Lest any current reader missed it, I explained: “This (November 2001) was an urgent plea to save our museum (then named ‘Pioneer Farm Museum’) from closure, given that it was being run by a trio of nonagenarian ladies whose declining health was threatening an imminent end to their long periods of service. Elaine Apperley, then a recent resident of the Valley, answered the call, and presided over many successful years at the museum”.
It is no exaggeration to say that, without Elaine, the Valley would have lost its museum, which remains a major tourist destination and therefore of great benefit to our community.
In early 2002 Elaine was appointed to chair the Board of Trustees (now called Land Managers) who managed the museum on behalf of the NSW Crown Lands Department, and remained in that position until late 2013. During that time she recruited many volunteers (including this writer as Secretary) – whether to serve as a trustee, man the office or perform maintenance work in the museum.
In 2014 the Trustees nominated Elaine for two awards: Outstanding Local Volunteer Award and Australia Day Citizen Award. To quote from our nominations, “Under Elaine’s very active leadership:
- volunteer staff increased to 24
- the museum received grants totalling over $70,000
- layout and facilities were greatly improved
- annual attendance increased from 2513 to 4698
- the museum received 21 awards and certificates of appreciation”.
The Local Volunteer Award was presented to Elaine by Gareth Ward, MP for Kiama, in December 2014, and the Citizen Award was presented to her by Joanna Gash, then Mayor of Shoalhaven City Council, on Australia Day 2015.
Sadly, Elaine passed away on 22 May this year, and after her funeral on 6 June at the Church of the Good Shepherd, a wake was to have been held in the grounds of her beloved museum. Sadly, the weather had other ideas, and it was held in the church hall.
A bench in memory of Elaine has been generously donated to the museum by Valley friends in appreciation of her many years of dedicated service.
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While the museum is in a much better position today, with expanded exhibits and facilities, we are still desperately short of volunteers, particularly to staff the office. If you feel that you are able to perform that task for six-hours one day a week, or even once or twice a month, it would be of great assistance to our overworked current volunteer. Please contact Rosemary Aldred on 0402 102 303.
Tony Barnett
on behalf of the Land Managers
Kangaroo Valley Pioneer Village Museum
