The Bathurst and District Historical Society’s museum can be bought forward in time thanks to the provision of $100,000 from the NSW Government.
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On Monday, Member for Bathurst Paul Toole announced that the community group had been successful in its application for funding through the Strong Country Communities Fund.
Curator for the Historical Society’s museum, Samantha Friend, said the space hadn’t changed much since the 1980s and was in need of the upgrade that the grant would allow for.
“It is just going to be so beneficial, new carpet, new paint, window tinting,” she said.
“Window tinting is really important because the UV light has a detrimental affect on the collection, so we’ve got to try to keep it out to preserve the collection.”
She said it was thanks to Bathurst Regional Council’s Community and Cultural Services department that the group had received the funding, as council submitted the application on its behalf while applying for funding for other projects.
“It was very exciting when we found out we had been successful, because they applied for a whole range of stuff but not everything got through,” Ms Friend said.
The historical society will need to meet with council to determine a timeline for the works.
Although unsure when they would be carried out, Ms Friend said the museum would need to close for a short period of time to have the carpet replaced, however the end result would be worth the disruption.
Mr Toole said the museum was a hidden treasure of Bathurst, that preserves and tells the history of the city.
“This museum is only as good as what it is because of the incredible work that Samantha Friend and her band of volunteers do,” he said.
“These people give up their time, they are the backbone of the museum, they curate it, they welcome locals and visitors here to the area, and at the end of the day the $100,000 is actually credit for the work I am pleased they do in this region.”
The museum is located in the southern wing of Bathurst Court House.
For more information or to stay up to date with what’s happening at the museum, visit the Facebook page.
