Sovereign Hill announces $48M expansion of its underground mine experience

Sovereign Hill has announced a $48 million expansion of its underground mine experience, which will extend the existing tour with new scenes depicting the full life cycle of deep reef gold mining — from the initial prospecting and shaft sinking through to the ore processing and the social life of the mining camps that supported the underground workforce in the 1850s and 1860s.

The expansion will increase the capacity of the underground experience from its current 400 visitors per day to 600 per day, addressing the bottleneck that has resulted in the mine tour being fully booked on most days of peak season and turning away visitors who have travelled to Ballarat specifically for the experience.

Sovereign Hill chief executive Jeremy Johnson said the expansion was the largest single investment in the attraction's 50-year history, noting that visitor research consistently identified the underground mine experience as the highest-rated element of the Sovereign Hill visit and the one that most significantly influenced the decision to choose Ballarat as a destination.

Construction is expected to commence in mid-2026 with completion targeted for the 2027 winter season. The attraction will remain open throughout the construction period through the management of access routes that avoid the construction zone.

The project is supported by a $12 million Victorian government contribution from the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, with the remaining $36 million funded through Sovereign Hill's reserves and a commercial loan.

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