Local builders remodelling museum

CONSTRUCTION is set to begin on Sovereign Hill’s new Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades and Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

Sovereign Hill Museums Association CEO Sara Quon said building firm SL & LK Menhennet Constructions has been awarded the tender, which will see them remodel the inside of the Gold Museum building on Bradshaw Street, after a public application process.

The CRAFT and Gold Rush Collections centres are being established under one roof as part of the outdoor museum’s master plan, and are expected to open in the second half of 2022.

“We’re transforming the Gold Museum into two deep learning centres that will create up to 60 jobs over the lifetime of the project,” she said.

“It’s really exciting to work with local Ballarat-based business SL & LK Menhennet Constructions to deliver on this phase of our master plan.”

The Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections will be an education asset, with artefacts and ephemera displayed, while the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades will welcome makers and rare trades artisans who will host public workshops.

The resources in the Gold Rush Collections space within the building will not only be beneficial to school and education groups, but those conducting family history research.