Members of the Yass Antique Farm Machinery Club helped the Yass and District Historical Society move its archives into its new home, the Yass Valley History Centre. Photo: Cheryl Mongan.
It’s taken patience, dedication, the support of a local community – and money, but finally, the Yass and District Historical Society (YDHS) has a permanent home – just where it should be.
Stage one of securing a permanent home for YDHS volunteers and its rich collection of district history was completed last weekend when more than 500 boxes of archival materials, collectibles, and furniture were moved into the Yass and District Museum, just down from the Visitors Centre in the main street – a building owned by the YDHS.
The future home of the collection had been in limbo since February last year when the YDHS was told by Yass Valley Council to vacate its premises in the Soldiers Memorial Hall, where it had been for 40 years, because of necessary renovation work. Since then, it had been housed temporarily in the town’s old ambulance station.
“The only option left for us was to use our own building, the museum,” YDHS president Cheryl Mongan said. “When the society started in 1961, we were in the Memorial Hall and from there, the archive just grew and grew. But now, it makes so much sense to have the two together.”
The museum has been home to YDHS exhibitions since it opened in 1988 but as an uninsulated corrugated iron shed attached to what was once a repurposed mechanics’ workshop, it needed much work and money to be transformed into a safe and secure home for such a valuable historical collection – and a working archive.
Thanks to a NSW Government grant of $60,000, money raised from an auction of decommisioned collection items, donations by Yass locals and businesses and constant fundraising by volunteers, enough money was raised to complete stage one of the project – renovating the museum. This included painting, new plumbing and wiring, air conditioning, a kitchen upgrade, waterproofing and insulation to protect the valuable collection.
Ms Mongan said none of this would be possible without the support of local tradespeoeple, individuals and groups.
The museum was a hive of activity last Saturday (15 June) with members of the Yass Antique Farm Machinery Club doing most of the heavy lifting getting the collection into its new home, along with Alvaro Charry, secretary of the Yass sub-branch of the RSL, and others who volunteered their services to ensure the collection was safely delivered to its new home.
“They worked like a well-oiled machine,” Ms Mongan said. “We were very lucky that local tradies were available to do the work and our volunteers worked tirelessly raising funds to make sure it happened.”
Members of the Yass and District Historical Society reshelve some of the collection in its new archival space. Photo: Cheryl Mongan.
Ms Mongan said although the collection was now safely stored in its new home, it was just the start.
Strategies had already been developed to take them into the next three years, including renaming the museum, the Yass Valley History Centre.
“The new name reflects our commitment to conserving and sharing history – it really is the beginning of a new chapter.
“We are very grateful for where we are now but we need to keep fundraising to keep the lights on; it’s an ongoing thing.”
The hope is to eventually digitise the collection so it is available online for present and future generations.
More information on how to support the YDHS is available on its website.
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