Geelong Heritage Centre’s archives grew from nothing to two kilometres in shelf length in 25 years under the guidance of historian Norman Houghton.
“The collection is who we are and what Geelong is,” the new Order of Australia Medallist said.
“Through all those records you can charter a course to where the city is heading and it helps you to stop making mistakes.”
Before coming to Geelong in 1979, Mr Houghton helped design Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, creating an authenticity that now attracts 760,000 visitors a year.
He used his history degree to advise on the amusement park’s finer details, from the type of table cloths and clothes, to articles in newspapers.
“I sometimes joke that I was born a historian,” he said.
Geelong Heritage Centre hired him to put together a central archive, which he began compiling with public appeals, painstaking research and help from local organisations.
“It was very hard in the early days but after three or four years the place got a reputation,” the central Geelong local said.
“If people wanted to contribute records, they would come to me.”
Along with cataloguing Geelong’s archives and writing about the city’s origins and journey, Mr Houghton also indulged in other historic passions stemming from his upbringing in Colac – trains and forestry.
“As a historian I’m just interested in seeing trends and the reasons why things happen,” he said.
“In order to charter a course ahead you need to know your background.”
