We painted the city gold to celebrate the official opening of the #heartofgold Discovery Trail in Elizabeth Quay! And what fun it was, with more than 1500 people braving the cold weather to experience Perth’s first virtual gold trail.
After the official unveiling of the Golden Eagle nugget replica and opening of the trail.
The event was a celebration of the significant role gold has played and continues to play in the development of WA, bringing the stories of early prospectors who first discovered gold to life.
Gold panning was a hit!
The atmosphere was almost tangible as Elizabeth Quay became a hub of golden activity. The festivities commenced with more than 200 people turning up to witness the special Welcome to Country from Noongar Elder Marie Taylor, followed by the unveiling of a replica of the largest gold nugget found in WA, the Golden Eagle, by Member for Perth John Carey and Gold Industry Group Chairperson Richard Hayes.
Thanks to all our members and volunteers who made the day epic!
Excited kids gathered around the nugget to be the first to touch it and get their photo on the front page of the newspaper in 1931 (via the Heart of Gold Australia app).
Our modern day trailblazers embarked on a virtual scavenger hunt, that took them around the quay unlocking gold clues, where they could take photos with the treasures they discovered, have their face painted and see inside a gold mine using virtual reality.
The most popular activity was The Perth Mint’s gold panning station, it was alive with a constant flurry of children in desperate search for one of the 30 Ramelius Resources' gold nuggets.
Congratulations to our social media competition winners! The Golden Eagle nugget is the first stop on the trail and the more you touch it, the more gold it will become.
Around 500 people completed the #heartofgold Discovery Trail over the opening weekend, as they were guided through the city and taken back in time to discover the rich history of gold on which it was built, revealing the importance of gold to WA’s economic development and social advancement.
This community initiative attracted and engaged a mix of locals, industry, families, students and tourists. The feedback was fantastic with 96% of participants rating the trail 4 or 5 stars.
Here is what some of our trailblazers said:
“Great idea and fantastic learning experience.” – Nathan, Parent
“I think this is a great initiative that is a fantastic recognition of gold and WA's history.” – Liza, GIG Member
“Excellent idea. I learnt so much about Perth and WA that was not in the guides.” – Graeme, Tourist
"Fantastic experience. Great way to see Perth." - William, Local
“The launch event was fantastic, the whole family had a fabulous time! We thoroughly enjoyed the trail and learnt something new or explored a new place. It was engaging, interesting and fun!” - Zoe, Parent
And the winners are…
A big congratulations to our social media winner Zoe Graham, who scored an iPad Mini for posting a photo using #heartofgold of her two boys with the Golden Eagle nugget (right).
Danielle is the winner of the first gold nugget from Ramelius Resources Wattle Dam Gold Mine!
In the lead up to the launch we also gave away five gold nuggets and cash to lucky listeners of Mix 94.5.
On Friday 6 October we attended the AISWA HASS Conference and spoke to Primary and High School teachers about the gold trail and lesson plans available. We gave away an all-expenses paid class excursion and the lucky winner was Swan Valley Anglican Community School!
Another all expenses school excursion was won by Gibbs Street Primary School via our Hit 92.9 Competiton.
If you missed out on the launch don't worry! To celebrate the opening of the #heartofgold Discovery Trail, trailblazers will receive 25% off admission to The Perth Mint gold exhibition in October. Plus everyone will receive a commemorative #heartofgold medallion and will go in the draw to win a real gold nugget!
Download the Heart of Gold Australia app from your app store and discover Perth’s golden story today.
