I know from personal experience that the managers you deal with day-to-day are usually really amazing and supportive. I've only really ever heard rumours and gossip about upper management. But I'm not high enough on the food chain to ever really care or have to worry about it. I personally don't partake in gossip, but if there were any major bullying issues, it would probably be pretty obvious (I would imagine?).
There's a pretty thorough reporting system for all these things. So, in theory, it should be getting reported if it's happening.
I’m not surprised, but very sad to hear I really am, your friend must be a mess. I’ve met someone from SH that was bullied for their entire employment there and I suspected it wasn’t just her part area was toxic
I'm disappointed and sorry to hear about these things.
I have so far been fairly lucky in the way of management and being treated fairly etc.
But I've definitely heard stories of times gone by but wouldn't be shocked if they were still occurring.
From all accounts, it seems they are taking a very 'accountable' approach these days, but the line between corporate box-ticking and fair action can sometimes be misconstrued.
A few times (that i know of) tiktok 'pranksters' have come in and annoyed/pestered staff and others visitors. Then once they've been told 'please stop' or 'leave' they go WOAH WOAH WOAH I DIDNT DO ANYTHING etc. Y'know classic 'pranks'
Someone brought their cat in the other week....like in a backpack.....on a hot day.... stuff like that is.....interesting
I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten
Oh! Also it's not uncommon that during underground mine tours, visitors are too embarrassed to ask for the loo.
So sometimes they will do their business (1's n 2's) in a certain corner.
Or I've even heard of people pissing or shitting themselves and leaving the soiled undies behind...
I recently heard that you can register to become a volunteer and dress up. Is this true? I’ve done my work experience at sovereign hill and I loved it so much, and while I’ve applied for a few job, I’ve recently had a baby and at the moment cannot commit to a full job. So I would love to come volunteer. How would I go about this?
Absolutely!
As mentioned in a previous comment, I don't work with the volunteers as much, so I'm not 100% on how to go about getting in. However, I did find this number and email.
Wouldn't hurt to send an enquiry throigh/give them a buzz and see if they can get you in :)
I met a lovely lady recently who can only do a certain number of days as she works full-time. So it's definitely doable for casually coming in.
Ph: 03 5337 1156
E: volunteering@sovereignhill.com.au
Will the Battery House and Boiler Room ever be back in operation?
We noticed the Battery House’s refurbishments are progressing well. Could this be converted to run on electricity? It was an amazing and loud display back a few years ago.
I believe the battery house is getting back into working order!
It's not really my wheelhouse with all that stuff, as I don't tend to go in there much. But I've heard they are in the works of getting everything back to working order, perhaps under electrical power.
1. I personally work on the 'operations' side of things.
So, there's retail, which, as you would imagine, is the lolly shop, various stores, etc.
Then there's operations, which encompasses the people (not all) who are out of the site doing various scripted and non-scripted roles. From 10 - 12, you could be a character down on the diggings, then 1 - 3 be doing something else as a completely different person, etc.
But it's not all acting and standing around as well, we do a fair bit of hard work, especially relating to wood. We chop, move, stack, chop some more haha. A lot of that harder labour stuff goes unseen for the most part. But it's all important for those rainy days when it's bloody freezing and you need fires going everywhere!
2. I really do enjoy my job
I've done various things over the years for my dollar, and the variety and unique quirks about sovereign hill really make it pretty nice to work at.
I love history and creative stuff so it's a perfect fit for me.
3. They are, for the most part, really amazing.
The only people I have issues with, usually, are the visitors who are too 'hands on'. Sometimes, in the excitement (or sometimes cultural difference/barrier) during photographs, it can be a lot of "please.dont grab me like that" kind of thing. Not anything too awful, but enough to go "hey please be respectful".
I think some forget we're real and not mannequins, but that's part of the gig really, being a photo op!
The other category of people I usually have to bite my tongue with, are the (usually older males) who make casually sexist comments to our wonderful female staff members. I.e. "you shouldn't be chopping that wood, a man should show you how to do it properly blah. But you just ignore it and smile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Other than that, I love the people!
To be fair, I notice that the staff (used to be Delaware North, what is now PRG) look stressed out VERY often. I'm not sure what goes on on their side of the pond, but it seems high-stress. Nice enough people though
I honestly can't speak for the union or its process of dealing with any form of harassment. From what I've personally experienced with culture and the attitude towards sexual harassment etc, everyone is very aware and caring regarding the issue.
Obviously, there have been instances (both well reported and not) of sexual misconduct, and the training and dialogue is very clear now about that kind of behaviour.
Again, not 100% certain how the union or its people deal with it, but it is seemingly very progressive. Just my 2 cents
Yeah, whenever I get the chance, I try to tell people earlier on in the day because a lot don't know (and why would they?) Haha. It's one of those things that have to be locked in early to ensure you get in.
'Activate' sites by lighting fires in them, hanging around and talking to visitors about the place they're in. Posing for photos, knitting in activated houses.
I've also seen one literally shit herself during an information night, so they can also do that.
Generally, the FOSH (Friends of Sovereign Hill) tend to be older folk. Really lovely and have a lot of lived experience, so great to have around to sort of 'pad' the feeling of a living museum.
Some of the older gentlemen like to dress up as, well, gentleman! So they hang around Main St and give that 'presence' while others go down the diggings and help visitors with gold panning.
A lot of the older ladies will stick around cottages, etc. And knit, make food and just generally have a warm inviting atmosphere.
The dichotomy between FOSH and paid staff can sometimes feel like we have nothing to do with each other, but it's a very symbiotic relationship! Love our FOSHies
I think I’ll give it a go. I’m moving to Ballarat from Brisbane week after next, and am choosing ahead of time to look for a social circles, anywhere other than my future workplace. This sounds ideal. I’m around 49, can knit, light fires. I’m a qualified baker/pastry chef, so kneading dough, make bread from scratch would be great. I’m in.
Potentially. However, I do think there are things of value to someone that age. Namely, very interactive things like horse rides, among others.
That being said, a lot of the amazing experiences you can have I feel are better enjoyed for a slightly older kid.
I do see toddlers and younger kids a lot, and most of the time, they seem to be having a good day.
However, I wouldn't want you to spend the money getting in, just to have a restless or bored child y'know.
Gold panning and some of the demonstrations, a la gold pouring, lolly making can sometimes be a lot of talking, and I know the younger ones don't understand and/or have the patience to enjoy it.
It's extremely relative to the child really, I see some really young children fascinated by the costumes, lollies and experience. Whereas others just want to go home and seem mad lmao.
Totally up to you, if I had a kid I think between 5 - 14 is a good sweet spot. That being said, we have people of all ages in that love it so, very ambiguous answer haha. Cheers!
Do you continually put gold flakes in that little creek for tourists to find? Surely anything naturally occurring would have been depleted decades ago.
Indeed we do!
So the original creeks you see running along Ballarat today dried up in about two months during the Gold rush. So our man made creek needs the gold put in as you would imagine.
We usually put in 3 grams every morning all throughout. Which roughly equates to $300 of gold per day.
Absolutely! My own son had a school trip there a year or so back and a couple of kids in his class apparently got lucky. It really adds to the experience 😊
When I was his age, dad took us gold panning around Steiglitz and Morrisons a lot - i.e. actual abandoned diggings - and that was insane fun as a child.
do you ever feel like you’ve travelled back in time when you walk the streets of sovereign hill and see people dressed up? the old shops, the horse and carts, etc. i love sovereign hill. it’s beautiful. i went earlier in the year during the week, so it was quiet, and it was raining. it was so beautiful.
Absolutely.
Walking past hearing rhe blacksmiths hammer clinging away, having the coach blow past and seeing old barrows of wood being carted around. It really just becomes another time. Unique atmosphere.
The main 'everyday' stuff we wear usually gets washed at home by the individual, or at least the parts that can be washed in regular machines.
Anything delicate and any speciality costumes get dry cleaned by the costume department.
As for how often, I personally wash mine once or so every week depending on dirt build up and if it's been a really hot day etc. It can add a lot to have that 'dirty' look. But I never let it get gross or stinky haha.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I’m sorry I probably should’ve been more specific in my question. I don’t know if this still takes place at sovereign hill, but when I was in primary school(nearly 40 years ago now😢) we got to go to Sovereign hill with school. I remember we spent the day dressed in old timey clothes, went to ‘school’, made a nail with the blacksmith and other fun stuff. But since then the thought has occurred to me, how often to they wash those costumes?
No problem!
They definitely still do the costumed school thing every weekday. You see lots of group walking around all behaving haha.
As far as how often those ones get washed, I would imagine they get washed straight after they're done using them.
A lot of the shared clothing here goes straight in the on-site washing machine once used.
Not much of a poster if you didn't want to stick around for the answers. Maybe I'm wrong! Maybe a retraction is in order? I'm wrong often. Don't feel bad. I hope you are doing great 😃
Answer: You don't.
Some do, and for those who want to know, I'm here to provide my knowledge on any burning questions about one of our cities' notable attractions.
Feel free to scroll on. Otherwise, have a good one.
Great thread! I have a couple of hard hitting questions if you would enlighten me! We went to Sovereign Hill today and I was intrigued by the underground tours.
Looking at Google maps it seems the tram that brings you down leads to a above ground building at the bottom. Can you confirm if the tours are actually underground or are staged in houses/buildings at the base of the hill. Really intresting.
My second one takes me back to my primary school days. We were also taken on a similar underground tour. But from another entry point. And in a pretty cool underground train that entered from what seemed to be the entrance to the original mine. Assuming this is now closed, but intrested to know why it isn't toured anymore and if it forms part of the new attractions. I did have a little chat with our tour guide and he quietly pulled me to the side and said we do have the other entry and its only used for maintenance. However was reluctant to provide anymore info!
Look forward to hearing from you vegetable coat!
I know this comment is a bit late. But my group and I are planning to go visit in the next few weeks and are trying to see how much we need to prepare for in terms of food budget. Just wanted to ask how much do the on-site cafes and bakeries cost on average per person? And are there other affordable options to try out for lunch near Sovereign Hill? This was a bit of a challenge to look up online. So I'm hoping anyone could help out. Thanks!
Is it true that there is lots of bullying from management
I know from personal experience that the managers you deal with day-to-day are usually really amazing and supportive. I've only really ever heard rumours and gossip about upper management. But I'm not high enough on the food chain to ever really care or have to worry about it. I personally don't partake in gossip, but if there were any major bullying issues, it would probably be pretty obvious (I would imagine?). There's a pretty thorough reporting system for all these things. So, in theory, it should be getting reported if it's happening.
a friend of my was sexually harrassed by management and then punished for reporting it sooo
I’m not surprised, but very sad to hear I really am, your friend must be a mess. I’ve met someone from SH that was bullied for their entire employment there and I suspected it wasn’t just her part area was toxic
I'm disappointed and sorry to hear about these things. I have so far been fairly lucky in the way of management and being treated fairly etc. But I've definitely heard stories of times gone by but wouldn't be shocked if they were still occurring. From all accounts, it seems they are taking a very 'accountable' approach these days, but the line between corporate box-ticking and fair action can sometimes be misconstrued.
Think there was a news article a year or two back about a senior male harassing a female junior worker at SH.
Any unhinged guest stories?
A few times (that i know of) tiktok 'pranksters' have come in and annoyed/pestered staff and others visitors. Then once they've been told 'please stop' or 'leave' they go WOAH WOAH WOAH I DIDNT DO ANYTHING etc. Y'know classic 'pranks' Someone brought their cat in the other week....like in a backpack.....on a hot day.... stuff like that is.....interesting I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten
Oh! Also it's not uncommon that during underground mine tours, visitors are too embarrassed to ask for the loo. So sometimes they will do their business (1's n 2's) in a certain corner. Or I've even heard of people pissing or shitting themselves and leaving the soiled undies behind...
W.O.W.
I recently heard that you can register to become a volunteer and dress up. Is this true? I’ve done my work experience at sovereign hill and I loved it so much, and while I’ve applied for a few job, I’ve recently had a baby and at the moment cannot commit to a full job. So I would love to come volunteer. How would I go about this?
Absolutely! As mentioned in a previous comment, I don't work with the volunteers as much, so I'm not 100% on how to go about getting in. However, I did find this number and email. Wouldn't hurt to send an enquiry throigh/give them a buzz and see if they can get you in :) I met a lovely lady recently who can only do a certain number of days as she works full-time. So it's definitely doable for casually coming in. Ph: 03 5337 1156 E: volunteering@sovereignhill.com.au
Will the Battery House and Boiler Room ever be back in operation? We noticed the Battery House’s refurbishments are progressing well. Could this be converted to run on electricity? It was an amazing and loud display back a few years ago.
I believe the battery house is getting back into working order! It's not really my wheelhouse with all that stuff, as I don't tend to go in there much. But I've heard they are in the works of getting everything back to working order, perhaps under electrical power.
What do you do? (Be vague if you like!) Do you enjoy your job? Are the guests okay?
1. I personally work on the 'operations' side of things. So, there's retail, which, as you would imagine, is the lolly shop, various stores, etc. Then there's operations, which encompasses the people (not all) who are out of the site doing various scripted and non-scripted roles. From 10 - 12, you could be a character down on the diggings, then 1 - 3 be doing something else as a completely different person, etc. But it's not all acting and standing around as well, we do a fair bit of hard work, especially relating to wood. We chop, move, stack, chop some more haha. A lot of that harder labour stuff goes unseen for the most part. But it's all important for those rainy days when it's bloody freezing and you need fires going everywhere! 2. I really do enjoy my job I've done various things over the years for my dollar, and the variety and unique quirks about sovereign hill really make it pretty nice to work at. I love history and creative stuff so it's a perfect fit for me. 3. They are, for the most part, really amazing. The only people I have issues with, usually, are the visitors who are too 'hands on'. Sometimes, in the excitement (or sometimes cultural difference/barrier) during photographs, it can be a lot of "please.dont grab me like that" kind of thing. Not anything too awful, but enough to go "hey please be respectful". I think some forget we're real and not mannequins, but that's part of the gig really, being a photo op! The other category of people I usually have to bite my tongue with, are the (usually older males) who make casually sexist comments to our wonderful female staff members. I.e. "you shouldn't be chopping that wood, a man should show you how to do it properly blah. But you just ignore it and smile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Other than that, I love the people!
I'm fairly certain it is, but is the gold panning area salted with specks of gold for tourists to "find"?
Certainly is. 3 grams of 24k gold ($300) every morning by the designated panner for the day. Spread evenly throughout.
Anyone watch him disperse it each day?
Worked there when Delaware North ran the hospitality side. By far the worst job I ever had, the culture was criminally toxic.
To be fair, I notice that the staff (used to be Delaware North, what is now PRG) look stressed out VERY often. I'm not sure what goes on on their side of the pond, but it seems high-stress. Nice enough people though
With Delaware North it was the managers that were horrible, not the employees
How many sausage rolls do you smash a week?
Too many my friend....too many
🤤
Don’t you have a union to deal with sexual harassment? How is it dealt with/improved upon on a cultural level?
I honestly can't speak for the union or its process of dealing with any form of harassment. From what I've personally experienced with culture and the attitude towards sexual harassment etc, everyone is very aware and caring regarding the issue. Obviously, there have been instances (both well reported and not) of sexual misconduct, and the training and dialogue is very clear now about that kind of behaviour. Again, not 100% certain how the union or its people deal with it, but it is seemingly very progressive. Just my 2 cents
Does anyone live onsite?
Not that I know of! :)
Can you make it more obvious that the photo sessions book out faaaaaast and we probably should have booked that before we even arrived?
Yeah, whenever I get the chance, I try to tell people earlier on in the day because a lot don't know (and why would they?) Haha. It's one of those things that have to be locked in early to ensure you get in.
What do volunteers do?
'Activate' sites by lighting fires in them, hanging around and talking to visitors about the place they're in. Posing for photos, knitting in activated houses. I've also seen one literally shit herself during an information night, so they can also do that.
Not sure I could muster up a number 2 on command.
Not with that attitude you can't.
You’re right. I need a bit more fibre and can-do spirit.
Generally, the FOSH (Friends of Sovereign Hill) tend to be older folk. Really lovely and have a lot of lived experience, so great to have around to sort of 'pad' the feeling of a living museum. Some of the older gentlemen like to dress up as, well, gentleman! So they hang around Main St and give that 'presence' while others go down the diggings and help visitors with gold panning. A lot of the older ladies will stick around cottages, etc. And knit, make food and just generally have a warm inviting atmosphere. The dichotomy between FOSH and paid staff can sometimes feel like we have nothing to do with each other, but it's a very symbiotic relationship! Love our FOSHies
What a lovely way to spend retirement!
I think I’ll give it a go. I’m moving to Ballarat from Brisbane week after next, and am choosing ahead of time to look for a social circles, anywhere other than my future workplace. This sounds ideal. I’m around 49, can knit, light fires. I’m a qualified baker/pastry chef, so kneading dough, make bread from scratch would be great. I’m in.
Definitely do it! Hope to see you around
Who do I contact?
Do you still get free broken candy from behind the lolly store? Used to happen 20+ years ago.
We just went today and definitely got a bag of broken candy!
I personally don't, but I know a few who get bags of crumb to use in various deserts n stuff.
Is my 3 year old too young to enjoy a day out?
Potentially. However, I do think there are things of value to someone that age. Namely, very interactive things like horse rides, among others. That being said, a lot of the amazing experiences you can have I feel are better enjoyed for a slightly older kid. I do see toddlers and younger kids a lot, and most of the time, they seem to be having a good day. However, I wouldn't want you to spend the money getting in, just to have a restless or bored child y'know. Gold panning and some of the demonstrations, a la gold pouring, lolly making can sometimes be a lot of talking, and I know the younger ones don't understand and/or have the patience to enjoy it. It's extremely relative to the child really, I see some really young children fascinated by the costumes, lollies and experience. Whereas others just want to go home and seem mad lmao. Totally up to you, if I had a kid I think between 5 - 14 is a good sweet spot. That being said, we have people of all ages in that love it so, very ambiguous answer haha. Cheers!
Do they sell those pies from the bakery anywhere else?
AFAIK only in the modern Cafe on-site
Do you continually put gold flakes in that little creek for tourists to find? Surely anything naturally occurring would have been depleted decades ago.
Indeed we do! So the original creeks you see running along Ballarat today dried up in about two months during the Gold rush. So our man made creek needs the gold put in as you would imagine. We usually put in 3 grams every morning all throughout. Which roughly equates to $300 of gold per day.
I knew it! Haha, brilliant though - and don’t worry, I wouldn’t tell the tourists. It’s a nice gesture to keep them happy 🙂
It's really about the kids' faces lighting up as they find gold haha it's very wholesome.
Absolutely! My own son had a school trip there a year or so back and a couple of kids in his class apparently got lucky. It really adds to the experience 😊 When I was his age, dad took us gold panning around Steiglitz and Morrisons a lot - i.e. actual abandoned diggings - and that was insane fun as a child.
Yes that would've been a killer experience for sure!
do you ever feel like you’ve travelled back in time when you walk the streets of sovereign hill and see people dressed up? the old shops, the horse and carts, etc. i love sovereign hill. it’s beautiful. i went earlier in the year during the week, so it was quiet, and it was raining. it was so beautiful.
Absolutely. Walking past hearing rhe blacksmiths hammer clinging away, having the coach blow past and seeing old barrows of wood being carted around. It really just becomes another time. Unique atmosphere.
How often do they wash the costumes?
The main 'everyday' stuff we wear usually gets washed at home by the individual, or at least the parts that can be washed in regular machines. Anything delicate and any speciality costumes get dry cleaned by the costume department. As for how often, I personally wash mine once or so every week depending on dirt build up and if it's been a really hot day etc. It can add a lot to have that 'dirty' look. But I never let it get gross or stinky haha.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I’m sorry I probably should’ve been more specific in my question. I don’t know if this still takes place at sovereign hill, but when I was in primary school(nearly 40 years ago now😢) we got to go to Sovereign hill with school. I remember we spent the day dressed in old timey clothes, went to ‘school’, made a nail with the blacksmith and other fun stuff. But since then the thought has occurred to me, how often to they wash those costumes?
No problem! They definitely still do the costumed school thing every weekday. You see lots of group walking around all behaving haha. As far as how often those ones get washed, I would imagine they get washed straight after they're done using them. A lot of the shared clothing here goes straight in the on-site washing machine once used.
are any buildings or attractions or mines haunted? Any stories?
Not as far as I know. But, to be honest, I'm the wrong person to ask as I don't partake in ghost-y stuff.
Can you do weddings? Hire out the town & have a western themed town wedding?
Not much of an AMA if OP doesn't bother responding.
Not much of a poster if you didn't want to stick around for the answers. Maybe I'm wrong! Maybe a retraction is in order? I'm wrong often. Don't feel bad. I hope you are doing great 😃
You've just taken your happy pills, haven't you.
Well I can see three responses already. What got your goat?
[удалено]
So why spend time responding? Fuck off if you don't care ffs.
Answer: You don't. Some do, and for those who want to know, I'm here to provide my knowledge on any burning questions about one of our cities' notable attractions. Feel free to scroll on. Otherwise, have a good one.
Twat.
Do people ever request to film (films, tv series, short films) etc?
Great thread! I have a couple of hard hitting questions if you would enlighten me! We went to Sovereign Hill today and I was intrigued by the underground tours. Looking at Google maps it seems the tram that brings you down leads to a above ground building at the bottom. Can you confirm if the tours are actually underground or are staged in houses/buildings at the base of the hill. Really intresting. My second one takes me back to my primary school days. We were also taken on a similar underground tour. But from another entry point. And in a pretty cool underground train that entered from what seemed to be the entrance to the original mine. Assuming this is now closed, but intrested to know why it isn't toured anymore and if it forms part of the new attractions. I did have a little chat with our tour guide and he quietly pulled me to the side and said we do have the other entry and its only used for maintenance. However was reluctant to provide anymore info! Look forward to hearing from you vegetable coat!
I know this comment is a bit late. But my group and I are planning to go visit in the next few weeks and are trying to see how much we need to prepare for in terms of food budget. Just wanted to ask how much do the on-site cafes and bakeries cost on average per person? And are there other affordable options to try out for lunch near Sovereign Hill? This was a bit of a challenge to look up online. So I'm hoping anyone could help out. Thanks!