Local history groups and other organisations are set to share in grant funding from the Andrews Labor Government for community projects that preserve and share Victoria’s history for generations to come.
Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings, has today announced that fifty-three community groups will share in $345,000 worth of local history grants.
This year’s winning recipients included the Abbotsford Convent for the development of an historical book, the Brighton Historical Society to catalogue and photograph their costume collection, and the Ballarat Tramway Museum for an interpretation of their heritage trams and their role in the local community.
Other successful projects ranged from digitisation of historic newspapers to developing heritage town walks and recording of oral histories.
The funding is part of the annual Local History Grants Program which provides small grants to community organisations to support projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history.
The program is about putting our dedicated community organisations first, who do such a great job of collecting and preserving Victoria’s fascinating history.
Victoria’s diverse history is a real drawcard for visitors, with a total of 6.4 million people visiting a museum, gallery, heritage site or monument on their trip in the year ending March 2017. Over the past five years this has been growing at 5.7 per cent a year.
A full list of winning recipients is available at prov.vic.gov.au.
Quote attributable to Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings
“I want to congratulate the successful community groups and their fantastic local history projects. This funding will go a long way in bringing their projects to life.”
“Their work in capturing the memory of unique aspects of our state, ensures that future generations can appreciate and understand Victoria’s varied and diverse history for many years to come.”
Quotes attributable to Public Record Office Director and Keeper of Public Records Justine Heazlewood
“There is such a broad range of amazing work being done in our local communities to preserve and share Victoria’s history.”
“We congratulate these groups and encourage future applicants to apply for the next round funding. Applications will open in the coming months.”
| Applicant | Project Name | Amount Funded |
| Abbotsford Convent Foundation | Saved: A History of the Abbotsford Convent | $14,918.00 |
| Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society | Historical display signs and display case | $3,971.00 |
| Ballarat Tramway Museum | Interpretation of Ballarat's heritage trams and their role in the community | $8,000.00 |
| Benalla Historical Society Inc. | Digitisation of Benalla "Standard" Newspapers | $14,500.00 |
| Benalla Migrant Camp Inc. | Benalla Migrant Camp 1949-1967 Digital Storytelling Project | $9,500.00 |
| Boolarra and District Historical Society Inc. | Boolarra Museum Display Renewal | $6,500.00 |
| Brighton Historical Society Inc. | Brighton Historical Society Costume Collection Project | $10,630.00 |
| Cann River Community Centre | Cann River Local History Project | $750.00 |
| Charlton Traffic Safety Education Centre as part of Charlton College | Redeveloping and promoting the Charlton "Bill's Trough" | $1,730.00 |
| ChillOut Daylesford Inc. | ChillOut Daylesford History: Conserving a Collection & Sharing Stories | $14,200.00 |
| Chiltern Athenaeum Trust | Treasures Revealed, Treasures Preserved: Chiltern Athenaeum Museum Collection | $8,405 |
| Collective of Self Help Groups (COSHG) Inc. | Picturing Social Justice - Posters from the 80s and 90s | $4,270.45 |
| Darebin Creek Management Committee Inc. | Napier Waller Artist History Board | $3,267.00 |
| Daylesford & District Historical Society Inc. | Remembering Daylesford's Three Lost Children Tragedy after 150 years | $7,500.00 |
| Dunkeld Museum Inc. | Dunkeld Historical Town Walk | $10,000.00 |
| Echuca Historical Society Inc. | Digitised Archiving of Riverine Herald 1998 - July 2005 | $14,927.22 |
| Hobsons Bay Libraries | Explore Hobsons Bay Heritage Tours App | $1,345.00 |
| Hustlers Reef Reserve Advisory Committee | Reef Quartz Gold Miners Heritage Trail | $10,000 |
| King Valley Tourism Association | The Spirit of Salts | $4,450.00 |
| Korowa Anglican Girls' School | Korowa Anglican Girls' School Heritage Trail | $2,758.80 |
| Kyneton Contemporary Inc. | Public View: a creative exploration into Kyneton's past | $9,220.00 |
| Latin Stories Australia | From Latin American Stories to Victorian History: Building Bridges | $14,997.00 |
| Longwarry & District History Group Inc. | Longwarry and District History Group Inc. Website Development | $3,490.00 |
| Maldon Museum & Archives Association Inc. | Our Stories: A Brief Social History of Maldon | $3,000 |
| Mallacoota & District Historical Society Inc. | Purchase display cases for collection items | $7,310.00 |
| Mordialloc College Alumni Association (MCAA) Inc. | Mordialloc College Alumni Association Digitisation and Preservation Project | $5,480.00 |
| Moreland City Football (Soccer) Club | Displaying our Soccer (and Victorian immigration) history project | $3,400.00 |
| Murrindindi Shire Council | The cultural memoir of Taungurung Elder, Uncle Roy Patterson | $5,000.00 |
| My World is Round | Recording of oral history of Victorian "Soccer" migrants | $2,854.00 |
| Nepean Historical Society Inc. | Investigating the 1803 Collins Settlement Burial Sites | $4,840.00 |
| Nillumbik Shire Council | Nillumbik Heritage Digital Guide | $12,575.00 |
| Nyora & District Development Association | Preserving the History of Nyora | $3,930.00 |
| Oakleigh City Band Inc. | Bandstand Beauties: building a history of Victorian Bandstands and their music | $3,480 |
| Otway Districts Historical Society Inc. | Otways Coverlet research and conservation project | $2,336.00 |
| Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve Working Group | Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve Archiving Project | $2,039.00 |
| Progressing Cobden Inc. | Making History: Cobden Story (Stage 2) | $13,650.00 |
| Richmond & Burnley Historical Society Inc. | Victoria's Earliest Potteries | $5,334.00 |
| Societa' Isole Eolie | Aeolian Heritage and Archive Conservation Project | $6,500.00 |
| Stawell Historical Society Inc. | Glass Display Cabinets for the Stawell Historical Society's Museum | $3,527.00 |
| The 1812 Theatre Ltd | The History of The 1812 Theatre | $5,000 |
| The Boite | Sounds of Migration, a History Through Music | $13,415.95 |
| The Kilmore & District Hospital | The Kilmore & District Hospital Appraisal of Historical Records Collection | $5,755.00 |
| The Parkville Association Inc. | Parkville Heritage Walking Tours: Oral History Digitisation and App Development | $6,228 |
| Torquay & District Historical Society | History Archives Library | $1,526.70 |
| Trafalgar Holden Museum | Holden Army Work Boat Restoration | $9,522.00 |
| Upper Kiewa Valley Community Association Inc. | Interpretive Signage for the newly named HYDRO PARK in Mount Beauty | $2,000.00 |
| Victoria University | Northland Rebel School Oral History | $12,066.73 |
| Walpeup Memorial Hall Inc. | Digitisation of Walpeup Memorial Hall Local History Memorabilia collection | $530.00 |
| Weeroona Private Aboriginal Cemetery Committee of Management | The History of the Weeroona Private Aboriginal Cemetery (Weeroona Cemetery) | $7,100.46 |
| Wonwondah Hall Volunteer Group | Reproduction of Wonwondah District Football Photos | $490.00 |
| Woods' Farming & Heritage Museum | An environment to protect me from the elements in an gracious way | $13,000.00 |
| Woomelang & District Historical Society | Preserving our past | $2,650.00 |
| Yarra Plenty Regional Library | Whittlesea's Dark Past | $3,375 |
Reviewed 19 August 2020