15 minutes. Now there are two tours a day underground to the Secret Chamber. This attraction tells the story of two Chinese brothers and their experiences on the goldfields by using fantastic sound and light technology and there is even a simulated cave-in!

Miner's cottage

Montrose Cottage

Behind the walls of historic Montrose Cottage lies a unique part of our Australian heritage.

HISTORIC Montrose Cottage and Eureka Museum in Ballarat has plenty of reasons to celebrate its outstanding success.

The first miner's bluestone cottage on the goldfields was the inaugural Victorian Goldfields Tourism award winner in 1998, and Victorian Tourism Awards winner for the past five years.

The Scottish cottage, listed among the top 100 of more than 2000 buildings to be saved at all cost by the Historic Buildings Council of Australia. Montrose Cottage has been meticulously restored to its original self.

The cottage reveals the ingenuity of our goldfields forefathers. Behind these stone walls, just 900 metres from the Eureka Stockade site in 1854, lies a unique part of our Australian heritage. Restored 40 years ago with its original furnishings, it now represents middle class authenticity, in its simple living style. Original artefacts give an excellent portrayal of the 1850s-60s with the faithfully restored rooms.

The Montrose Cottage and Eureka Museum is situated at 109-111 Eureka Street, Ballarat, and is open daily from 9am to 5pm.