SOVEREIGN HILL ANNUAL REPORT
marketing14 outdoor museum 18 education 26
gold museum 32 narmbool 36
special occasions 38 tribute bruce mcknight 40
the sovereign hill foundation 41
major sponsors, grants, donors & corporate members 42
sovereign hill prospectors & sir henry bolte trust 43
the sovereign hill museums association 44 staff 47
volunteers 48 financial report 52
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THIS IS MY SOVEREIGN HILL Sovereign hill is truly magical! From the
moment
visitors step onto Main Street, they are transported
both physically and mentally to another space and
time. our talented and engaging staff are an essential
element of this experience, for they are the story-
tellers who breathe life into our goldfields world.
S
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Trust, centre, joined Steve coltman, right, and
Jeremy Johnson, in hosting the fundraising
luncheon to support the Trust in its acquisition
program.
A major highlight this year was the Board’s study tour to the main
outdoor museums in the north-east of the united States. Building on
the work done by previous Sovereign hill representatives who had
visited old Sturbridge village and Plimoth Plantation in
Massachusetts, and colonial Williamsburg in virginia, we all learnt
much about two very important issues for Sovereign hill: capital
fundraising and the need to constantly renew our Museum’s
infrastructure.
Sovereign hill was, fortunately, created on the outstanding model
of colonial Williamsburg, and there has been a very close working
relationship fostered with that institution over many years. its
interpretation, public programs, collections management and
research are inspirational.
While philanthropy in the uSA is deeply embedded in the national
culture, the processes and initiatives used are readily
transferrable to Australia. The Board has since spent considerable
time revitalising our Strategic Plan for growing Sovereign hill’s
capital base.
our immediate efforts have been directed at The Sovereign hill
Foundation, which has now reached a milestone of $2 million in its
corpus under the very capable chairmanship of ross Wilkie. We also
had outstanding success holding the inaugural Sir henry Bolte Trust
luncheon at Queen’s hall, Parliament house, Melbourne.
The task of refreshing our Museum’s physical presentation never
ends – the exhibit buildings need constant renewal to ensure they
do not fall into disrepair or diminish the quality of our
interpretation. As we saw first-hand in the uSA the challenges this
can bring,
the Strategic Plan has been updated to significantly refocus our
efforts on this task. Participating Board members met most of their
own expenses for the study tour, and we are also indebted to our
hosts at the institutions we visited for their generous
reception.
i had the privilege of presenting a life governor’s Badge to
long-serving Board member, Doug Sarah, recognising his outstanding
contribution to Sovereign hill. The Mayor, cr Mark harris, received
his Patron’s Badge and we enjoyed a dinner meeting with the new
Board of the Art gallery, Ballarat. We greatly value our
relationships with council and the other cultural institutions in
our city.
THE BOARD HAS SINCE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME REVITALISING OUR
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GROWING SOVEREIGN HILL’S CAPITAL BASE.
06 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
was an honoured guest at the President’s
Dinner. Mr Shi is seen here with Steve coltman
inspecting a display of trophies in the visitor
entrance.
Sarah with his life governor’s Badge at the
2012 President’s Dinner.
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Strategic Planning is fostered at each Board meeting as a regular
part of the agenda. This year, the Board reviewed the guidelines
for its various membership categories and the public process for
nomination of Board members. These are complex issues that required
careful assessment to deliver practical outcomes.
We noted, with much sadness, the recent passing of neil crouch, our
former Financial controller. neil made an invaluable contribution
to Sovereign hill’s financial management for many years prior to
his retirement in 1994.
our supporter groups have continued to prosper, particularly the
President’s club, which is a social group of younger Ballarat
family members who will be our region’s leaders of tomorrow. Jane
nicholson, a former staff member, FoSh coordinator and wife of
Past-President Alan nicholson, hosted the President’s ‘Pro-Tem’
club luncheon in May – a most enjoyable event!
The President’s Dinner was an outstanding success, with Tourism
Australia’s Managing Director, Andrew Mcevoy, as guest Speaker.
having previously enjoyed dinner with Mr Shi Weiqiang, the chinese
consul-general in Melbourne, Jeremy Johnson and i were delighted to
host Mr Shi on this very special evening. i also enjoyed attending
the FoSh christmas Dinner and the grange lunch, an annual event for
a strong supporter group of The Sovereign hill Foundation.
We welcomed many viP visitors during the past year. Sir Arvi Parbo
and the committee members of the Melbourne Mining club were hosted
to lunch. We were pleased to have the State Minister for higher
education & Skills and the Teaching Profession, the hon. Peter
hall, visit our Sovereign hill Schools Program.
international guests included Mayor choji Fukuda of the city of
inagawa, Ballarat city’s Sister city from Japan. The hon. Mme Bai
Suning, vice-chairwoman of the Jiangsu Provincial People’s
congress, led a Parliamentary delegation from victoria’s Sister
State in china. The President of Timken international, Jim
griffith, a former Ballarat resident, was warmly welcomed and
especially enjoyed a visit to the
Wheelwright’s Plant. The Timken company, through the Wendouree
charitable Trust, was an outstanding benefactor to Sovereign hill’s
development.
The hon. Martin Dixon, State Minister for education, officially
opened the solar energy supply plant at the Andrew & robin
Ferry Arts centre at narmbool. Also, David Bayes, ceo of choice
hotels Australasia, opened the refurbished rooms at comfort inn
Sovereign hill. This project represents a significant upgrading of
our investment in on-site accommodation.
Several key freehold sites abutting Sovereign hill were acquired.
As this has consumed a large amount of scarce capital, the Board is
currently reviewing all of its land holdings, to make sure we have
the right balance in these assets.
i have thoroughly enjoyed my two years as the Board President. it
has been a privilege, and i am deeply appreciative of having been
granted this opportunity by my fellow Board members. They each give
so freely of their valuable time to advance Sovereign hill. i
especially acknowledge the support of vice-President, Terry lloyd,
and also our ceo, Jeremy Johnson, and his executive Management team
for the excellent work they deliver. As always, the contributions
of our Friends of Sovereign hill and the gold Museum Society are
much appreciated.
i gratefully acknowledge my children, Angus and Alice, for helping
me with my volunteer work and also my extended family for their
valued assistance over the past two years.
My term as Board President now ends, but the outstanding memories
of a wonderful experience will remain with me forever.
Steven coltman President
Ballarat’s Sister city in Japan. our guests included Mr
Masao Tatsumi, Superintendent of education, left, and
Mr choji Fukuda, Mayor of inagawa, who was given the
opportunity to hold a gold bar just poured by ray Pezzutti
in the gold Smelting Works.
David Bayes, ceo of choice hotels Australasia,
left, was accompanied by Steve coltman, right,
and Jeremy Johnson, when he opened the
refurbished rooms at comfort inn Sovereign hill
in December 2011.
The contract for building works as part of the gold
Museum collections and research centre was signed
at the Art gallery, Ballarat, in May 2012. Present were
cr Mark harris, Mayor of the city of Ballarat and a Patron
of Sovereign hill, left, roger Trudgeon, Steve coltman,
Jeremy Johnson and James Troon, Project Manager for
h. Troon Pty ltd.
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We have been enduring difficult times, with very patchy attendance
numbers and lower revenue yields. The depressed trading conditions
that continued through 2011-12 have been reflected in the meagre
reported profit for the year. Despite trading on budget to the end
of January, both gate revenue yields and commercial operations
revenue seriously declined over the ensuing five months, reflecting
the downturn in the general economy for the tourism and retail
sectors. We also felt the full impact of free entry for children
visiting Zoos victoria, with a 10% drop in our family market for
christmas, new Year and easter over 2011.
The outlook remains subdued. Traditional international markets are
falling further into economic malaise, and the domestic market is
challenged by a high Australian dollar and cheap international
airfares.
We have taken a number of marketing initiatives, including the
introduction of some more enticing ticketing options. A new second
day ticket aims to encourage visitors to stay overnight in Ballarat
and enjoy the next day’s visit free-of-charge. We hope this will
also attract more patrons to ‘Blood on the Southern cross’, now in
its 20th year of operation.
The Sovereign hill website has been completely overhauled, and we
have added an online bookings facility which will give customers
browsing it the opportunity to purchase tickets for day entry,
‘Blood on the Southern cross’ and comfort inn Sovereign hill in
real time. This should prove particularly important in driving
sales of high yield packages, and it represents another milestone
as we grow our online commerce activities.
Sovereign hill has contributed to the newly released china
Strategic Plans of Tourism Australia and Tourism victoria. Both
featured us as a key attraction in this huge market and Tourism
Australia’s new india strategy was also informed by our input
through Marketing Director, garry Burns.
We are opening a Sales office in Shanghai. We will be the first
Australian tourism attraction to do so, and this will give
Sovereign hill a strategic advantage in-market in china.
i was fortunate to participate in the victorian government’s Super
Trade Mission to india in February. This further strengthened the
solid footing we already have in this growing market.
Sovereign hill was featured in the popular ABc ‘Australian Story’
television show, and also on ‘inside Business’, based on the growth
we are
experiencing in Asian visitation. There is no doubting Sovereign
hill’s reputation as a leader of destinational marketing for
Australian product in a challenging international setting.
it was pleasing to host the senior management team from Tourism
victoria, under the capable leadership of new ceo leigh harry. We
presented our complete accommodation, meal and night show package
for them to experience as one of victoria’s top quality regional
tourism products. The Tourism victoria Board also visited in
August.
our work with the university of Ballarat, as an Affiliated
institute, continues to develop, with some exceptional outcomes for
both parties. These include scholarship opportunities for students,
publishing of research study, and engagement with staff training
and environmental education at narmbool. The contribution of Deputy
ceo & Museums Director, Tim Sullivan, has been integral to the
development of this relationship.
Sovereign hill hosted delegates to the 2012 Museums Australia
(victoria) State conference in March. All were suitably impressed
with a first-hand experience of our Museum’s delivery of public
programs, research and collection management.
our volunteers have also brought us accolades, winning three awards
for the quality of their contribution to Sovereign hill and the
gold Museum. Bill llewellyn was recognised individually as the
victorian volunteer of the Year, an outstanding acknowledgement of
his work as a volunteer for 22 years.
WE HAVE TAKEN A NUMBER OF MARKETING INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE
INTRODUCTION OF SOME MORE ENTICING TICKETING OPTIONS.
10 CEO'S REPORT
proved popular with consumers.
Major events, was guest Speaker at the Sir henry
Bolte Trust luncheon. Ms Asher is seen here with
Jeremy Johnson, left, and cr Mark harris.
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Another notable achievement during the year included being
re-accredited under the Australian Tourism Accreditation
Program.
Staff development continues to be an important focus for Sovereign
hill. Many employees are undertaking certificated TAFe training
courses, which are enriching their skills and abilities, while
rewarding them with qualifications. We also proudly supported
managers participating in the leadership Ballarat & Western
region Program. recent participants include Jarrod Page and nicole
roberts, with this year’s nominee being Barry Kay. each has enjoyed
this unique, peer group learning experience.
i was honoured to be Keynote Speaker at the Museums galleries
Scotland 2011 conference in edinburgh. Tim Sullivan presented at
the icoM conference in Moscow, russia. Sovereign hill’s unique
business model is certainly of keen interest to our peer
international museums. Tim also attended the league of historic
cities Board meeting in vietnam with Ballarat city council
representatives.
recovery from last year’s flooding of the ‘voyage to Discovery’
orientation centre is underway. The flexibility of the auditorium
has been enhanced by the installation of theatre- style seating,
making it suitable for visitors, staff meetings and conferences.
new carpet and fresh paint have also lifted the ‘Blood on the
Southern cross’ refreshment area and the auditorium. A rock wall
has been erected in the garden outside the entrance Building to
divert any future flash flooding that may occur.
commercial operations have been strengthened with the development
of a confectionery manufacturing plant at Alfredton. This will
enhance our production capacity with new equipment that is fully
oh&S compliant.
Delaware north companies Australia, our catering partners, have
worked hard to introduce new offerings, such as victorian
high Tea and some feature dining events. The christmas Theatre
restaurant season was very successful. lisa Scarff and her team
members are to be highly commended for their excellent work
servicing the catering contract.
The country Fire Authority has most generously agreed to provide a
decommissioned fire tanker free-of-charge to replace the existing
unserviceable unit. our focus on occupational health & Safety
and risk Management has been vigilant and continuous across all
aspects of Sovereign hill’s operations.
it has been most gratifying to commence the major building works at
the gold Museum. Provision of a new collections and research centre
there will greatly enhance public access to our unique and
extensive collections. We are especially appreciative of the
financial support of the State government and the city of Ballarat
for this project.
The executive Management team has once again been exemplary in its
support, as have my executive Assistants – Janelle Burns, Barb
howes and Sue Tatham. The voluntary input of our Board and
committee members, and that of our Friends of Sovereign hill and
gold Museum Society, have been invaluable to Sovereign hill’s
success over the past year.
While trading operations have been challenging, the rewarding
experience of leading such a wonderful organisation is truly
humbling and we are all confident that Sovereign hill will continue
to lead the way for regional and cultural tourism in victoria and
beyond.
Jeremy Johnson chief executive officer
Jeremy Johnson congratulated daughters Danielle
Johnson, left, and Kelly McMahon, who received
their life Members’ Badges at the 2011 Annual
general Meeting of The Association.
Kelly Steegstra, right, and Serena ioannucci,
centre, who manage the Friends of Sovereign
hill volunteer program, are seen here with Tim
Sullivan celebrating the Museums Australia
(victoria) award won by our ‘Friends’. With them
are leonie Balfour, left, leanne Baum, Jenny hill,
reg carter and Shelagh carter.
Jeremy Johnson joined the State government’s
largest-ever trade mission to india, where he
attended a series of events designed to boost
trade and investment partnerships.
and Darryl Ware celebrated the opening of the
new confectionery plant at Alfredton.
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opening a sales office in Shanghai will give Sovereign hill the
strongest possible competitive advantage in the china market, which
is projected to double its visitor numbers to Australia to almost 1
million per annum by 2020. Marketing Director, garry Burns and
international Marketing Manager, Jessica Xue, have worked
tirelessly to set up this office. it will have four sales staff,
with clear performance targets for major cities in china, as well
as for new provinces that are being opened up for outbound
tourism.
Tourism Australia and Tourism victoria have just released excellent
Strategic Plans for china. Sovereign hill is embedded within them
as an iconic cultural tourism experience. We are extremely
confident that china will continue to be the most significant
source of international visitation to Sovereign hill for the
foreseeable future.
very importantly, we have developed a sponsorship arrangement with
china union Pay, the largest credit/debit card in the world, with
over 2.1 billion cards and 90% of the china market covered.
We have also produced a new chinese language DvD presentation for
groups visiting Sovereign hill on the recently revised new gold
Mountain Tour.
Significant developmental work has been put into other emerging
Asian markets, with garry Burns participating in Trade Missions to
india, Singapore and Korea.
on the domestic front, we were successful as winners of the Trip
Advisor ratings for both Sovereign hill and our accommodation
complex, comfort inn Sovereign hill. rating highly in this social
media marketing tool is very important, as many potential visitors
now follow these sites widely.
october saw the second leg of the Jayco herald Sun Tour cycling
event depart from Main Street Sovereign hill in a very colourful
spectacle that achieved excellent media coverage for us.
We celebrated the 50,000th passenger on the v/line goldrush Special
train at Southern cross Station, Melbourne, with State Transport
Minister, the hon. Terry Mulder, unveiling new livery for this
train service.
Sovereign hill was awarded a Finalist’s certificate at the 2011
victorian Tourism Awards for our 40th Anniversary marketing
campaign. This award was well-deserved recognition of a very
extensive year’s marketing efforts. We were also awarded the 2011
Museums Australia Multimedia & Publication Design Award for the
television advertisement entitled ‘This is my Sovereign hill.
What’s yours?’
late night Shopping was very popular in the lead-up to christmas
2011. This event was changed to a Friday night for the first time
and saw a record number of 4,800 locals enjoy free entry to take
advantage of the unique christmas specials offered by our various
shops.
Sovereign hill renewed its participation in the victorian
government carer’s card program, which provides concessional entry
for these important visitors.
Marketing work never ends, with strong domestic and international
competition requiring constant innovation and attention to detail
to avoid losing competitive advantage and market share. The
Marketing Department has worked very effectively towards securing
our position over the past year.
WE ARE EXTREMELY CONFIDENT THAT CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF INTERNATIONAL VISITATION TO SOVEREIGN HILL
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
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gold Mountain Tour groups to the highlights
of Sovereign hill before they venture into the
outdoor Museum.
the goldrush Special train.
venue for the start of the second stage of
the Jayco herald Sun cycling tour.
Senior managers from Tourism victoria took
an underground mine tour as part of their
signature Sovereign hill experience. John Dalton,
left, Dorana Wirne and Don richter, right, were
accompanied by Marketing Director, garry Burns.
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The concept development for the replacement of the ‘voyage to
Discovery’, which was damaged in the February 2011 flooding, is
well advanced. The new experience will focus on the journeys of
those who migrated to Ballarat in the mid-19th century to find gold
and change their lives.
Background research for the project has provided a compelling
narrative of their hopes and aspirations, the journeys they made
and their observations of a very different land and the people
around them as they began their new lives. The intent is to create
an immersive experience at each of the main stages of the journey –
departure from key ports in england, the united States and southern
china; the weeks and months on the ocean experiencing its moods and
shipboard life; arriving into the chaos of Port Melbourne; and
making the trek to Ballarat.
Major refurbishment of the Fire Station, the undertaker’s and the
charlie napier hotel have followed from the work in the collection
management strategy to catalogue the collection and other assets in
the outdoor Museum.
After ten years of abnormally warm and dry weather, the last two
seasons of above average rain and colder temperatures have been
challenging for our maintenance program. Dust and mud are still
major contributors to the increasing costs associated with the
deterioration of assets and their proper maintenance and
presentation.
The replacement of worn canvases in the outdoor Museum continued,
and a partnership project with the Finding Futures
team has rebuilt and refurbished our small animal shelters, fences,
feeding areas and paddocks. The boardwalks along Main Street are
progressively being replaced, and the exterior of the victoria
Theatre and united States hotel building has been repainted.
Decorative paintwork on façades has been renewed, and the drainage
of Main Street has been improved to mitigate the effects of
flooding.
our gardening program is proving an important and effective control
on the effects of the weather on the outdoor Museum environment. it
is also providing great pleasure for our visitors as they see the
attention paid to the variety of plants and colours, season by
season. The new garden at the entrance Building provides a
beautiful vista into the outdoor Museum, and offers a tantalising
taste of the formal gardens inside.
A new orientation film and collateral have been developed for
groups of chinese visitors as part of a strategy to provide for
them a less time- pressured itinerary in the outdoor Museum and the
gold Museum.
our affiliation with the university of Ballarat has provided
important skills development for staff in a range of funded
training programs in apprenticeships, traineeships and certificate
level studies. These opportunities help us to continue improving
our capability to manage in an increasingly complex and demanding
business environment.
A Memorandum of understanding with the university will create five
funded post- graduate research positions working on projects
relevant to Sovereign hill’s purpose. This will be an important
investment in leading and broadening our understanding of
goldfields heritage through exploring new research
perspectives.
THE NEW EXPERIENCE WILL FOCUS ON THE JOURNEYS OF THOSE WHO MIGRATED
TO BALLARAT IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY TO FIND GOLD AND CHANGE THEIR
LIVES.
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partners, were accompanied by Jeremy Johnson and
John lewis when they completed an underground mine
inspection tour. From the left are noel Perry, Annmaree
Perry, Judy verlin, Jeremy Johnson, gwenda lonsdale,
Barry lonsdale, robert hinchey, John lewis, Jane cowles,
Peter Mccarthy and Mine guide Sam o’Brien.
Sovereign hill achieved national television exposure on
the nine network when Scott cam and Shelley craft,
from ‘The Block’, led their 2012 home renovators on a
‘gold rush’ around Sovereign hill.
This Main Street photograph was taken
to promote the Australian Pipe Band
championships for which Sovereign hill
was a Major Sponsor.
are trained to administer first aid. Their
resources were boosted when Jeremy
Johnson was presented with a free
defibrillator by Ambulance victoria regional
Manager greg leach, centre left, as part of
that organisation’s Public Access Defibrillator
(PAD) Program.
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Sovereign hill’s scholarships have provided an incentive for
undergraduate students at the university to apply their research
and training to applied outcomes in areas as diverse as earth
Sciences, Tourism, information Technology, industrial heritage and
the Performing Arts. in 2011 and 2012, scholarship students from
the Arts Academy produced three pieces of work for presentation in
our holiday programs on themes of cultural diversity, the
exploration of Australia and the work of charles Dickens.
A highlight in history Week was the second Weston Bate lecture,
delivered by military historian, craig Deayton. ‘Battle Scarred’,
his work on the First AiF’s 47th Battalion, was the product of
research in museums and archives in Australia and europe, of
talking with descendants of the soldiers, and of Manning clark’s
advice to all historians to buy a good pair of walking boots! The
lecture was supported by a program of songs, which were sung by the
soldiers of the 47th at their farewell dinner when the unit had to
be disbanded because its losses could not be replaced. The music,
combined with craig’s images and storytelling, created a powerful
and moving experience which brought all in attendance closer to
understanding the peculiar tragedy of the First World War and its
impact on small communities across Australia.
An extensive range of staff training included: * ‘The American
civil War’ – marking its 150th Anniversary; * ‘Music of Sorrow: The
victorian understanding of Death’; * ‘The great exhibition of
1851’; * ‘Mr Punch at the Play: 19th century Theatre’; *
‘Methodists, Miners & Starry gazey Pie: a Toast to the cousin
Jacks’; * ‘opera in the colonies’; * ‘The indian Mutiny’; and *
‘charles Dickens’ – marking his 200th birthday.
We sincerely thank Jane cowles, chair of the outdoor & Mining
Museum committee, and the committee members for their support in a
demanding year of financial and environmental challenges.
The Mine & Steam Operations
on the second anniversary of its opening, we took the opportunity
this year to review the ‘Trapped’ exhibit with the assistance of
thinkoTS, the creative consultants from its original design
installation. This included some technical improvements as well as
realignment of all projectors and lighting to ensure that the
visitor experience has been lifted to a new level.
A similar technical re-fit was made to the red hill Mine control
panel to improve operational and safety monitoring practices. As
part of the exhibit maintenance schedule, the red hill Mine will be
reviewed in the coming year to support its popularity as a
self-guided, free entry tour. The independent advice from Mining
consultant, Peter Darveniza, is critical also to safe operational
aspects.
During the year, we welcomed a new Mine Manager, Wayne Drew, who
has played an important role in ensuring that the staff rosters,
mine operations and safety matters continue to meet all regulatory
and required standards.
led by John lewis, Director of engineering, and Tracey lewis-Jones,
Sovereign hill’s oh&S Manager, a complete review of
departmental operating procedures and policies has commenced to
ensure that Sovereign hill exceeds all occupational health &
Safety requirements under WorkSafe legislation.
The Mine tour is a signature experience at Sovereign hill and
remains one of our most popular exhibits. This was illustrated by
the exceptional number of visitors who were able to enjoy an
underground mine experience throughout the busy christmas and
easter holiday periods.
The cornish beam pump is an impressive feature of the Sovereign
gold Mine’s surface installations. Maintenance work on the beam
pump commenced in the second half of 2011. The initial stage of the
project involved removing the bob from the bob pit to a location
where it could be rebuilt. The next task was to remove the
connecting pump rods. Three cranes then manoeuvred and lifted the
bob clear of the poppet head and steam lines.
The bob was measured and dismantled to facilitate reconstruction.
The original oregon main beam was replaced with a fabricated steel
unit, and the vertical beam and two braces were replaced with
treated hardwood. The counterweight box was completely replaced as
per the original design.
The bob was placed back in the pit and surrounded by new fencing in
time for the steam weekend in September. This two- day event gave
visitors the opportunity to admire displays of visiting steam
engines and locomotives – as well as the working heritage steam
engines for which Sovereign hill is renowned.
Administration
A major focus of the Administration Department this year has been
the implementation of the online ticketing system, which was
successfully introduced in time for the easter 2012 marketing
campaign. This very important initiative will serve Sovereign hill
well for many years to come. it is now an integral part of our
website, along with our online shop.
Administrative staff work very closely with Sovereign hill’s
auditors to make sure our internal control systems operate with
maximum accuracy.
This year, we have increased our iT service coverage by entering
into a service contract with B & D Technologies, a local
Ballarat firm, which provides for iT backup and support services
across a seven day week.
This Department, which is managed by Pat clifford, Director of
Finance and corporate Services, also provides all of the cash
handling, reception, accounts receivable and payable, and hr
services for the organisation. These duties are carried out with a
minimum of fuss and a maximum of accuracy and timeliness.
The Weston Bate lecture was delivered in
the victoria Theatre by craig Deayton, right,
Tasmanian historian and author of ‘Battle
Scarred’, who is seen here with Tim Sullivan.
over 120,000 visitors enjoy a coach ride around Sovereign
hill each year.
red hill gully creek and it’s ‘finders keepers’.
vehicles gather at the top of Main Street for the daily grand
parades that are a popular feature of Sovereign hill’s annual
steam weekends.
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Comfort Inn Sovereign Hill
occupancy levels at comfort inn Sovereign hill remained pleasing –
not the least because of the success of the education programs
which see thousands of students and teachers enjoying excellent
overnight accommodation there.
now in its second year of operation under the choice hotel
franchise system, comfort inn has attracted, for the first time,
business from new market segments including corporate
travellers.
Most importantly, we commenced a major rejuvenation program geared
towards ensuring that our profitable accommodation enterprise
continues its recent growth trend. in addition to extensive works
to revitalise the grounds and repaint buildings, half of the
motel-style rooms have been fully refurbished and updated with
designer furnishings, beds and television sets, as well as iPod
docks.
This program was led by richard Berman- hardman, Director of
commercial operations, and neil robbins, comfort inn Manager. The
result, combined with a reinvigorated housekeeping program, has
been very satisfying with positive customer feedback reflected in
the award of a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor,
Australia’s largest user generated, social media online feedback
and assessment website for travellers.
More recently, at the choice hotels Australasia 2012 Annual
conference, comfort inn received a choice gold Award for exemplary
standards in both customer care and room presentation. neil robbins
also received, for the second time, a champions of choice Award for
his work as an ambassador for the choice brand.
Blood on the Southern Cross
Though school numbers were pleasing, total sound-and-light show
attendances decreased. Still, this vital commercial operation
continues to generate a noteworthy and reliable net profit to
support maintenance programs and new enhancements to the outdoor
Museum.
Adam reid, Technical Services Manager, and his team are to be
commended for continuing to maintain the cutting-edge technology
that drives the show.
We are currently exploring ways to raise capital that will enable
us to further lift the show’s technical presentation with new
special effects. Previous revitalisation programs – most recently
in 2004 – boosted both the show and visitor numbers. given
sufficient funds, we are confident that the next investment will
achieve similar results.
This year proved to be particularly challenging from an operational
perspective. Without access to the ‘voyage to Discovery’ visitor
orientation centre, following flood damage, staff had to revise
their processes and procedures to continue delivering exemplary
service.
on a positive note, the installation of 213 theatre-style seats in
the auditorium, along with a new refreshment bar in the foyer, has
much improved the level of comfort for patrons. Plans to deliver a
‘gold-class’ style experience in 2012 are well advanced, and we
remain committed to continuously improving and repositioning our
world-class sound-and- light production.
The refurbished governor’s rooms provide
premium quality accommodation just a step
away from the outdoor Museum.
The circus is in town! The eureka lead features
some of the most beautiful and impressive special
effects from ‘Blood on the Southern cross’.
glenn Bishop, left, John Zulic, robin Ferry, helen
Smithers and Jeremy Johnson celebrated the success
of the design award won by the narmbool history at
the Australian printing industry awards.
Plans to revamp the inn’s reception and dining areas, and the
remainder of the motel rooms, are being prepared. Stage Two of the
refurbishment program, set to commence within the next 12 months,
will deliver a new breakfast service and a conferencing facility.
This next phase will support Sovereign hill’s overall strategy to
improve visitor services and further develop revenue streams.
Creative & Design consumers rely increasingly on digital
technology to research and purchase entertainment and travel
products. Developing an effective online presence is therefore
vital to Sovereign hill.
Design staff, led by John Zulic – Director of creative & Design
– have refined and extended our website. The online ticketing and
bookings system, which was developed collaboratively, is attracting
valuable business. Another significant project was the redesigning
of the costumed schools website so that it conforms to Sovereign
hill’s corporate branding.
A pocket-sized map, in chinese, was produced for new gold Mountain
Tour groups along with in-market collateral for china. Staff also
contributed to the production of the short introductory film shown
to these groups in the refurbished auditorium where the selection
of seating was another Design project.
our designers worked on the creative concept for the ‘christmas in
July’ school holiday campaign, directing promotional photography
and producing a colourful holiday program as well as billboards and
print advertisements.
glenn Bishop, Design Manager, won an Australian printing industry
award for excellence for his design work in ‘hold Fast the heritage
– the history of narmbool’, by Mary Akers.
Finally, this Annual report is another example of
a publication by the Design Department.
24 25
EDUCATION EDUCATION
26 27
Professional development programs have included a new webinar
series on curriculum ideas and a social media strategy and e-news
to engage with teacher members and others in the profession looking
for ideas and resources for teaching Australian and goldrush
history. events in catholic education Week (including a Mass in St
Alipius’ School), children’s Week, Science Week at narmbool, and
history Week provided a rich variety of experiences for teachers
and students. in partnership with the history Teachers’ Association
of victoria, we presented a symposium for secondary teachers
entitled ‘Bring on the Australian curriculum’ and a version of it
for primary school teachers in 2012. With the children’s Book
council (cBc) and the School library Association of victoria
(SlAv), we delivered a seminar on children’s literature
short-listed for the cBc prizes, and participated in ‘The Big read’
for the international Year of literacy.
Narmbool Education
The fourth narmbool Toolbox: regional Forum for environmental
change was delivered with our partner, greening Australia, and
sponsors The Ballarat courier and the university of Ballarat. it
was the most successful yet,
and we plan to offer a Toolbox forum again in 2012 and 2013.
We hosted the grampians resource Smart AuSSi vic Pilot project with
a grant from Sustainability victoria, which showed the importance
of a broker to facilitate schools’ participation in the resource
Smart sustainability accreditation program. We are delighted to be
partnering in a local consortium led by the central highlands Waste
group and funded by Sustainability victoria to extend the reach of
the resource Smart program in schools in our region.
A most important development is our partnership with the university
of Ballarat’s environmental Management centre to undertake a major
multidisciplinary study of narmbool’s biodiversity, water and
economic assets. it will provide a framework for the long-term
management of the property and its role as a model for sustainable
farming and biodiversity conservation. We thank the Bug Blitz™
Trust for its funding support for the project. The results of the
research will extend the depth of our education programs and help
us understand the regional and state-wide context of narmbool’s
assets.
The narmbool environmental Discovery camps program was again busy.
Many of the schools that regularly use our camps are now tailoring
their curriculum to get the best value from the unique learning
experience available to them at narmbool. one of the most
interesting is the project partnership with Melbourne’s glen
Waverley college which is engaging students in the methodology of
exploring the distribution of rare species and their habitats, and
linking the study of local issues to thinking about global
strategies for biodiversity protection and sustainability in
general.
We gratefully acknowledge the Department of education and early
childhood Development for its assistance through the Strategic
Partnerships Program; the catholic education commission for its
support of our Placed Teachers and the narmbool program; and the
Bug Blitz™ Trust for its support of our community biodiversity
programs.
Sovereign Hill Education
over 94,000 students took part in programs offered by Sovereign
hill education over the year. All our programs are aligned with the
new national curriculum, which will be implemented in 2013,
beginning with history, english, Science and Maths. The commentary
on the place of Australian history in the curriculum has often been
regrettably parochial. The new curriculum provides for a diversity
of study in history, content appropriate to each year level and
stage of learning, and the inclusion of international perspectives
to position Australian history in the stream of contemporary world
events and ideas.
research underpinning the new curriculum shows that the greatest
disincentives for students in studying history (and Australian
history in particular) were the narrowness of perspective,
repetition and lack of variety they too often experienced. Students
yearn to engage with a richer variety of stimulating content in
studying history. visits to museums, meeting people who have
stories to tell of their heritage, and seeing the places and
artefacts of our history are vital. We ought to see the study of
history and Australian history as part of life’s journey – to be
revisited often with life’s experiences.
our education sessions and professional development activities aim
to support these needs, and to make learning about history relevant
and meaningful for all year levels. Studying history develops
skills in using evidence, critical thinking, communication and
drawing on past experience – ‘thinking in time’ – in big as well as
everyday things.
VISITS TO MUSEUMS, MEETING PEOPLE WHO HAVE STORIES TO TELL OF THEIR
HERITAGE, AND SEEING THE PLACES AND ARTEFACTS OF OUR HISTORY ARE
VITAL.
28
narmbool. he is seen here viewing solar power in
action with Tim Sullivan, Janelle Spierings and a
visiting student.
offered by Sovereign hill education.
Writing with a brush and ink is a practical activity for
students learning about chinese culture.
28 29
30 narmbool
The Sovereign Hill Schools
The Sovereign hill Schools achieved a milestone in exceeding 300
booked groups for the first time in the two-day costumed schools
program. More than 8,000 children enjoyed the unique immersion
experience of the life of a goldfields child. All four schools –
red hill national School, St Peter’s Denominational School, St
Alipius’ Diggings School and the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum ragged
School – as well as our infant School, which offers a single day
program for grade 2 students – were fully booked. last october, we
were proud to formally launch the research by Associate Professor
Margaret Zeegers, which examined the pedagogy underpinning the
‘magic’ that is created in our classrooms for every visiting group.
Staff have shared the research findings at seminars and conferences
to promote ways of enriching the curriculum, especially in history,
literacy, numeracy and Social Skills. Feedback from participants
reinforces the importance of the physical and social experience in
achieving the program’s remarkable learning outcomes, and how
memorable it is in the lives of the students. it is satisfying to
see its success in engaging the cultural diversity of the visiting
school community, especially for the children of new migrants
discovering aspects of Australia’s colonial life.
The support of the School council in refurbishing the dressing
rooms and offices in Beasley’s and for the installation of new
toilets for St Peter’s is much appreciated. under the leadership of
Ann campbell, the council has continued to provide guidance and
wisdom to benefit the staff and the program. Dr Fred cahir, from
the university of Ballarat, was welcomed to School council,
replacing Margaret Zeegers.
We were delighted that our bid to host the 2015 international
network of School heritage conference was successful. This will be
the first time the bi-annual meeting will have been held outside
europe.
A young ragged School student was happy to share a game of
quoits with the hon. Peter hall. The State Minister for
higher
education and Skills and for the Teaching Profession visited
Sovereign hill’s costumed schools in February.
Tim Sullivan, left, Margaret Zeegers, Ann
campbell and Michael Ward celebrated the
launch of ‘An Affective Pedagogy Success
Story: Sovereign hill Schools’. Associate
Professor Zeegers’ research report offers
new insights into the kind of learning that
takes place in the immersive experience
offered by the Sovereign hill Schools.
30
experience of life as a goldfields child.
33
32
M
G
Finalising plans to redevelop the Museum and preparing the site for
construction have been major projects for the year, with the
steering committee and Morton Dunn Architects completing an
exhaustive process to ensure the best possible design outcome
within budget parameters.
The project has been made possible by a $3 million grant from the
regional infrastructure Development Fund and generous capital
support of $0.5 million from the city of Ballarat.
With staff offices temporarily relocated in the clark gallery, h.
Troon Pty ltd began construction in June. Merging a 30-year- old
building with a new one created many challenges in matching
building plans with existing infrastructure so that Museum
operations continue as usual.
exhibitions continued to attract strong audiences. Two shows opened
in August as part of the Ballarat international Foto Biennale.
‘Digital Fix’ featured historical photographs of Ballarat that had
been restored by local photographer, Max harris, highlighting the
power of new technology to breathe new life into old and damaged
images. ‘Silverworks’ featured evocative landscapes photographed in
Britain and iceland by Tim rudman, from the united Kingdom.
‘Pride in Performance: celebrating 120 Years of competitions at
royal South Street’, was a major in-house exhibition which drew
over 98,000 visitors across five months. highlighting the royal
South Street Society’s collections, this show was kindly supported
by grants from Arts victoria and the city of Ballarat.
The craft council of Ballarat presented ‘Froth and Bubble’,
celebrating its twenty years at the Adam lindsay gordon cottage in
the Ballarat Botanical gardens. The exhibition included both
original works by craft council members and a history of the
group.
contemporary chinese ceramics featured over summer in a touring
exhibition from the chinese Museum in Melbourne. Works by fifty
chinese artists formed the core of ‘china Today’, set in a very
creative context designed and built by Peter Stronach.
Another anniversary was honoured in ‘A golden line – 150 Years of
the geelong-Ballarat railway line’. Photographs, documents, maps
and railway models were combined with items from railway historian
Michael Menzies and the Museum’s own collection.
over 1,000 donations were accessioned into the Museum collection.
Significant donations included a set of 140 regional cricket caps
from Doug Butcher for the Sports Museum
collection, social and family history items from Alice
Skelton-Tolliday, photos and archives from the former lakeside
hospital and a collection of Polish memorabilia from Zofia Pamula.
Photographs, slides and postcards were donated in significant
collections from Brian Whykes, Margaret Maxwell and Wendy Brown.
The on- going support of the Ballarat courier is noted in their
donation of the Sports Photo of the Month, a collection now
exceeding 180 images.
in June, the Sir henry Bolte Trust fund supported the acquisition
of a collection of goldfields related objects auctioned at charles
leski Auctions in Melbourne. These included miner’s rights and
share certificates, chinese carry baskets, victorian lamps,
furniture and apothecaries’ equipment.
community outreach, an important aspect of the Museum’s work, saw
participation in the Ballarat Military Museum project which
involved Ballarat rSl, the ranger Museum and Sovereign hill working
together to secure improved facilities for the preservation of the
region’s military history. The Museum hosted a very well attended
Prov digitisation workshop and auspiced a successful series of
seminars on managing volunteers, presented as part of the community
Museums Pilot Project funded by the Department of Planning and
community Development and coordinated by John Watson. The Museum
was also represented again at the Ballarat careers expo.
Sovereign hill acknowledges the support of Arts victoria towards
the operating expenses of the gold Museum. Since the Museum was
founded in 1978, this has provided significant underpinnings for
curatorial and public programs. richard nicholson has provided
effective leadership of the gold Museum committee during the
important redevelopment phase, with roger Trudgeon as
Manager/curator ensuring that Museum programs and services are not
interrupted.
THE PROJECT HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY A $3 MILLION GRANT FROM THE
REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND AND GENEROUS CAPITAL
SUPPORT OF $0.5 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF BALLARAT.
34
Paul Mason, centre, launched ‘Froth and Bubble’ in February.
he was joined for this photograph by Steve coltman and
christine
grant, left, and roger Trudgeon and richard nicholson, far
right.
Bill llewellyn has been a gold Museum Society
member and a Friend of Sovereign hill for
over 20 years. he is seen here with Daniel
Wilksch, President and laura Miles, executive
Director, Museums Australia (victoria) after
winning the Museums Australia (victoria)
Award for excellence (volunteer) at the
victorian Museum Awards 2012.
Museum Society joined staff and Board
members to celebrate the Society’s
20th Anniversary in August 2011.
Photo courtesy of Simon Fox, Deakin University
34 35
We welcomed Mick and gill Armstrong as the new Site Managers for
narmbool in December. They took the place of the inaugural
Managers, Steve and cecilia Faull, who had made a great
contribution to the establishment and development of the narmbool
environmental education program.
in February, the State Minister for education, the hon. Martin
Dixon, officially opened the Solar energy Plant installation
project at the Andrew & robin Ferry Arts centre. The Minister
was most impressed with the education program at narmbool and has
facilitated further discussion about increasing support from the
State system.
The program has been strongly supported by generous donors who have
provided scholarship funding for disadvantaged schools to attend.
These include The Freemasons Public charitable Foundation, the
Montgomery Foundation, and Ken and loris Mason (Jenny Mason
Memorial Fund).
The garden at narmbool is looking magnificent and is a credit to
robin Ferry’s inspiration and the work of our gardeners, russell
Macauley and Ben Waight. Fortunately, the garden survived the mini
cyclone that went through narmbool on good Friday this year,
tearing the roof off part of the accommodation complex and
uprooting many heritage trees.
our caterers, Delaware north companies Australia, have continued to
provide excellent service for weddings and functions at the garden
room, which is an extremely popular venue.
Farm Manager, Peter rooney, has had another successful year
overseeing the farm operations, working harmoniously with the
education program to support the environmentally sustainable
farming that visiting schools see in practical operation on each
visit.
THE MINISTER WAS MOST IMPRESSED WITH THE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT
NARMBOOL AND HAS FACILITATED FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT INCREASING
SUPPORT FROM THE STATE SYSTEM.
37
coltman, robin Ferry and Jeremy
Johnson inspected a website which
allows students to monitor their
school’s solar energy data.
36
NARMBOOL
N
gary Brown, left, cherie Brown, robert Selkirk.
Paul hemming, left, linda hemming, craig coltman, vicki
coltman.
Alice coltman, left, Steve coltman, Angus coltman.
Damien Butler, left, george littlewood,
graeme Beaston, Ann littlewood.
Jacqueline Downing, left, Adrian Doyle, Dennis Foley,
Janice Foley.
Margaret Webster.
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Terry lloyd, Sue goodbourn.
John Davis, voi Williams.
Andrew Mcevoy, guest Speaker at the 2012
President’s Dinner.
38 39
Foundation chairman, ross Wilkie, unveiled the named Accounts
Donors’ Board at a special cocktail reception in June.
This acknowledged the outstanding generosity of the donors to this
latest Appeal which has propelled the Foundation’s
corpus to over $2 million. This is a remarkable achievement, as the
Foundation was only established in 1996.
Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible and are invested to
help secure Sovereign hill’s long-term financial viability.
As at 30 June, 2012, the Foundation’s investments were:
2012 2011
Jane cowles Bequest 29,634 27,911
The isobella Foundation 22,093 16,086
Delaware north companies Australia 28,822 27,146
McDonald’s Australia 44,378 32,215
D & J McKenzie Account 56,947 34,794
Bruce & Kay McKnight Bequest 22,489 16,414
The colin & Shirley Prowse Family gift 29,663 27,938
g h & A J Troon Account 30,990 29,188
S J Weir (Ballarat) Pty ltd Account 6,019 5,669
ross & elizabeth Wilkie 28,168 21,813
voi Williams Family gift 23,377 22,018
The Barry James Account 29,987 28,243
The John & catherine Davis Account 34,566 30,199
Jim and Betty gay Family gift 16,096 10,397
Jeremy & Anne Johnson Family gift 16,047 10,400
J g King Pty ltd 21,920 15,866
Terry lloyd and Sue goodbourn gift 26,473 15,409
Jim & irene Stephen Account 28,846 27,168
gull & company gift 16,113 10,390
Adroit insurance group (Joe Agostino) 10,762 5,240
Doug Sarah & Penny russell (Win Sarah Memorial) gift 25,498
15,260
Dorothy & David A Baird and Family gift 26,101
Sophie and Steven coltman Family gift 5,079
neil & June Jens Family Account 5,003
Total 2,065,590 1,823,964
Note: As at 30 June, 2012, the following additional pledge has been
received to establish a Named Account:
lindsay Thompson Family gift.
THE SOVEREIGN HILL FOUNDATION
Bruce McKnight retired from the Sovereign hill Board in 2011 after
having served with distinction since his election in 1987.
This included a distinguished term of office as President from
1994-1996.
Bruce brought a very accomplished track record of civic service to
his role as a Board member, having been a Mayor and
councillor of the former city of Ballaarat.
his wise counsel and sound business acumen were invaluable to the
Board’s deliberations, and common sense and civility
were hallmarks of his service. The Sir henry Bolte Trust, The
Sovereign hill Foundation, the narmbool Trust and the Finance
& risk, the gold Museum and the outdoor & Mining Museum
committees all greatly benefitted from Bruce’s dedicated
involvement in their respective deliberations.
Bruce’s contribution to Sovereign hill was recognised in the 2006
Queen’s Birthday honours when he was awarded a Medal
of the order of Australia for his service to Sovereign hill, as
well as to local government.
Kay and Bruce are enjoying a well-deserved retirement, but still
enjoy a strong social connection with Sovereign hill.
Jeremy Johnson
Bruce and Kay McKnight were proud to display a framed
gold nugget presented to Bruce at the 2011 Annual general
Meeting in recognition of his service to the Association.
The Sovereign hill Prospectors enjoyed a number of social events
during the year. These included a gardens
Tour, hosted by Sovereign hill gardeners, Jarrod heighway and
cherrie neale. Also, a special preview of the new
chinese market promotional DvD and a summary of Sovereign hill’s
market strategy for china were outlined
by international Marketer, Jessica Xue, in the refurbished
auditorium at the entrance Building. The Prospectors’
generous annual donations are directed to the Sir henry Bolte Trust
to assist with the acquisition of collection items.
SOVEREIGN HILL PROSPECTORS & SIR HENRY BOLTE TRUST
Major Sponsors & Grants
The courier
lion nathan
Blenkiron electrical Services
city of Ballarat
concept cleaning Supplies
cops ‘n’ Kids
crawford Dowling P/l
Quest Ballarat Mews/Quest Ballarat
The Diggers hut
The haymarket
Ferry A S & r F M
Ferry Family charitable Trust
The hugh D T Williamson Foundation
Mason K D & l M (Jenny Mason Memorial Fund)
Montgomery Foundation P/l
Sarah A D
Sovereign hill enjoys the support of a wide range of corporate
members, who are amongst our best advocates. We also enjoy
strong commercial relationships with many of them or, in other
cases, are able to provide a community service link to help
advance
their objectives.
This year, our corporate members and their guests enjoyed an
exclusive viewing of ‘Blood on the Southern cross’, which included
a
special tour of the technology which has delivered this unique
presentation so reliably over the past twenty years.
Ashley g
Sovereign Hill Prospectors
Queen’s hall, Parliament house, Melbourne, was the unique setting
for the Sir henry Bolte Trust luncheon in May,
2012. This was attended by 120 key corporate and Sovereign hill
supporters who were thoroughly entertained by
Trustee, the hon. Pat Mcnamara, in his role as Mc. This was
followed by an informative outline of the Trust’s work
by Trust chairman and Sovereign hill Founding Father, Bill
Mcgregor. The Bolte oration was delivered by the hon.
louise Asher, MP, Minister for Small Business, Tourism and Major
events. The Trust supported the acquisition of
several significant additions to the Museum’s collections this
year.
Sir Henry Bolte Trust
42 43
THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
Patrons Mayor of the city of Ballarat, cr craig Fletcher (to
5/12/2011)
Mayor of the city of Ballarat, cr Mark harris (from
6/12/2011)
The hon. John cain
The hon. Jeffrey Kennett
The hon. Steve Bracks
The hon. John Brumby
Board Members
Deputy CEO, Museums Director Sullivan T
Executive Management
Director – engineering lewis J
Director – Marketing Burns g
Chairmen of Committees
outdoor & Mining Museum committee cowles J e
President’s Advisory committee coltman S
narmbool Trust lloyd T
THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
carey A
carlson M
elder S
Ferry A
Ferry r
Mcgregor W
Mcnamara P
Moneghetti S
Pratt D
Prowse g
Smith i
Smith J
Thompson D
Wallace A
Wilkie r
Soho Foundry & clarke Bros Tinsmiths Bilney P & F
The Ballarat Times McArthur r & l
Sovereign Hill Education
Adams J Mitchell S
Borner l Snowden M
Featherston P Steele K
Bankers national Australia Bank
history consultant Bate W
Mining consultant Darveniza P
numismatics consultant Sharples J
Solicitor Mcgregor W, Baird & Mcgregor
We are grateful for the on-going support of the following members
of the community
who serve on Board committees, Trusts and Foundations associated
with Sovereign hill:
44 45
Life Governors
Life Members
Agostino c
Wilson P r
cowles J i Jones e c Mcgregor W h Prowse c r Sarah A D Stephen W
F
THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
Staff
Alcorn F
Allen K
Allen W
Anderson K
Ashford K
Ashford K
Ashley c
Ashley e
Ashley g
Baker M
Balfour l
Barnham K
Baum l
Berg J
Bessems M
Bessems M
Bischard A
Bischard v
Bone r
Brae J
Brookes r
Buckland S
Buckland W
Bull J
campbell B
campbell T
carter P
carter r
carter S
chamberlain A
chislett l
clark M
clark r
clark S
clark v
cleeman M
cluff B
coleman h
cox P
crommelin r
cullen B
currie J
Day J
Daykin A
Dooney A
ellis c
Fithall J
Franklin J
Freeman J
Forest J
Fry J
gavan B
gaylor A
gillespie P
gladman B
gladman D
gladman J
grant D
haig M
hall A
hall A
hall h
hall K
hall S
hankin W
harrison J
havard v
healey M
hill J
hogbin M
howard J
howard-robbins l
howgate K
howlett W
howse D
hutton l
Jacks l
Jacks S
Jones B
Jones c
Jones M
Keaney M
Kelly l
Kiely D
Kilby g
Knox g
Kucera K
ladner c
ladner K
ladner K
ladner K
ladner K
ladner K
lawry r
lawry S
learmonth e
learmonth h
learmonth J
learmonth M
li S
llewellyn W
lukeis r
lunn J
Maberly e
Macey S
Maloney M
Mccallum r
Mccausland B
Mcclean A
Mccracken n
McDonald B
McDonald c
Mcglasson D
Meadows l
Meadows Z
Meek M
Mewett D
Millar J
Miller M
Morse S
Mould h
Mould P
Murnane A
Murnane B
newey B
newey c
nyberg r
o'connor r
o'hagan D
THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
This year marked the 20th Anniversary of the Society, which was
formed in August 1991. A series of celebratory events
included a commemorative edition of AuruM, the Society’s
newsletter, featuring historical photos of Society
activities.
At the August meeting, the inaugural President, Frank nolan, spoke
on the formation and early activities of the Society.
The november christmas lunch, held at narmbool, also served to
acknowledge the Anniversary.
A more recent cause for celebration occurred when Bill llewellyn, a
long-serving volunteer in both the gold Museum
Society and the FoSh, won the Museums Australia (victoria) Award
for excellence as a volunteer.
Joanne gervasoni continued to manage the back-room volunteers, who
conducted a great array of tasks ranging from
cataloguing, transcribing, scanning and indexing to re-packing of
collection items. Training for the guides was provided with
a well-attended training day, which included an illuminating
address by Bernard Stone, nephew of Paul and Jessica Simon,
the donors of the original gold collection exhibited at the
Museum.
We are very grateful for the work of our Society, with members
contributing over 5,000 hours of work each year, bringing
a personal touch to museum visits and conducting much needed work
on the collection.
Friends of Sovereign Hill Gold Museum Society
The 30th Anniversary of the FoSh was memorable for two major awards
– the Museums Australia (victoria) Award for
excellence in large museums, and the Western District employment
Access community organisation Award (with the gold
Museum volunteers).
it was appropriate recognition of the work done to rejuvenate the
volunteer program, and we thank the FoSh committee
for their invaluable support and advice in its implementation.
changes in the Work health and Safety Act and new national
standards were an opportunity to ensure volunteer roles are in
close alignment with Sovereign hill’s purposes, and that
there is a consequent link with recruitment, role descriptions and
training.
volunteers are organised in streams focusing on areas where they
can make an important difference for our visitors
– explaining and demonstrating parts of the outdoor Museum and
supporting the schools programs, collection
management, interpretation and green Team. it has been rewarding
for all involved to see the enthusiasm of volunteers
and the sense of purpose and engagement in their activities through
the outdoor Museum.
volunteering is an important contribution by our museums to the
social capital of our community. it helps propagate
heritage skills development and promote a sense of the unique
identity of Ballarat. Aside from their work at Sovereign
hill, our FoSh contributed to many community programs and
activities including Australia Day, the Begonia Festival, and
national volunteering Week. Ball A
Beggs Sunter A
