Sovereign Hill
The Sovereign Hill
To present in a dynamic group of museums, the mining, social, cultural and environmental heritage of the Ballarat region and its impact on Australia’s national story.
The Vision: To be a leader amongst the world’s best outdoor heritage museums.
Sovereign Hill was the creation of a group of enterprising Ballarat businessmen with a desire to develop a facility that would preserve Ballarat’s great gold mining history and heritage.
Today, Sovereign Hill is a world-class living outdoor museum that attracts almost half a million visitors annually and injects $40 million into the Ballarat economy.
Employing more than 600 staff and volunteers, Sovereign Hill is a not for profit organization that invests its profits back into capital improvements.
Sovereign Hill has made a profit in all of its 35 years of trading, with limited assistance from government. Compared to other museums that are reliant on government subsidies, Sovereign Hill makes a profitable return.
The success is due partly to Sovereign Hill’s ability to recreate the magic – giving visitors a reason to come back – and the development of commercial projects to provide ongoing financial returns.
Since opening in November 1970 with an activated recreation of an 1850’s Streetscape, expansions have included:
- the Gold Museum, managing a $7million collection;
- Sovereign Hill Lodge, a four-star motel located on-site;
- Blood on the Southern Cross, a sound and light show presenting the Eureka Rebellion story with day entry, dinner and accommodation packages available; and
- Narmbool, an historic rural property where Sovereign Hill’s education programs are presented in a bush environment;
A major contributor to regional economic, social and cultural development, the Sovereign Hill experience attracts day and overnight visitation to Ballarat.
Management and staff participate in industry panels and represent at conferences, sharing Sovereign Hill’s strategies as an example of industry best practice.
Sovereign Hill was voted ’s Number One Major Tourist Attraction at the 2006 National Tourism Awards – the second time it has won this coveted award.
Sovereign Hill was also voted