Year 5

Sovereign Hill Excursion

Sovereign Hill is an outdoor museum located in Ballarat designed to recreate the atmosphere and experiences of the Australian Gold Rush era in the 1800s. It offers a rich educational experience for our Year 5 students to learn about this significant period in Australian history. Through historical immersion, hands-on activities such as gold panning and gold smelting, guided mine tours, cultural insights, role-playing and teamwork opportunities, students engage deeply with the past. This enriching visit allows students to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of history and fosters critical thinking by immersing themselves in the Australian Gold Rush era. 

Year 5 visited Sovereign Hill on Friday 9 August, departing at 7.30am. Here are some accounts on what our Year 5 students experienced on the day:

On Friday, the 9th of August, we went to Sovereign Hill for our Year 5 excursion.

We enjoyed panning for gold and some of us found a few specks of gold. We enjoyed the museums and learning about the melted gold and the tunnel.

We also went to the mines and the waterfall, it was very beautiful. In Sovereign Hill, there are shops where we go to buy a lot of candy drops. As a cohort, we bought many items including Raspberry Drops, Sour Grape, Blackcurrant Drops, Lemon Drops, Strawberries and Cream Drops, Cola Drops and more.

Walking around Sovereign Hill was really fun. We saw many people acting on the street and we got to learn about how they talk and how they dress. We enjoyed touching the possum fur and watching people make candy. It was super cool touching the replica of the 24-carat gold. The gold bar that was 3 kg and 24 carat was called the Welcome Nugget.

After we left Sovereign Hill, we went to Lazy Moes and we had the option of eating fish and chips, nachos, chicken schnitzels and chips, and bolognese pasta. Even though we were tired, it was really fun to be around friends and talk about what we have learned in Sovereign Hill. We even get to have ice-cream for dessert!

Finally, we were back on the bus and it was finally time to go back to school. We arrived back at 8:30pm. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.