THE show must go on ... COVID compliant, of course.
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The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, which was set to host multiple tours during the Bathurst Winter Festival, is doing its best to proceed with community events while still following COVID regulations.
A museum tour and two after-hours sessions were scheduled. Museum co-ordinator Penny Packham said the tour will go ahead, but the after-hours sessions have been cancelled.
"Due to the new COVID restrictions, our maximum capacity is 50 people in the museum, so we feel that it's a better safety measure to not have the extended hours because we can't control the number of people who want to wait outside in the cold," she said.
"So we felt that it's better to run the organised tours where bookings are essential."
The museum's Secrets of the Store tour, to take place on July 8, will focus on the history behind the museum.
IN NEWS AROUND BATHURST:
"We're going to tell some of the stories of the collection and show a few little things that you don't get to see in normal times on normal days and things like that, so it's going to be an exciting tour," Ms Packham said.
"This collection was put together by Warren Somerville.
"Warren Somerville was a private collector and he donated this collection to the public over 20 years ago."
The collection is made up of pieces found by Mr Somerville himself and some he gained through trading with people all over the world.
"Every single object has a story. It has a story of how it was formed, it has a story of how it was collected and it has a story of what that object is, so we'll be telling some of those stories," Ms Packham said.
"We'll also be talking about this fantastic building because this building itself was opened in 1876 as the Bathurst Public School and it has an extraordinary history as well."
Although it was disappointing that strict COVID regulations were enforced just as the Bathurst Winter Festival started, Ms Packham said the priority now is to keep safe.
The museum will remain open to the public during normal hours for as long as it can in compliance with public health orders.