Sovereign Hill Tours

Take a glimpse of what life was like living on Australia’s 1850s goldfields. When visiting Sovereign Hill, you can find real gold in the creek. What’s even better is that gold pans are provided to visitors and the area enforces a ‘finders keepers’ policy. Hence, if you’ve struck gold in the creek, it’s yours to keep.However, Sovereign Hill has so much to offer that it might be overwhelming. That’s why booking a tour is always a fantastic option to take away the stress of planning your itinerary. Nonetheless, you might be wondering about what are the must-see attractions to view when visiting Sovereign Hill. Here are some of our top picks:

• Art Gallery of Ballarat

The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the largest and oldest art gallery in Australia and was originally established in 1884 by the residents of Ballarat. The part of its collection in the gallery and the building are both listed on the National Trust of Victoria and the Victorian Heritage Register.

Moreover, this gallery has been noted as the origin of the original Eureka Flag. This art gallery is home to major collections displaying the history of Australian art dating back to the early colonial period to the present day. These art pieces cover a wide array of themes, including Home, Place, Country, and Disruption.

• Ballarat Wildlife Park

Australia is best known for its beautiful wildlife, which is why every opportunity to view these animals should be taken. That’s why the Ballarat Wildlife Park is so popular with visitors when touring Sovereign Hill. This is an interactive wildlife park that’s situated on 37 acres of natural bushland.

The park is home to Australian reptiles, mammals, and birds. One of the most fantastic things about Ballarat Wildlife Park is that you can catch a glimpse of free-roaming koalas, kangaroos, eagles, Tasmanian Devils, alligators, giant tortoises, crocodiles, and a wide array of lizards.

If you’re travelling with kids, this could be the best break if they start getting frustrated learning about the history of Australia’s gold rush, as we can imagine all kids can a little bored.

• Eureka Centre Ballarat

Keeping with the historic theme found throughout Sovereign Hill, the Eureka Centre is dedicated to showcasing the history of Australia’s democracy. This centre was previously the Eureka Stockade, which was the place of origin of Australia’s democracy and is the primary focus of the Eureka Centre.

This museum houses the original Eureka Flag, which was seen as a symbol of defiance when the rebels swore an oath against the ruling colonial government. It’s another amazing piece in Australia’s history that can be discovered at Sovereign Hill.

• Lake Wendouree

Lake Wendouree is an artificially-made shallow urban lake. This is a refreshing site on Sovereign Hill where you can enjoy a picnic and take in the clean air. However, the lake isn’t lacking in historical value. The name ‘Wendouree’ comes from the local Aboriginal word ‘wendaaree.’ This means ‘go away’ and is believed to originate from a story about settler Willian Cross Yuille. In the story, he asked a local indigenous woman what the name of the swamp was and her reply was ‘wendaaree,’ which was actually telling him to go away.

• Ballarat Botanical Gardens

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve is found on the picturesque Lake Wendouree’s western shore and covers more than 40 acres of land. This area is divided into three distinct zones. The central Botanical Gardens are found in the Victorian pleasure garden. The South and North Gardens are on either side of these central gardens and are open parkland buffers.

It’s a fantastic destination to visit after viewing Australia’s democracy and history and the events of the Australian gold rush. In most instances, many people enjoy viewing these gardens because of the garden’s poetic and metaphorical significance.

After learning about Australia’s journey to democracy, the Ballarat Botanical Garden can be seen as the ‘greener side of life’ when there are equal rights. However, for those who aren’t looking to get too philosophical, the beautiful scenery is also always refreshing to look at and appreciate.

• Goldfields Track Start

Are you looking to cycle on some of the most historic trails in Australia? Well, the Goldfields Track Start is the right place for you. This trail takes you through the sensational lands that were once extremely rich in gold deposits that made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

Goldfields Track Start begins from the heights of Mt Buninyong, which is south of Ballarat. It takes mountain bikers and bushwalkers through the historic towns of this area before ending in Bendigo. Many visitors enjoy the trail’s exceptional sections of single-track cutting through the scenic farmland, granite boulders, and bush.

• Ballarat Tramway Museum

Do you enjoy travelling by tram? If so, the Ballarat Tramway Museum is the right place for you when visiting Sovereign Hill. This museum is an operating tramway run by volunteers. It has a fleet of trams operating on part of the original horse tramway surrounding Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Additionally, this museum is home to a massive research collection with an archive of information. These archives house more than 3,500 items involving the tramway. When visiting the Ballarat Tramway Museum, you can enjoy a quick tram ride while also learning about the tramway’s history.

• Kryal Castle

Sovereign Hill isn’t only a place to learn about Australia’s history. There are many fun activities to do. If the ones we have listed above don’t interest you much, you might enjoy this replica medieval castle. Kryal Castle is in the foothills of Mount Warrenheip and features castle towers, a maze, drawbridge, moat, an armoury, and stocks. It’s an amazing destination for kids and adults alike. You’re bound to have a blast when visiting this exciting theme park.

Contact us now to learn about our Sovereign Hill tours and what we can do for you!