SOVEREIGN HILL
YEAR 5's GO BACK TO 1854
By Jo Noy (Year 5 Teacher)
On the night of the 19th June 2025, tension was building in the hearts of the Year 5s, awaiting tomorrow and the amazing events it would bring” (Violet F 5A). For tomorrow they would be transported back in time to 1854 and the heights of the Gold Rush in Ballarat!
In a small miracle of dedication from parents and students, all 50 odd Year 5s had arrived not just on time, but early, almost beating the rising sun, for a 7:30 (am!) departure and never before have you seen a group so excited to be at school so early!
A long drive and a short play stop later and the gates of Sovereign Hill were opened to a stream of excited students and the ‘responsible’ adults there to help keep them from falling too deeply into ‘gold fever’! A living museum, students were quick to spread out and investigate all they could find. For many, the first thing they found was the Sweet Shop or Brown’s Confectionery Factory.
There they learnt that the factory was over 100 years old and was a continuation of a business that originated in Ballarat during the Gold Rush era, and that they still use the same methods in the creation of the lollies (with some minor OHS adjustments over the years). While interested by those facts, there was a much louder response from students as they watched more than 5kg of melted ‘sugar’ be transformed into Raspberry Drops that they then got to devour, still warm!
Others went straight to the ‘diggings’ and began their quest for gold. Through frustration (& cold water) many students found the shiny specks and were thrilled with their discovery, leading to the inevitable ‘gold fever’ that followed. Others took their Red Hill Mine tour, learning all about the discovery of the Welcome Nugget and the conditions many diggers worked in.
There were opportunities to see what school looked like in those days and even try writing with a nib pen and ink, proving particularly difficult for the left-handed amongst our cohort. Many visited the Chinese camp and saw the differences in the way they lived compared to the European diggers. There were old houses to visit, The Victoria Theatre to see, horse and cart rides to enjoy and musket firing demonstrations that could be heard from far far away! Bowling proved an entertaining pastime in any era, although most didn’t enjoy having to reset the pins themselves. A trip to the top of the Observation Tower provided a wonderful view of Sovereign Hill and its surrounds, while watching the Blacksmith work was fascinating as he manipulated and twisted the metal into elaborate handles for a fire poker kit.
As the day was moving towards a close our whole group gathered to watch as gold was melted and the purifying process was explained. We watched in awe as molton gold quickly became a solid gold bar, still so hot it gave off sparks when rubbed with a wooden stick! There was time for a few more shopping stops, turns at bowling or some more gold hunting and then the sun was preparing for its farewell. A quick stop for pizza in the park and we were on our way home, tired but exhilarated from the day.
In all seriousness, as a final note, it was a pleasure to enjoy Sovereign Hill with the Year 5s. They represented our school well and should be very proud of themselves. Huge thanks to the staff and parents that attended, and to all the parents for the early start and late pick up! And thanks to God for a beautiful sun-shining day! It was an invaluable experience!
“There was not one person who didn’t have gold fever” - Amelia V 5A
“The steak, mushroom and cheese pies were very good” - Caleb F 5A
“In the confectionery factory it was easy and simple to make the raspberry lollies and it was satisfying to watch” - Harry S 5B
“The Lolly Shop was great and had so many delicious and tasty choices. The Gold Pour was satisfying to watch” - Millie M 5B
