Year 5 Sovereign Hill Camp

Wow! What an incredible learning experience!

In Year 5, we had the opportunity to attend Sovereign Hill for a three-day camp. We stepped back in time to the 1850s and engaged in many activities that taught us about life in the Gold Fields. It was an eye-opening adventure!

A highlight of the camp was participating in the Costumed School program. Each Home Group was assigned a school; 5T were the upper-class Wesleyan Day School, 5M formed the middle-class St Alipius Diggings School, and finally, 5W were the lower-class Ballarat Benevolent Asylum Ragged School. We all wore olden day clothing and participated in relevant activities based on our class level. 

The Wesleyan and St Alipius students focused on developing their academics and turned their noses up at the smelly Ragged school children. The Ragged school focused on equipping their students with knowledge about different trades, preparing them for a life of hard labour. 

We loved visiting the Red Hill Gold Mine and panning for gold in the river. Some of us were lucky enough to strike gold – EUREKA! It was fascinating to learn about the properties of gold and why it is so valuable. A blacksmith performed a demonstration of Gold Smelting – the process in which gold is purified. Some of us has even had the opportunity to hold a pure gold bar worth over $450,000!

Overall, camp was fantastic! We grew our knowledge, developed independence and strengthen our friendships. 

Michaela Wynne

Year 5/6 Coordinator