Queenscliffe Historical Museum resembles a big empty cavern after more than a dozen dedicated volunteers packaged and catalogued tens of thousands of items beginning in March.
“It’s a great credit to those volunteers,” says museum president Garry Spry. “It’s taken us the best part of six months to move everything.
“There’s something like 20,000-plus items in our museum, most of which have been moved to a location in Point Lonsdale.
“The more delicate items that have to be carefully protected from humidity and light are in storage at Queenscliffe Maritime Museum.”
The timing of the move, to make way for the museum’s most significant development since it was built, has proven to be a rare silver lining of COVID-19.
The museum’s committee initially planned the move for May but brought it forward as the pandemic was about to hit Australia.
“In our case it’s been timely in the sense that we’ve been able to pack up and move without too much inconvenience to the public,” Garry says. “We’ve just been forging ahead despite the difficulties of COVID-19. And our research activities have not missed a beat right through the COVID-19 lockdown.”
The research includes a project by the museum’s Diana Sawyer and university students to analyse the impacts of COVID-19 on the Borough of Queenscliffe.
“That is a magnificent thesis that’s about to be released,” Garry says.
The move clears the way for a brand-new community hub, which received $5.7 million in joint council, state and federal funding last year.
“Demolition is expected to commence before Christmas or shortly after, and construction of the new building will begin in the new year,” Garry says.
The hub will be the new home of the museum, along with Queenscliff’s library and information centre.
“When it’s built, I think the community will be enormously proud of the finished product,” Garry says.
In the meantime, the museum’s committee has negotiated for a temporary exhibition to open on November 16 at the tavern, which has been vacant for two years.
“It will also provide the public with a vocal point for those three services while the new building is being constructed,” Garry says.
“We’ll be putting on a very small static display. We’re very keen to open up as soon as we can.”
Details: www.historyofqueenscliffe.com
