Many, many items were donated to the Kangaroo Valley Historical Society by members of the Valley community, over a period of 50 years to 2023. Some have fared well but others have unfortunately deteriorated. The most affected have been the textiles, leather goods and paper objects, due to their being displayed for many years in a ‘slab hut’ at the Pioneer Village Museum. The building environment was totally unsuitable due to the effects of dust, humidity, excess light and insects.
An additional building was offered to the Society by the museum’s Lands Managers. This building had been used by gentlemen who completed repairs and maintenance on a voluntary basis at the museum. After 22 months of hard work by Society volunteers restoring this building, the conservation/textile building was finally opened just in time for School Holidays in December.
Thanks to a grant from Museums and Galleries of NSW, the Society was able to purchase new glass display cabinets. The building has been totally refurbished and painted, which has seen the public extremely pleased to be able to view these vintage unique objects once again: hats and bags; night wear and undergarments; various dresses and tops, including Shirley Walker’s 1882 wedding dress; leather photo frame, shoes and slippers; nylon stockings; baby wear; hair curlers, curling wands and fancy hair brushes; three old sewing machines; autograph book and bible; shaving mugs, cut-throat razors and leather razor strap; old buttons and cottons, etc.
Also proudly displayed at the head of the room are three lovely Indigenous paintings, painted on bark, and totem pole. These are not local to the Valley but were donated by a local person.
We invite anyone who would like to assist with maintaining some of the thousands of objects in the Museum through conservation, record keeping, displays, etc to email me on chrismurphy1952@gmail.com. Perhaps for just a few hours per month would be a fantastic help.