Tag Archives: 1850s lifestyles

Our 5 Favourite Victorian Proverbs

5 of the best proverbs from the good old days!

Victorians, that is to say: those from the Victorian era, were very fond of proverbs.  Short and sharp moral lessons or wise observations that could be shared easily and drilled firmly into the minds of children.  Common proverbs from the 19th century can tell us a lot about the ideas, beliefs and daily lives of those who professed them.

We’d like to share with you 5 of our favourite proverbs that you would have likely heard during the gold rush days.

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Top 10 student questions and misconceptions

Top 10 questions and misconceptions From Students Visiting Sovereign Hill

This week is Education Week in Victoria.  In the spirit of thinking about learning and learners we have written this post about some of the most common questions and misconceptions students bring to Sovereign Hill.  Each day we work on developing students’ understandings about these concepts.  Some are small, while others are very complex.  It gives you an insight into common student thinking…

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Books for Teaching History – To the Goldfields!

To The Goldfields! By Rachel Tonkin

To the Goldfields! is sadly now out of print.  But as many libraries still have it on their shelves (and we hope they keep it!) we thought it was worth mentioning.  This picture book tells the story of James, a nine year old boy who travels to the Victorian goldfields with his family.

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Books for Teaching History – Nothing But Gold

Nothing but Gold: The Diggers of 1852

by Robyn Annear

Books-for-teaching-history-nothing-but-goldRereading sections of Robyn Annear’s wonderful gold rush history is like reacquainting oneself with a beloved long lost friend. Even better, it evokes a witty conversation where all your best thoughts and lines are voiced with perfect timing. Some of Annear’s repartee may make the reader laugh out loud. After quoting a frazzled dispatch from Governor La Trobe explaining the difficulties of the early gold rush Annear writes:

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Raspberry Drops! – and other 1850s confectioneries

Confectionery in the 1850s

There were a wide range of lollies and sweets being produced during the Victorian era.  When the gold rush began in Ballarat, it wasn’t long before confectioners arrived and established their businesses here.  By 1857 there were a total of 18 people in Ballarat making confectionery.  As was common to the time, around half were also bakers or cooks.

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Gold Rush Bell(e)s: Women’s Fashion in the 1850s

Background to Women’s Fashion in the 1850s

During the Gold Rush in Victoria most new immigrants arrived from Great Britain: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  They brought their ideas about dressing and fashion with them, and consequently many clothes in Victoria during 1850s follow the same lines as their British cousins.

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Household Arts of the 1850s: Laundry

Laundry in the 1850s

This will be the first in a series of posts about the Household Arts of the 1850s.  If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, please leave a comment or contact us!

Student trying old washing methods at Sovereign Hill

Tools for doing the laundry in the 1850s

In the days before electricity and washing machines, doing the laundry was a time consuming and physically demanding job.  During the early gold rush days new arrivals had to carry any washing tools they wanted all the way to the diggings.  Consequently many diggers didn’t enjoy the luxury of properly washed clothes.

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