Soverign Hill, Ballarat

15th December we visited Soverign Hill an Outdoor Museum telling the story of Ballarat's first fabulous goldrush decade following the discovery of gold in 1851 -  the museum covers 25 hectares of a former gold mining site.

The experience begins with an example of the living conditions of the early prospectors. What hard times they lived through!

The early prospectors panned and dug shallow holes but it was the Cornish miners who arrived with their know how who dug deep shafts and set up machinery.

We visited later settlers cottages shops, theatre and workshops. Yasmin and Francois had a go at panning and actually found about 10 grains of gold!!!

Finally we made the excursion into a deep gold mine, but in the safety of an enclosed caged trolley. Very exciting and interesting (not for the claustrophobic)  After the ride down we walked quite a way, the lighting was dim for atmosphere but I found it difficult to see my way. 

First of all the miners used hammer, chisel and pickaxe. Later dynamite was used, followed by the above machines. All gruelling hard, unhealthy work and miners who were not killed or wounded died young.