Celebrating another funding win for the Glen Innes Historical Society, (left) Archie Cameron, Eve Chappell, Dudley Holder, Annette McCormack, Howard Eastwood, Adam Marshall MP, (obscured, Debra Marshall), Marie Wharton, Pam Grimes, Steve Gregori, Malcolm Wehr, Tony Trollope, and Steve Pearce.
Monday, 1 February 2021.
THE Glen Innes Historical Society will continue its preservation of the iconic Land of the Beardies Museum this year, using a $21,274 State Government grant, announced by Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, to launch Stage 2 of its mobility access project.
Mr Marshall said the funding would complete an effort to improve and create safer entry points into the museum.
“So many people have ancestral links to Glen Innes and the Land of the Beardies History House Museum and Research Centre offers them the gateway to explore their family heritage,” Mr Marshall said.
“The Historical Society has embarked on a staged approach to improving access points throughout the museum, in order to ensure all visitors, no matter their level of mobility, can engage with exhibitions and connect with their past.
“This grant will fund Stage 2 of that access program, refurbishing and repainting the building’s exterior rear entrance and installing a portico over the door.
“These modifications will protect visitors from Glen Innes’ volatile weather and make the rear section of the museum more visually appealing.
“I expect once these works are finished we will see the museum’s current visitation of 4,100 people a year sky rocket, with hundreds of new people choosing to stop and spend in Glen.”
In 2019, the museum received a $7,426 Crown Lands grant which part funded Stage 1 of the accessibility project. This included reducing the driveway gradient, removed the entrance ramp up into the museum and installed double doors.
Glen Innes Historical Society President Malcolm Wehr said it would be a great relief to have the accessibility project finally complete.
“The History House requires an enormous amount of finance to maintain buildings in a condition that will attract tourists and leave an impression,” Mr Weir said.
“These upgrades greatly improve both access into the museum and visitor experience, especially for those with low-mobility and in larger touring groups.
“We hope to have the Stage 2 works completed by the end of April.
“Completion of the project will allow us to turn our focus to the next stage of the extensive building refurbishment, which may be the free standing Eric and Rachel Potter Memorial Building, that we currently uses as a meeting room.
“That building was constructed nearly a century ago, as a World War 1 memorial, and is in much need of repainting, reroofing and new windows.
“Once again we thank Adam for his support in assisting us to secure the funding our maintain facilities to the standard required for a successful regional museum.”