Welcome to education at the Gold Museum, your window to over 150 000 items of cultural and historical significance that tell a wide variety of stories from ancient history to today, with a special emphasis on the gold fields and colonial history in our region.
Our programs are curriculum linked across year levels and can provide unique opportunities to access material not on public display, the opportunity to learn about care and management of cultural material, and the history and ethics of collection.
A new suite of programs are currently in development and we are happy to work with you to tailor an education experience for your students.
Special Program
Aboriginal History at the Gold Museum
Meet a museum professional and go behind the scenes to tour the Gold Museum’s Pern Collection, a large collection of indigenous artefacts from across Australia and the Pacific. Students will discuss the Pern Collection and explore the importance of collection, conservation and museum ethics.
This program has been specially developed for the year 7 and 8 Victorian history curriculum, but can be modified to suit other year levels.
Teacher’s can register for free entry at any time. For more information: http://education.sovereignhill.com.au/teachers/educator-pass/
Please feel free to contact us to discuss your visit.
1. Download the program flyer:
2. Sovereign Hill Education Bookings:
Bookings for all activities are essential.
P: 03 5337 1188 E: education@sovereignhill.com.au
3. Sovereign Hill Special Programs
Education Programs
Year 3/4
That’s my gold!
Through an interactive story of gold fever and piracy students will explore different types of historical sources (primary and secondary) and how we use historical sources to understand the past.
Curriculum connections: History
Suitable for year 3 and 4 students. Maximum 50 students.
Cost: $2 / student
Year 5/6
That’s my gold!
Through an interactive story of gold fever and piracy students will explore different types of historical sources (primary and secondary) and how we use historical sources to understand the past.
Curriculum connections: History
Suitable for year 5 and 6 students. Maximum 50 students.
Cost: $2 / student
Read All About It
You’re hired! This is your first big break, you have heard a whisper that gold has been found and the London papers want to know more! Following a guided introduction to gold and primary sources, and a chance to handle some real artefacts, students will head into the galleries to complete their newspaper.
Curriculum connections: History
Suitable for year 5 and 6 students. Maximum 50 students.
Cost: $2 / student
Sketchbook Study: The Art of ST Gill [50min]
Come on an interactive tour of the Museum’s collection of ST Gill artworks and produce your own ‘sketchbook’ of responses along the way. Known as ‘the artist of the goldfields’, Gill was one of the best known and most popular colonial artists. This S T Gill study will enable students to take a closer look at their own region through a nineteenth century lens. How was the environment changing with colonisation and gold field activity? What do his artworks show us about attitudes to women, children and other cultures?
Curriculum connections: History, Visual Arts
Suitable for year 5 to year 10. Maximum 25 students
Cost: $2 / student
Year 7/8
Sketchbook Study: Goldfield Art [50min]
Come on an interactive tour of the Museum’s collection of ST Gill artworks and produce your own ‘sketchbook’ of responses along the way. Known as ‘the artist of the goldfields’, Gill was one of the best known and most popular colonial artists. He produced thousands of artworks in pencil and ink sketches, watercolour and paints. S T Gill is an important primary reference for understanding and interpreting nineteenth century Victorian life. His artworks capture the vitality, boisterousness and character of gold field life - students will explore how Gill’s art was different from that of his contemporaries.
Curriculum connections: History, Visual Arts
Suitable for year 5 to year 10. Maximum 25 students
Cost: $2 / student
Aboriginal History: The Pern Collection [80min]
Meet a museum professional and go behind the scenes to tour the Gold Museum’s Pern Collection, a large collection of indigenous artefacts from across Australia and the Pacific. Students will discuss the Pern Collection and explore the importance of collection, conservation and museum ethics.
This program has been specially developed for the year 7 and 8 Victorian history curriculum, but can be modified to suit other year levels.
Curriculum connections: History, Ethics
Suitable for students in year 7-10 (there are two program options linked to either year 7 or year 9 curriculum)
Cost: $5 / student (affiliated) or $13 / student (non-affiliated). Maximum 50 students
NEW ‘Discover It Yourself’ Trails
These self-guided trails are designed to help students look at the Museum in a new way. Activities are set to help small groups of students focus, interpret and reflect on what they are seeing in the Museum and to make connections. Each trail contains 5 x 10 min activities covering different curriculum-linked themes on the topics of Mindfulness or Mathematics. Trails can be downloaded below or hard copies of the trail are available to borrow at the Gold Museum entrance.
Download the Mathematics Trail
Download the Mindfulness Trail
Have you used one of our trails? We would love your feedback as we are always looking to improve our programs.
Visiting independently?
Download a student workbook here
