Stepping into the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, pieces of history are dotted throughout, gleaming from behind glass cabinets and on the walls.
In a brutalist polished concrete and glass building, formerly the Gold Museum, the newly opened centre overlooks Ballarat's famous Sovereign Hill.
On display is a treasure trove of items telling stories — some famous, and some unsung.
From intricately designed 18th-century dresses, lovingly restored and hung on mannequins, to an actual gold nugget, it's a fascinating glance into a time before.
There are more than 150,000 items in the museum's collection, Australia's "most significant" anthology of gold rush history.
Head of Collections and Curatorial at Sovereign Hill, Lauren Bourke, said with such an expansive anthology, she could never pick a favourite.
But there were a few pieces that she held close to her heart.
"In particular, Tammy Gilson's skirt — an amazing example of cultural practice and Indigenous knowledge," Ms Bourke said.
"Also Loong, our incredible processional dragon, which people in Ballarat may be familiar with."
Ms Bourke said the centre had been many years in the making.
"The point we are at today is more than 40 years of history for Sovereign Hill, many donations, and faith the community has had in us as custodians of such important collections and cultural heritage," she said.
Ms Bourke said the collection played an important role in preserving Australia's history.
"What we want is for people to have a greater understanding of the stories that live within the collections we care for here," she said.
[It's] a place of deep learning — where we can use history, look at those collections, to help us understand who we are today and to help inform a future for us all."
Visitors to the museum are now able to view the expansive collection in the backroom stores, where dozens of shelves house an assortment of items from days past.
CEO Sara Quon addressed a crowd during the collection opening, and mentioned the "unsung heroes" and forgotten people who would be remembered with the compilation.
"These objects each tell rich and diverse stories of our community, connecting our past to who we are today," Ms Quon said.
Wadawurrung woman and respected elder Marlene Gilson's powerful art — Surviving the Goldfields — is on display in the museum.
It plays a pivotal role alongside the gold-rush era pieces, to contextualise the First Nations' perspective of moments in history, such as the Eureka rebellion.
"The Gold Rush Centre will be providing something unique — both to our local community and to visitors who come from out-of-region," Ms Quon added.
"Members of the public will be able to have deep, meaningful experiences with the objects from our collection.
"In many cases, they will be seeing the collection and hearing the stories that have not been available to the public before."
Historical items have been collected and donated from local families and collectors across the globe.
The centre also features new learning spaces, as well as the rare trades' centre where skilled artisans teach mastery of a bygone era — silversmithing, basket making, hat making, and more.
Sovereign Hill Museums Association president Craig Fletcher said the centre opening was a "significant step" in the iconic museum's expansion.
"This project continues our commitment to telling the many stories of the gold rush in ways that connect us to a past with an eye on the future."
