Local history under threat

THE Wangaratta Historical Society's (WHS) diverse and irreplaceable collection of local memorabilia and historic artefacts could be lost to the rural city unless more active committee members step forward at the society's annual general meeting (AGM) in March. Despite repeated callouts over the last 12 months for more volunteers to join the committee, there are still too few to adequately administer the museum and its contents to their full potential. Society president, Kevin Adams, said if there were still too few active committee members at the forthcoming AGM then the current committee members would have little alternative but to wind up the society and disperse its collection. "The disbursement of the collection means it could go anywhere," Mr Adams said. "The reality is it would be lost to Wangaratta forever. "Last year urgent calls for new committee members got nowhere, and it was only at the 11th hour that today's executive positions were filled, taking over in June to save the society from folding. "All committee positions become vacant again at the 2023 AGM in March and, as it stands, we cannot see these roles being filled again. "While the society does have a number of members as valued general volunteers, not enough are prepared to join the actual committee and particularly fulfill the executive roles, without which we cannot operate. "Our constitution stipulates that both voters and contenders for the committee must have been actual financial members for a minimum of six weeks prior to the AGM elections, so we would strongly urge anyone interested in becoming involved to join now to ensure they are eligible. "We need active members willing to serve on the committee to ensure the future of the WHS." The AGM will be held on March 20 at the Wangaratta Library at 7pm. The society also faces the challenge of finding a new location within the city to better catalogue, preserve and display the collection, allowing greater access for the public to enjoy it. "Another major challenge we inherited was discovering that we had no real secure tenure on our museum building – the old fire station, and now are only on a tenuous month by month lease," Mr Adams said. "We've worked hard trying to find some suitable alternatives and even put forward an extensive proposal and application for use of the former historic railway goods shed, water tower and freight yard for possible use as a history and heritage museum – also serving as a bonafide tourist attraction right in Wangaratta itself. "VicTrack and the ARTC seemed very receptive, but finally someone in Melbourne decided against it – at least for the moment. "It was quite a set–back for us all, so we are starting from scratch again. "But time waits for no–one and our time is running out." Despite such a troublesome six months, the society had been quietly but diligently working on improving its internal operations, office facilities and social media. It had also been heartened by the continued donation of some amazing historical items generously entrusted into their care, including two extremely significant and substantial collections – the Sir John Bowser Collection (from his family) and the incredible Wangaratta hospital history archive from Northeast Health Wangaratta. "Our quandary is our inability to function in our current space – and the need to stabilise the society itself to ensure its long–term survival," Mr Adams said. "We are now just persevering in caretaker mode, but for the WHS and its museum to survive any longer, we must find long–term solutions, and we must find them now. "We need a home. "We need committee members. "We need support. "We need people to care with more than well–intentioned lip–service, we need people willing to actually step up to the task of helping us save our history. "If our history is lost, it is gone forever – and that is something we must never allow to happen, but we just cannot do it alone." The single membership fee is $20 per annum, or $30 for a family membership. For more information on how you can join or support the society please make contact via Facebook or email at wangarattahistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

Local history under threat

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