The Daylesford Museum has received a $280,000 grant from The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to undergo sorely needed repair works to its deteriorating heritage building.
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While the museum was established by the Daylesford & District Historical Society in 1971, the building itself dates back to the early 1890s, when it was used by the School of Mines to teach classes on science and art.
"The building retains many of its original features including one of the earliest and most intact School of Mines laboratories and metallurgical laboratory interiors in Victoria," Regional Manager for Land and Built Environment Grant Hull said.
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A prominent historical feature of the building is its brick chimney, which Mr Hull says is the largest and most intact 19th century School of Mines smelting and assaying chimney in Victoria.
"Very few assaying chimneys associated with the School of Mines in Victoria are known to have survived," Mr Hull said.
The grant has come out of a joint Conservation Management Plan put together by DELWP, Bendigo Community Bank Daylesford District.
"It's a great relief and we have been waiting a number of years to repair the large number of leaks," said Barry Files, President of The Daylesford and District Historical Society.
"We've had hundreds of volunteer hours of mopping up where water has entered the building.
"Once we realised there was moisture in the walls we to assess the paper and material items in the collection."
Delivering the Conservation Management Plan will be a new committee of management, chaired by Gary Carter, who ran for local council for the Birch Ward in October 2020.
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The museum's curator, Gary Lawrence, also sits on the committee.
The Daylesford and District Historical Society celebrated receiving accreditation from the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria in 2020.
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