Resenärer som vill lära sig mer om det australiensiska guldruset från 1850-talet behöver inte leta längre än de fullsatta hallarna i Ballarat's Gold Museum. Skärmar fyllda med guldklumpar och guldmynt samt bilder, berättelser och artefakter från eran visar de sanna och prövande berättelserna om europeiska bosättare som letade efter en av världens mest värdefulla medaljer.
Förutom guldhoppshistoria hittar resenärer artefakter från Ballarat och dess omgivning, aboriginska konstverk och föremål från Stillahavsöarna, plus sällsynta böcker, dräkter, historiska möbler och textilier. Detta populära stopp visar inte bara det bästa av massivt guld, utan också några av Australiens mest relevanta historiska och kulturella skatter.
There are more than 150,000 objects and artifacts in the vaults at the Gold Museum that tell stories of the Victorian gold rush era. These are available to view six days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday. Daily tickets and annual passes are available, plus concession prices and companion cards for those who need support during their visit. You can also take home vials of floating gold from the gift shop.
Book tickets online to save time when you arrive. There are several different ticket types, including those for children, families, and concessions.
Be prepared for the weather, since you’ll be moving between covered exhibits and the outdoors.
Some activities must be booked on-site, such as coach rides, underground mine tours, and candle dipping, so bring another form of payment for these.
The Gold Museum is in Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill building on Bradshaw Street. You can arrive either by car or by public bus. Many visitors to Ballarat arrive from Melbourne, which is a direct 1.5-hour journey from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, and has regular departures- more frequently on weekdays than weekends.
The Gold Museum is open from Tuesdays through Sundays, from 10am to 5pm. Weekdays are generally less busy than weekends, and holiday periods can draw more visitors, too. Book an annual pass, which is less than the price of three visits, so you can come all year long, as many times as you like.
Besides being home to the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, or the Gold Museum, Sovereign Hill also holds a few other experiences to discover. There’s the evening Aura show, which tells the story of gold through a series of hi-tech projections. You can also join a workshop to learn a rare trade at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, also at Sovereign Hill.