Queanbeyan Museum
10 Farrer Pl Queanbeyan NSW 2620
About Us

Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society Inc.
Preserving and Promoting Queanbeyan's History and Heritage for 41 Years


Contact us:
The Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society Inc.

PO Box 480 Queanbeyan NSW 2620
Street address:
Queanbeyan Museum, 10 Farrer Pl, Queanbeyan NSW
Museum e-mail: 
qbnmuseum@yahoo.com.au
Museum telephone: 02 6299 7449

If unattended leave a message on our answering machine or contact the QDHMS Inc. President on 02 6297 2730AH.

The Museum is staffed Tuesday and Wednesday and open to the public on Weekends 1-4. 
Other times by appointment. Groups are welcome.  Please contact us to organise.

Queanbeyan Museum, 10 Farrer Pl, Queanbeyan NSW


Built in 1876, this building served as the Police Sergeant's Residence for close to 100 years. 


Exhibition Program

As well as permanent displays such as the history of the medical profession in Queanbeyan and Queanbeyan's main Street, we have a regular changing exhibition program. We are telling Queanbeyan's Story in a series of new exhibitions. Current exhibitions include:

The Old Police Sergeant's Residence - this new interpretive signage exploring the histrory of the Museum building was launched as part of the grand opening of The Cottage storage building and renovations on Saturday 24th April.

Bushrangers, Villains and Larrikins
- opened on 5th September at our well attended History Week Event. This exhibition, curated by Elise Bernard from the Museum, looks at two phases of the history of bushranging in the Queanbeyan area, beginning with the convict era and going on to the gold rush era.













People packed the Museum courtyard on Bushranger Day to listen to Graham Shirley and Sally Jackson from the NFSA speak about the restoration of
The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)

Queanbeyan's Story Begins
curated by the Society Exhibition Co-ordinator,  Gillian Kelly with the assistance of Elise Bernard, explores the Ngambri people, early exploration and settlement of our region.

Earning a Crust
- Working Life in Early Queanbeyan -
Three groups of CIT museum studies worked at the Museum this year. Their exhibition was opened on 13th June.  Drop in to the Museum and see the results:

•    Phonographs and Photographs - a look at the life of businessman and entrepreneur Theo Cooper
•    Queanbeyan Medical Practices - a glimpse of the history of health care in the Queanbeyan region
•    The Old Blacksmith's Shop - a look inside the local blacksmith's shop as it would have been in the early 1900s

That's Entertainment
!,
curated by Society Exhibition Coordinator, Gillian Kelly, explores how  we entertained ourselves at home with musical instruments and games or by going out to the cinema, picnics, dances and balls.

Museum Treasures, developed by CIT Museum Studies students, in 2008, which looks at some previously unseen treasures from our collection such as Wright's Store Journal

Activities

The Society organises regular talks, events with performers such as musicians and poets, excursions, film screenings, and training for members. Topics of guest speakers have included the History of Australian Film; Storytelling about  Historical Clothing; Copyright for Cultural Workers and inspirational talks from museum professionals. 


Aussie Bush Band Franklyn B Paverty playing in the Museum Courtyard as part of the Queanbeyan in Bloom Festivities

Excursions have included visiting the Museums in Goulburn and Kowan Forest historical sites tour.

Training has included Creative Volunteering Undertake Marketing and Planning and Programming Events; Workshops on Packing and Handling Objects and Display Techniques by Kim Morris; Introduction to the Museum / Weekend Openers; Cataloging Assistants Training
.

Developing Our Museum

All volunteers at the Museum are members of the QDHMS Inc. They can contribute to development of the Museum in a variety of ways: opening the Museum on weekends; assisting with events and excursions; writing for Quinbean; research for interpretive materials; assisting with mailouts and working bees; with appropriate training they may work with the collection on cataloging and packaging tasks.

School and Group Visits

Please contact us on

E  qbnmuseum@yahoo.com.au

A small fee may be levied.


Access to the Collection

The collection is currently being cataloged by a QCC Staff cataloger and Society members. We have adopted an Interim Access Policy. Access requests should be directed to the President and will be considered by the Management Committee.
A charge may be levied depending on the request and the use of the information.

QDHMS Inc. Interim Access Statement
 
QDHMS Inc. objective is to tell the story of the town and its district through exhibition.
Because the exhibition space is small only a small portion of the collection can be displayed at any one time.  QDHMS Inc. is aware that there are times when people have an interest in seeing stored items and it is the philosophy of the Society that such requests will be dealt with sympathetically within the following guidelines:
 
IDENTIFICATION of PURPOSE:
 
Applicants will need to identify the reason for their request.  These might include:
 
For specific and identifiable research, including family histories
To allow families to view objects belonging to previous generations
To support investigative reporting for press stories
To support the work of QCC including the Local History librarian

THE COLLECTION IS CURRENTLY BEING CATALOGUED
 
Small photographs are filed in filing cabinet and those catalogued are easily accessed (MF file)
Small items of ephemera such as programmes, funeral cards etc are filed as above and those catalogued are easily accessed (EF)
Small objects are packed appropriately and stored in boxes on shelving.  Accessibility depends on the purpose of the request and the criteria listed below:

UNCATALOGUED ITEMS
 
The greater part of the collection is not yet catalogued, and while many of the items are known and can be found, it will be some time before the majority of the collection can be readily accessed.
 
CRITERIA for ACCESS TO ITEMS
 
Items have been catalogued or are known and  easily accessible
The condition of the item is rated as Good to Fair.  Items in poor condition would be considered according to the request
The access will enhance the specific need of the researcher – the unpacking and repacking of collection items is time consuming and potentially damaging and so needs to be productive.

Resources


We have a variety of historical resources such as local cemetary listings for visitors to use.

Books for Sale

We have a variety of history books relating to the local area for sale at reasonable prices, drop into the Museum on a weekend between 1-4 to purchase.

Historical Research

Our members can carry out research for outside clients, a charge may be levied depending on the request and the use of the information.

Society Membership

 

Post a cheque for $10.00 to the QDHMS Inc., PO Box 480, Queanbeyan 2620, with your name and postal address, stating it is for a yearly membership to the Society.

 

OR

 

Drop into the Museum on a weekend between 1-4 and talk to someone on roster.

 

Museum Open 1-4 every weekend (except Christmas and Easter Holidays)

 

T  02 6297 2730 (President)

 

E  qbnmuseum@yahoo.com.au 

 

Quinbean

 

The Society publishes a small Historical Journal, Quinbean, three times a year, dedicated to exploring all aspects of history around the Queanbeyan area.

 

We publish a range of articles, ranging from small intimate stories that don’t get published elsewhere, to poems, photographs and family and oral histories.

 

If you would like to submit an article, please contact the Editor  at qbnmuseum@yahoo.com.au

 

Quinbean Subscriptions

 

Post a cheque for $15.00 to the QDHMS Inc., PO Box 480, Queanbeyan 2620, with your name and postal address, stating it is for a yearly subscription to Quinbean.

 

 

NOTE Subscription rates for Society members is only $12.00.

 

OR

 

Drop into the Museum on a weekend between 1-4 and talk to someone on roster.

Queanbeyan City Council

www.qcc.nsw.gov.au

 




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