I am the daughter of a dairy farmer and the youngest of 5 kids.
Growing up in south west Victoria, we didn’t really go away too much as Dad had to milk the cows morning and night.
BUT, we did sneak away for the occasional day trip throughout the ’80’s. One of my favourite childhood memories was a visit to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat.
Back in the Olden Days….
Does anyone else have kids that refer to your childhood as ‘the olden days?’ Ain’t that just a sweet little gut punch?
Anyway, I remember frantically panning for gold, truly believing I was seeing the glimmer of a nugget in the sand at the bottom of each scoop. I can still feel the thrill of the horses gathering speed to approach the hill as they pulled us along in their carriage. The pulse of the adrenaline as I feared we were not going to make it and clutched on to my mother tightly. I remember the dust and the vegemite sandwiches and the fine ladies in their long dresses. Most importantly, I remember the red, boiled lollies. I often thought about these over the next few decades and nearly fell over recently when I spied them on the shelves at my local Woolworths. I am slightly scarred by the home made bonnet that my mother produced for me to wear upon our arrival, but have no idea where that ended up…or do I?
Now I am a mother to two kids of my own. I have desperately wanted to head back to Ballarat to create a new memory with my family and share the joy of the Gold Rush era with them. I love the idea of a fun day out, whilst truly reliving such an important part of our history.
About Ballarat
For those of you not familiar with this tourist destination, Ballarat is about 125kms from Melbourne and is around 1 3/4 hours drive away. (For those of you with kids coming from Melbourne, this is very manageable with a bag of snacks and a few family rounds of the Kookaburra song…or a movie perhaps…) Sovereign Hill was created as a living museum to demonstrate the way the gold rush played out throughout the region in the 1850’s. The ground in Ballarat was found to be rich with gold during this time and people from all over the world flooded the region hoping to strike it rich. In order to preserve this dramatic and unique history, a village has been recreated demonstrating all aspects of daily life in this era.
Sovereign Hill Today
What I really love about this place, is that a family ticket includes up to 4 kids. For those with larger families, this really is a win and is quite unusual. At the time of writing, a family ticket is $144. This includes free parking, a Red Hill mine tour, panning for gold, entry to all the shops and displays and LOADS of demonstrations/activities throughout the day. There was a blackboard at the main ‘intersection’ which had a list of what was on for the day. I am also super daggy and had printed off a map, circled what we wanted to see and also what time things were on, so that I could roughly plan our day. Some activities are at an extra cost such as a coach ride. Check out opening times and prices here.
But WAIT…there’s more…
When you enter with your ticket, make sure it is validated for a second day FREE.
You are welcome back the next day to continue exploring. There was soooooo much to do, we really could have gone back.
Our day : Things to Do
- Stroll through the streets : Firstly we needed to just have a little wander and work out what we wanted to do and what time everything was on. There are loads of little shops to peek in to and the kids loved seeing everyone dressed in period costume.
- Gold Mine Tour : Whilst there is a free tour included in the price of your ticket, I paid the extra $20 to take the carriage ride under ground. It was a hot day, so this ride was cool and dark (except for the constant flash of the little one’s light up shoes). We had an fantastic tour guide who ensured the kids were at the front for each stop so they could see and hear clearly. This was excellent value for money and it was incredible to learn just how the miners could work so deep underground.
- Musket Firing : This was scheduled for 11.30am. The ‘trooper’ who conducted this display was really entertaining. Quite the joker with loads of quirky facts to keep us all engaged. The lead up to the ‘big bang’ moment was really well done.
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- Red Coat Soldiers : A complimentary parade that absolutely pulled the crowd. It was fantastic to see the soldiers march up the road, in to the Theatre and then arrive out on the balcony. If I thought the Musket Firing was loud, this was it x 10!
- Panning for Gold : An absolute highlight. Who knew just how passionately the kids would throw themselves into this? Just that mere suggestion of possibility and the faith that they just might be the lucky one. Make sure you grab a $1 vial from the shop to keep your gold safe. Yes! We truly found some! A tiny bit…but still…the dream lives on… The kids could have stayed here for hours!
- The Lolly Shop : We were like kids in a lolly shop…oh…wait… Very simple, traditional lollies. Boiled drops, fudge or a lollypop.
**SOVEREIGN HILL HOTEL : There was sooooo much more I wanted to do. The School House, The Candle Making and the Theatre shows to name a few, but of course with 3 kids in tow and a relatively warm day, there is only so much we could manage. In hindsight, we perhaps should have looked in to the Sovereign Hill Hotel Accommodation. It is on-site as has some really affordable family options…but it does book out fast.
Hot tips….
- Do your homework. Either research online first, keep an eye on Sovereign Hill social media platforms such as Facebook for ‘what’s on’, or head straight to the main street to see the blackboard of daily happenings. Work out a loose plan with times, so that you don’t miss out on anything.
- There are plenty of cafe options (the bakery looked delish), but if you would rather spend your money on the experiences, be sure to bring a packed lunch, snacks and bottles of water.
- If you are planning a Stage Coach ride, get on it early. We decided to do ours after lunch, but hadn’t accounted for the fact that the horses need a break and the line becomes long.
- Hit the lolly shop as you are leaving. We went too early and the kids picked out a lollypop which they were then carrying around with them for the next half an hour. Also, SET A BUDGET. Make the kids work out what they can afford with their spending money.
- The Red Hill mine tour is part of your entry fee. We chose to spend the extra $20 to take a Gold Mine Tour which brought us underground on a little train. If it’s a hot day, take this when you’ve had enough of the heat. It is lovely and cool and quiet down there.
- Consider a stopover to take advantage of the second day free. Sovereign Hill also has its own family friendly accommodation if you have traveled from afar. Check it out here. There was sooooo much more that we could have done if we had of stayed an extra day.
The ‘locals’ are more than happy to pose for your photos.
We left Ballarat absolutely exhausted yet happy. The kids were rattling on in the back seat about how they would find more gold next time and just how they would spend their millions.
But me? I was thinking about just how incredible it was that Sovereign Hill has truly managed to span the generations. There are not many tourist destinations left from my own childhood that I can share with my own kids. Perhaps more importantly, it was even better than I remembered!
Then and now…
I am far left in both pictures. Accompanied by my siblings in the top pic, and my kids and nephew down below.
If only the kids would stop asking me if I had to wash clothes in the river when I was a child, or did I find those big dresses really hot to wear or did we get around in a horse and cart….Ummmmmm…..No, kids. Not even close.
For more information, be sure to check Sovereign Hill out here.
