The Sovereign Hill Museums Association

🌟 Heritage Harvest Weekend Returns! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Heritage Harvest Weekend on 24-25 May in Ballarat. This premier event celebrates the rich cultural heritage and the vibrant local food scene, offering an exceptional opportunity for networking, collaboration, and community engagement. The weekend will showcase dynamic markets, exclusive tastings, live demonstrations, and a range of activities that will appeal to both local and visiting audiences. It’s an excellent platform for businesses to connect with customers, engage with regional industries, and promote local products and services. Stay tuned for announcements on special guests and exciting new experiences designed to elevate this year’s event. We invite you to join us for an unforgettable weekend that celebrates culture, Local businesses, and the community.

🏆 Huge congratulations to our volunteer Keira Lockyer on winning the Community Diversity Award at the recent Victorian Community History Awards! Her book, 'The Pioneering Jews of the Ballaarat Goldfields', shines a light on the rich history and contributions of the Jewish community during the gold rush, featuring figures like Benjamin Rees and Emmanuel Steinfeld - names you might recognise from their businesses recreated at Sovereign Hill. Keira drew on objects and research from our collection, and her book is now proudly part of our library at the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

Breaking rules, making history This Women’s History Month, our Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections is spotlighting the fearless women who shaped the goldfields - rebels, innovators, and trailblazers who made history. 🔸 ‘Grass Widows’ – Communities Connected to the Goldfields from Afar | 14 March PhD candidate Sharni Brownbridge explores the lives of women whose husbands ventured to the diggings, leaving them to forge new futures. 🎟️ Bookings essential: https://lnkd.in/gYVYJ4Dv 🔸 Females to the Front! Collections Tour | 14-15 March Meet game-changers like whip-cracking performer Lola Montez, 'lady miner' Madam Midas, and natural dye pioneer Eady Hart through the objects that tell their stories. 🎟️ Bookings essential: https://lnkd.in/g5_bU4mb 📷 Photograph of Lola Montez, Sovereign Hill Museums Association collection, acc. no. 78.0638 #IWD2025 #WomensHistoryMonth #AccelerateAction Professional Historians Association (Victoria and Tasmania) Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria AMaGA Emerging Professionals Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid

Last Saturday, we hosted Auslan Day at Sovereign Hill, taking an important step towards making our museum accessible to all! 🌟 With the help of Auslan Stage Left, we were able to provide Auslan interpreting for our visitors, ensuring that everyone could engage with our history. 🏺 Guests enjoyed Auslan-interpreted demonstrations, a gold mine tour, and an unforgettable AURA experience. 💫 It was a wonderful day filled with learning, connection, and inclusivity, and we're excited to continue creating spaces where everyone feels welcome.

🚀 We're Hiring! 🚀 Sovereign Hill is on the lookout for a Corporate Partnerships & Development Manager to join our dynamic team! If you have a proven track record in corporate partnerships, business development, and excellent communication skills, we want to hear from you! Why Sovereign Hill? We value creativity, collaboration, and the ability to deliver unique, immersive experiences. Join a passionate team committed to bringing history to life!

We're thrilled to officially open Stage 1a of our 20-year Master Plan, marking a huge milestone in Sovereign Hill’s transformation into a leading cultural and tourism destination. With the support of local and federal government, key stakeholders, and our community, we’re excited to share these incredible upgrades with you! Here’s what’s NEW: ✨ Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades – Australia’s only venue dedicated to rare crafts and traditional trades. 🎉 New Events Precinct – A modern, 7,500-capacity space for festivals, events, and corporate functions year-round. 🖼️ Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct – A beautiful new space showcasing the powerful works of Wadawurrung artists. 🏮 Rebuilt Chinese Protectorate Camp – 11 new buildings, expanded gold panning areas, and a vibrant Chinese circus tent. 🏙️ Enhanced Government Camp – Reimagined displays that offer a glimpse into Ballarat’s early gold rush days. 💎 Gold Rush Collections – Behind-the-scenes access to over 150,000 objects from our collection, with exclusive tours. 🌟 Accessibility Upgrades – New accessible gold panning zones and sensory-friendly resources for all visitors. We’re also excited to welcome guests to the newly revamped New York Bakery and Prospectors Table Café, offering fresh menus and updated spaces to relax and enjoy! And this is just the beginning! Up next: the Gold Pavilion visitor entrance and a cutting-edge Gold Vault exhibition that will take visitors on an immersive journey through our rich heritage. “The completion of Stage 1a marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Sovereign Hill.” – Sara Quon, CEO The Sovereign Hill Museums Association Find out more: https://lnkd.in/g8VFPrJ8

🎉 Big news! We took home TWO awards at the 2024 Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) Awards: 🏆 Outstanding Contribution of Volunteers Recognises our incredible 240-strong volunteer team who bring the gold rush era to life every day. 🏆 Excellence in Accessible Tourism Acknowledges our commitment to inclusivity, from accessible gold panning to sensory-friendly resources. A huge thank you to our volunteers, staff, and community for making Sovereign Hill a place where everyone can connect with our stories and experiences.

Our strategic initiatives to focus on access, inclusion, and community engagement have progressed significantly. For over two years, our incredible volunteers have been building meaningful connections with residents in aged care facilities, sharing the magic of Sovereign Hill and creating lasting bonds. Seeing the joy and sense of belonging that these visits bring is incredibly rewarding for all involved. We are so appreciative of our volunteers who are making such a positive impact! ✨

We’ve officially launched the Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct, an outdoor space celebrating the rich culture and artistry of the Wadawurrung community. Featuring seven incredible sculptures by five prominent Wadawurrung artists - Aunty Marlene Gilson OAM, Dr Deanne Gilson, Tammy Gilson, Lynette Fagan, and Kait James - the artworks represent the profound impact of colonisation, while celebrating the community's enduring connections to Country, culture, and the future. Launched with the support of Michaela Settle on behalf of Minister Steve Dimopolous, the Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct is one of the new Sovereign Hill experiences supported by the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund. Read more about the Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct: https://lnkd.in/gcH3TcYk

What an incredible week it’s been hosting our museum and gallery colleagues in Ballarat for the Australian Museums and Gallery Association (AMAGA) conference. Our CEO Sara Quon, Deputy CEO Katrina Nitschke and our dedicated team—Erin Santamaria (General Manager of the Rare Trades Centre), Lauren Bourke (Head of Collections and Curatorial), and Historian Anna Kyi—have had the privilege of showcasing our work and engaging in inspiring discussions. It was a privilege to host the conference dinner with our colleagues who got the full Sovereign Hill treatment including gold panning, live performances, and the AURA sound and light show Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this event so vibrant. Here’s to continued partnerships and innovative ideas! #AMaGA2024 #Museums #Galleries #Collections #CulturalHeritage #Collaboration Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria AMaGA Emerging Professionals Professional Historians Association (Victoria and Tasmania) 📷 Sovereign Hill | Magnetic Shots