Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society Inc.
Preserving and Promoting Queanbeyan's History and Heritage for 42 Years

Newsletter March 2011

From the President – Many of the Society members have been busy working over the break and the last two months with the Society Curator Gillian Kelly on the next instalment of Queanbeyan Story – From Settlement to Town which we will launch on Saturday 16^th April as part of the Queanbeyan Heritage Festival. This is one of our biggest days in the Museum’s Events calendar. Please come along to the launch and hear a wonderful concert from acclaimed singer songwriter John Warner – he has written a song about Queanbeyan’s history on the theme of From Settlement to Town which will have its world premier at the Exhibition Launch. John has a powerful bass voice and is a multi instrumentalist. He writes fabulously poetic and historically redolent songs like All Trades – which celebrates trades such as the blacksmith – a sample: Here’s to the Smith with his set and hammer, fuller and hardy swage and tongs, beating his will on the blazing steel to the forges roar and the anvils song!

Link to John's website: http://www.folkjohnwarner.com/

News We had two pieces of very welcome news just before Christmas to round out a mammoth year!:

• The Society has been granted $59,200 by the NSW Government to complete our storage building. This grant will be used to build a workroom for incoming collection items and to work on the collection. This grant was supported by the local ALP Member for Monaro Steve Whan.
• Volunteers of the Queanbeyan and District Historical Society Museum received a 2010 NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award.

Historical Researcher’s Register –  We’d like to set up a register of local historians that we can pass the many inquiries we get on to. Contact the President on the e-mail below if you would like to receive a registration form .

Museum Galleries NSW Standards Program the Museum has signed up for this program in 2011. Benefits to signing up for Standards include taking a health check of our museum and making sure we are on the right track. We will receive two visits from a pair of reviewers, who can address any issues we might need help with, and will work with us to develop a plan for further development. Over the course of the program we will receive three reports on our museum’s progress from the reviewers. Other benefits include access to resources, expert knowledge and advice; promotion of our museum through Museums & Galleries NSW; strengthening relationships with local council (who can be involved in the planning activities); re-energizing volunteers (it’s a great way of recognising all our hard work and achievements); and raising the museum’s profile within the NSW museum sector. It’s also great for networking with fellow museums in the region.  Other Museums involved include: Queanbeyan Printing Museum, Adaminiby Snowy Scheme; Clyde River & Batemans Bay Historical Society; Cooma Correctional Museum; Bega Valley Historical Society; Eden Killer Whale Museum; Moruya & District Historical Society; Merimbula Old School Museum; Thredbo Museum.
Blacksmith’s Shop – Many thanks to Rob Cooke who came in over the break and spent four hours cleaning and tidying the Blacksmiths Shop display.

CIT – A team of Museum studies students are again working with us on an Exhibition project. They will be developing a display in the kitchen which ties in well with our strategic development of the Museum and the theme for this year’s History Week celebration-  EAT History.
Mural – The historical mural continues to progress well - it looks wonderful and is already causing comment.
Quinbean – Your latest Quinbean has been mailed out. Many thanks to our Editor Gillian Kelly.

Bus Tour –  We hosted a group of heritage fans from Parramatta, who complimented us on the Museum and the mural.
School Groups – We had four year three classes from Jerrabomberra Primary  c130!  Thanks to  Marilyn Dooley and John McGlyyn for leading and Elise Bernard, Frances Flanagan, Nancy Monk and Kerrie Ruth for helping out.

Launch of the Cottage Store in 2010 by the Federal  ALP Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Mike Kelly. Museum Management Committee and members worked very hard on both this projects in partnership with QCC.

Volunteers of the Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society winners of 2010 NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award.

Queanbeyan Museum is Supported by Queanbeyan City Council