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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Sovereign Hill

Name: Sovereign Hill
Address: Bradshaw Street, Ballarat, VIC, 3350, AU
Telephone: +61353371199
Price range: Not Applicable

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Sovereign Hill

Sovereign Hill brings to life the colour and excitement of Australia’s 1850s goldfields. Book your tickets online: https://bit.ly/3SGIz7K

27/05/2026

Located beside the entrance of Sovereign Hill, there's a place worth slowing down for 🌿

The Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct is home to seven sculptures crafted by five Wadawurrung artists — Aunty Marlene Gilson OAM, Dr Deanne Gilson, Tammy Gilson, Kait James, and Lynette Fagan.

Each work is an expression of culture, connection, and deep belonging to Country. Each artwork is shaped by hands that carry generations of shared knowledge, strength and resilience.

Every piece asks you to pause, look, and reflect on a story much older than the gold rush, and the legacy of colonisation that remains today.

Find out more: ww.sovereignhill.com.au/wadawurrung-cultural-precinct

Image gallery (l-r)
1. Aunty Marlene Gilson OAM, All Nations, 2024
2. Kait James, Still Here, 2024
3. Dr Deanne Gilson, Wadawurrung Cultural Tree of Knowledge, 2024
4. Lynette Fagan, Porronggitj, 2024
5. Tammy Gilson, buniya beenyak, 2024

Reconciliation Australia Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation

24/05/2026

You one month ago: "We should DEFINITELY do Winter Wonderlights this year"

You now, realising it's one month away and nobody has organised anything: 😮

OKAY. Pick a date. Forward them the link. It's time to do this. 🎟️✨

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/mur5v8hs
📅 26 June – 19 July

Tag the friend who needs to see this👇

23/05/2026

It's day 2 of Heritage Harvest Weekend 🍂

Cooking demonstrations, CWA classics, tastings, market stalls, kids activities + more — there's something delicious around every corner.

The best part? Your ticket includes access to 20+ Sovereign Hill activities - gold panning, self-guided mine tours, live shows and more.

Find out more: https://www.hhw.sovereignhill.com.au/

See you at Sovereign Hill

22/05/2026

🌾 Heritage Harvest Weekend is HERE! 🍂

Get your baskets ready and bring your appetite - it’s time to celebrate the best local producers, makers, and artisans.

🍂 Live cooking demos & Q&A sessions with culinary stars Alice Zaslavsky, Tim Bone, Cat Clarke, and Simon Hardie

🍂 Tasting Table with gin and cheese tasting, yoghurt and sauerkraut demos + more

🍂 The Harvest Market Village featuring nearly 30 incredible producers and artisans — sample, shop, and stock up on local goodness.

🍂 Roll up your sleeves and learn from the best with the Country Women’s Association of Victoria Inc.

🍂 Little Explorers activities for the kids: The Berry Patch, pick a potato, arts and crafts + more

Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/4sz6wjvd

Heritage Harvest Weekend is presented as part of the City of Ballarat's Ballarat Heritage Festival, 21-24 May. The City of Ballarat is a major event partner of Sovereign Hill.

22/05/2026

Victorian-era VR? Kind of 👀

As part of this weekend's Ballarat Heritage Festival get up close with two extraordinary pieces from our collection — a rare Holmes-pattern hand-held stereoscope (c.1883) and a tabletop French "Pantoscope" manufactured between 1890–1915.

These ingenious devices gave 19th-century audiences a 3D view of the world long before anyone imagined a screen.

Alongside them, are enlarged photographs from our collection celebrating Ballarat's rich and diverse history, including stunning images of the heritage-listed Loong Chinese processional dragon.

These items are on display as part of the exhibition 'Ballarat Revealed: Hidden Histories, Shared Together' at the Ballarat Mining Exchange.

21/05/2026

Heritage Harvest Weekend is this Saturday & Sunday, 23-24 May 😋🍂

Clear your plans and possibly skip breakfast for this one - it's going be big!

Think live cooking demos with Alice Zaslavsky, Tim Bone, and more, fresh baked treats, tasting sessions, and enough autumn goodness to justify seconds (and thirds).

Wander through the Harvest Village market, explore the kids’ activities, and still fit in a spot of gold panning or a mine tour while you’re here.

Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/7va8y8kd

21/05/2026

Meet Y112 — the oldest operating steam locomotive in Victoria, and the biggest object in our museum collection 🚂

Built in 1889 at Ballarat's own Phoenix Foundry, Y112 spent decades hauling goods trains across Victoria before being retired, stripped for parts, and nearly lost to history. Thanks to the Ballarat Historical Society, it was saved and transferred to Sovereign Hill's custodianship.

Today it's cared for by the dedicated team at Steamrail Victoria — and it's the only locomotive of the 352 built by the Phoenix Foundry still in operational condition anywhere in the state.

This weekend, Y112 is back on the tracks for the first time since 2023 as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival. Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/ywdzpuf6

20/05/2026

This National Volunteer Week, we're shining a light on the extraordinary people who make Sovereign Hill what it is🌟

Across Sovereign Hill, nearly 300 active volunteers of all ages have contributed around 25,000 hours in the past 12 months — and we are so deeply grateful.

From greeting guests and sharing stories, to supporting behind the scenes and guiding students, our volunteers bring heart, history, and life to everything we do.

They are woven into the very fabric of Sovereign Hill, and we couldn't do this without them.

To every single one of you — thank you. Your generosity of time means the world to us, and to everyone who walks through our gates. 💛

15/05/2026

Watch this, then make plans
with.allanah visited Heritage Harvest Weekend last year, and it’s basically a masterclass in how to do the day.

Bring your appetite. Take your time. Try it all.

Try it out for yourself next weekend, 23-24 May. Start planning: https://www.hhw.sovereignhill.com.au/

13/05/2026

Ballarat locals, this one’s for you 👀

Love popping into Sovereign Hill for a wander, gold panning session, sweet treat or weekend adventure?

Now you can do it all year long with a Locals Pass.

✨ Unlimited entry for 12 months
✨ Unlimited entry to Winter Wonderlights
✨ Available for Ballarat Local Government Area residents

Because one visit is never enough.

From winter magic to coach rides and Raspberry Drops, there’s always something new to discover at Sovereign Hill.

Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/dumnea79

Address

Bradshaw Street
Ballarat, VIC
3350

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+61353371199

Website

http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/

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