Gold Beneath the Hill: Mining Sovereign Hill 1851-1918

Before Sovereign Hill became one of Australia’s most celebrated living history museums, it was a working landscape shaped by gold, ambition, innovation and tragedy. Most visitors know that Ballarat was a place where rich alluvial gold was discovered in 1851, helping to spark the Victorian gold rush. Far fewer know the remarkable story of the rich nugget discoveries and the mines that later made Sovereign Hill one of Ballarat’s most important centres of quartz mining.

Come and join us for the book launch of Gold Beneath the Hill: Mining Sovereign Hill 1851-1918. Author Peter McCarthy will uncover the forgotten history of the men and women who lived and worked beneath and around the famous hill. His book follows the search for hidden deep leads, the rise of pioneering quartz mines, the influence of local entrepreneurs and overseas investors, and the fortunes won and lost in the pursuit of gold.

Copies of Peters’ Book will be available for sale at the event