Upper Yarra Museum, Victoria, Australia

[splatt]

While the Upper Yarra Museum is not my own personal display case...i spend a bit of time helping out with the place through the Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society, and I'm certainly growing quite attached to all of the odds and ends on display

It's on display in the old Yarra Junction train station and is a pretty eclectic mix of stuff covering the period from the late 1800's through to the late 1980's (when the local administrative bodies merged), with most of the stuff being from around 1920 through to the 1950's.

One of the things i do is try and open the place up on public holidays, like the upcoming Queens Birthday holiday on Monday the 9th of June, and in the unlikely event that any loungers are up around that way feel free to drop in between about 10am and 5pm and say hello...I'll be the one wearing a hat...obviously

I'll even offer up a discount or a free postcard for any loungers that show up

 

[Mojito]

Thank goodness for regional museums and the volunteers they rely on! They're vital in preserving and interpreting our heritage. If I'm ever in the area I'll certainly drop in, Splatt - it fact, I usually have to be dragged away from museums by the ear when I'm travelling...they're both my day job and a lifelong passion. It's brilliant that you're helping out up there.

 

[Creeping Past]

I didn't know about this museum or I'd have visited last time I was in Melbourne.

On the subject of small, independent Victorian museums, I did visit and was very impressed with what's now called the National Vietnam Veterans Museum on Phillip Island, but which was a few years ago just a low-key corrugated iron building. I went for the penguins and found something just as interesting and even more unexpected. Good to see it's gained official recognition.

 

[splatt]

It hasn't exactly had a lot of promotion over the past few years, which is something i am trying to change...slowly and without rocking the boat.

Some of the things on my "small to-do list" includes; new logos currently being designed by an award winning designer friend of mine, a new website will follow the logos along with new "prominent" outdoor sign-age, a "regular" newsletter, local school involvement, digital cataloging of everything, local historical tours...the list goes on and on...its a big job, but i figure someone has to do it before the knowledge if what is stored and on display is lost.

One of the other things i am thinking of doing is running a few themed events through out the year for both fund-raising purposes and to try and get people interested in helping out. These might include a 1940's big band night at a local historical hall, a screening of old archival films of the region in the local historical cinema and similar sorts of things...now i just need to find the time to organise it all

Anyway...over time I'll post photos here of some of the items on display that might be of interest to fellow loungers.

 

[Mojito]

You're hitting all the right notes, Splatt - you probably know that on the international museum scene, outreach programs and an internet presence are probably the two biggest items on the agenda. Museums realise they need to bring their collections to an online audience in order to maximise their relevance (we have an ambitious program underway to do this), and your ideas for engaging the local community sound like an exemplary way to reach new audiences beyond the traditional museum visitors. There's no limit to what imagination and dedication can achieve in creating a thriving specialist museum. I particularly like the idea of digitalising the collection - the national collection institutions are still working towards this, so there might be a possibility of linking up with a national network. You're ahead of the game!

 

[splatt]

Thanks Mojito...always nice to know that someone else thinks you are heading in the right direction

I have been tracking some of the initiatives and work of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria through the History Victoria Support Group web presence, particularly to do with cataloging and other issues that impact smaller societies...though we do have a lot of items in our collection.

I figure a number of things need to work together if the current member base, which from what i have been told has dropped in recent years to just under 20 people, is to increase again...hopefully with a "slightly" younger average age than the current member base

The good sign is that even though i've only been involved with the historical society since late March, the current committee is quite open to the idea of growth through use of the internet and a few of my other ideas.

 

[splatt]

Sunday the 6th of July 2008

I'm on duty at the museum on Sunday the 6th of July, so if any loungers are up around that way feel free to drop in between about 10am and 5pm and say hello...I'll be the one wearing a hat...obviously

As i may not always get to the museum by 10am...the best way to tell if i am in and its open, is if the Australian flag is flying on the flag pole

A discount on any book purchases, a free postcard and a personal tour of the museum is on the cards for any loungers that show up when i am on duty of course

 

[splatt]

Radio and Gramophone Collection Intro

OK...I've already posted the following few posts into the "Any "new" old radios out there in Fedoraville?" thread, but thought i should also post them here as well...

This is one of my photos of the radio room at the Upper Yarra Museum, where i devote a bit of my time helping out when and where i can.

I adore the radio room and most people who visit the museum are amazed at the amount of radios we have