General News
25 April, 2023
Museum celebrates 50th birthday
Past and present members of the Warracknabeal Historical Society, and friends of the Wheatlands Agricultural Machinery Museum gathered on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 50 years since the museum was officially opened by the then-Minister for Tourism...
Past and present members of the Warracknabeal Historical Society, and friends of the Wheatlands Agricultural Machinery Museum gathered on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 50 years since the museum was officially opened by the then-Minister for Tourism Mr Murray Byrne.
Management Committee president Robert Payne welcomed everyone to the occasion and gave a recount of the museum’s history, before announcing the committee’s future plans for expansion.
A cake was brought out, with candles, to celebrate the museum’s 50th birthday.
Warracknabeal Historical Society president Lorrasine Inkster blew the candles out before the oldest member of the museum committee, Mr Ray Hewitt, cut the first slice.
Guests were then treated to a tour of the museum, with many of them not having seen the developments made to the foyer yet.
There was memorabilia to inspect, including original invitations to the museum’s official opening in 1973 and brochures promoting the opening, and displays of past events the museum has been involved in like the annual Easter rally.
Video footage of the opening and other events held at the museum were provided by Mr Hewitt and proved very interesting to those present.
Guests then enjoyed afternoon tea together and had the chance to share many memories of their time at the museum.
Six of the guests present on Sunday were members of the Historical Society when the museum first opened, and were gathered together to have their photo taken to commemorate the day.