Photo caption: Saumarez Homestead Property Manager Jarrad Stevenson, left, and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall looking through some of the archives at Saumarez Homestead.
Tuesday, 24 January 2023
A PORTION of the iconic Saumarez Homestead’s vast treasure trove of historical records, photographs and letters from the very beginning of the Armidale district’s pastoral settlement are set to be preserved for future generations, thanks to a $48,592 grant from the State Government, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall announced today.
The funding, provided through the NSW Creative Capital Minor Works Fund, will help digitise one of the State’s most significant historical collections, making it available online for public access.
Mr Marshall said the project would feature the history of Saumarez Homestead through photographs, archival material, objects and furnishings, artworks and historic audio-visual content.
“Saumarez Homestead is a National Trust heritage-listed site, but also a unique cultural gem in our region, left almost completely intact when generously gifted to the community by the White family,” Mr Marshall said.
“With such a vast collection of items, digitising will preserve the items for future generations and also make them available to people all around the world.
“The White family built the homestead and occupied the property for more than 100 years and there are over 10,000 items that reveal this history – contributing to the social, economic and artistic development of the Armidale area.”
Mr Marshall said the digitisation of the Saumarez Homestead collection would be the catalyst for a broader digitisation program for the National Trust.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust Debbie Mills said the vision was to bring heritage to life and the funding would help make one of the State’s most significant collections accessible to all generations.
“The project will involve a core team of five people from the Saumarez Homestead property and the National Trust’s conservation team,” Mrs Mills said.
“It will have a wide benefit to the thousands of visitors to the property each year.
“The project is expected to take 12 months and will include input from conservation specialists in the Armidale area.”