Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford today officially opened Bright Visions, the first completed component of the Andrews Labor Government’s $8 million investment in the By Day and by Night project to help Sovereign Hill reach its full economic and tourism potential.
Bright Visions is a $1 million permanent exhibition using the latest in digital and projection technologies to showcase the stories of people who were enticed from across the world to the Victorian goldfields.
It is located in Sovereign Hill’s Orientation Centre and will form part of the official welcome experience for visitors.
The new exhibition is a major component of the redevelopment of the current sound and light show Blood on the Southern Cross – the story of the Eureka Rebellion.
Discussions with national and international story-writers have begun to inform the content of new sound and light show, a popular tourist attraction at the site.
On top of a new multimedia sound and light installation, By Day and by Night will provide an additional costume school, indigenous play space and new attractions to enhance the visitor experience at the living museum that is Sovereign Hill.
While in Ballarat, Ms Pulford also launched a new visitor guide app created by Melbourne based firm, Studywiz, called ‘Gold Seekers’.
The app is set to improve the Sovereign Hill experience for Chinese visitors, those with accessibility issues and the next generation of visitors who seek more engaging digital content as part of their cultural experiences.
The user friendly app can be downloaded by visitors on their smartphone when they arrive at Sovereign Hill. As visitors move through the site, the app provides them with innovative, customised information that targets their specific location by utilising iBeacon technology.
It will also service other foreign language speakers in the future.
By Day and by Night is expected to increase visitor numbers from 730,000 to 750,000 in the first year, boosting the local hospitality industry and employment by increasing overnight stays in the region.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford
“Sovereign Hill is Victoria’s most valuable tourism icon and through our investment we are bringing history to life.”
“The official opening of Bright Visions is an exciting milestone and demonstrable progress on the delivery of our election commitment to bring the best to our Goldfields region.”
“This is the start of a new bright future for Sovereign Hill. By Day and by Night is set to further boost Sovereign Hill as a driver of economic growth and tourism.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020