Doors open to new centre

A NEW centre housing key works from Australia’s goldrush collection is opening its doors today.

The Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections will be located at the old gold museum near Sovereign Hill and allow people to explore a wealth of history from the goldrush.

President of Sovereign Hill’s Museums Association, Craig Fletcher, said the opening allows the public to access previously hidden artifacts.

“This project continues our commitment to telling the many stories of the goldrush in ways that connect us to a past with an eye on the future,” he said.

Featured items include Australia’s oldest Chinese Dragon, a chair which he used by Peter Lalor, original miners’ licences, gold nuggets and other treasures.

CEO of Sovereign Hill Sara Quon said the museum will use different techniques so the artifacts can reach the widest audience possible and so visitors can get up close to the collection.

“We will be offering back of house tours open to the public who can book to join a boutique experience with the items selected for regularly changing themes,” she said.

“There’s also scope to share the stories unlocked from the archives in new ways to new audiences using digital technology.”

The centre will also host lectures, talks, debates, and performances to link this history to the issues faced by society today.

Ms Quon said that having the Gold Rush Collections together with the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades will highlight stories from the period and deepen our knowledge of the era.

“Having iconic national centres like these in regional Victoria, just an hour outside of Melbourne strengthens our states reputation as an innovation and creative hub and sets a future course for greater development and economic success,” she said.

“We are delighted that so much of the project has been made possible by the support of the Ballarat Historical Society and the Chinese Australian Cultural Association of Ballarat.”