Ballarat - Gold and the Eureka Rebellion

Trip Start Jan 17, 2007
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Trip End Jul 20, 2007


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Flag of Australia  ,
Sunday, March 18, 2007

Ballarat is only a 2 hour drive from Melbourne and well worth a visit on the way to Adelaide. It became the world's biggest gold rush town in the 1860's and the world's biggest gold nugget was found here. Because of this Ballarat has a very interesting history and played a pivotal role in making Australia a country in its' own right, no longer just a British colony. At the centre of the town is Sovereign Hill, a journey back in time to its' gold rush days. It's a full scale model of exactly what the town was like with real shops and actors dressed dressed in period costume who help to tell the story of Ballarat and the Eureka Rebellion.

We had a fantastic day wandering around the old streets, watching the demonstrations of old local trades such as mining, barrel and wheel making, ironmongery, candle making and dress making. One of our favourites was a demonstration of how they used to make sweets 01 Laurie at Sovereign Hill
01 Laurie at Sovereign Hill
 . The traditional methods are still used today and produce very tasty results that are sold across the region. We has a go at candlemaking and panning for gold. Despite trying hard, we didn't strike it rich this time, so we will be coming home as planned! It was really good to watch the different actors around the park and to relax as we looked around the old shops.

In the evening Sovereign Hill puts on a light and sound show called 'Blood on the Southern Cross' which tells of the history of Ballarat and particularly the Eureka Rebellion. This was the bloody fight between miners and the British army over independence and the right to mine. The British had levied a heavy tax on miners by way of a license fee despite the miners having to live in terrible conditions. There were many factors leading to the rebellion and the eventual fight which resulted in the deaths of many people but ultimately leading to independence and better conditions for the miners. The show itself had no actors and consisted entirely of narration and clever lighting of a huge outdoor set involving the actual town which we walked around as the show progressed. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos to show how spectacular it was, but we really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who was passing through the area.

We've got a long drive to Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, but we're definately looking forward to the treats there. Mmm free wine tasting!

Lots of love

Laurie and Jilly xx
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