Branch activities since April

Branch members have been busy on a range of activities since its April newsletter was distributed.  These include:

Ø      New staff appointments
The advertising of vacant positions in the Broadcaster in May has seen several new staff appointed as guides, maintenance staff and to set-up and clean the Branch’s bed & breakfast cottage, Bon Accord Cottage.  We welcome Peter McGuinness to the maintenance team, Anne Angrave as a guide and at the Bon Accord Cottage and Bronwyn Wilson as a guide.

Ø      Shed at the Bon Accord Museum
This shed, which will become the Branch’s workshop and provide storage for equipment used for site maintenance, has been completed with half of the floor of the shed cemented.  Branch maintenance staff are in the process of setting up the workshop which is providing an excellent opportunity for them to update the Branch’s inventory of tools and equipment and to ensure that everything is in good working order.

Ø      Upgrade of phones
The Branch has changed its phone system from landlines to mobile phones.  This has improved communication between the staff who work at each of the museums and the maintenance staff.  It has the added benefit of improving security for staff while they are on duty. 
This changeover has also allowed the Branch to set up a dedicated number for enquiries – 0407 014 353.

Ø      Antique Fair Weekend
Branch volunteers contributed to the atmosphere around Burra over the Antique Fair Weekend in May by providing free Fire Engine rides in the Branch’s 1948 Dennis Fire Engine which saw active service in Burra during the 1950s.

Market Square Museum Lolly Shop

Have you called in to the Lolly Shop yet in Market Square Museum?

Thanks to Diana Martin’s ability to locate suppliers of good quality old style sweets, there is an ever increasing selection of delicious goodies for sale – something to tempt any palate.  Several local residents are already regular customers and the number is increasing daily!
The shop also sells a range of old-fashioned soft drinks, chutneys, jams etc as well as excellent hand made items and gifts.

Why not pop in and have a browse?

Website launched at July meeting

One of the Branch’s priorities for this year was to develop and launch its own Website in order to provide information about the Branch’s activities and the attractions that it offers to visitors to the town (as well as to local residents).

www.burraburraheritage.org.au

was launched at the Branch’s July meeting, the culmination of several months of work by some Branch members.

Why not log on and have a look?

Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held at 7:30pm on Thursday 30 August – details over the page.

Annual General Meeting

Thursday 30 August, 2007 commencing at 7:30pm in the Old Courthouse, Sancreed Street, Burra North.

Reports will be received on the Branch’s activities since the last AGM and elected positions will be filled for the coming year.

Peter Ferris has kindly agreed to be the guest speaker and will discuss the topic

‘A personal perspective of Burra and its future’.

Supper will follow the meeting. 

All interested people are invited to attend.

Work done at Kotz Cottage

The Branch successfully applied for funding in 2006 from the State Government Department of Environment and Heritage to commence stabilis-ation work at Kotz Cottage.  The grant required a matching contribution from the Branch.

A team of stonemasons, led by Peter Russell from Auburn, stabilised and rebuilt as necessary the southern corner of the western wall to prevent further deterioration of this section of the cottage.  Peter also undertook an assessment of the remainder of the building and provided information on the remaining stabilisation work that is required.  This has been used to submit a further application for funding under the DEH grant round that closed on 30 June.

Significance of Kotz Cottage

The cottage, which was built in stages prior to 1872, is of significance to Burra primarily due to its layered state of decay which provides considerable interpretive value with respect to low-cost construction techniques.  It also illustrates a diversity of economy in Burra’s early history which is generally dominated by its mining history.  The existing Burra story relates to the mine and excludes the parallel development of agriculture in the community which ensured Burra’s survival when the mine closed. 

The siting of the place adjacent to the Burra Creek reflects the importance of the creek in the development of Burra.  The layout of the buildings and structures within the site demonstrates the functional requirements of an agricultural settlement.

The Branch believes that the site lends itself to development of an agricultural display to complement the interpretation of the cottage building itself.

Plans for the Bon Accord Mine Museum

The recommendations from the 2006 significance survey have prompted a review of the themes of the museums.  The current focus is on the Bon Accord Mine Museum. 

The Old Waterworks Shed turns 100 next year and we are in the process of sorting out the items that are stored in there, disposing of some, relocating others, so that the shed can be used to display items from the Branch collection that are currently not on display.  The shed would then become part of this museum enhancing the existing displays with items such as horse-drawn vehicles of which the Branch has several. 

Another idea is to set up a section of the shed for restoration activities so that visitors can see some of the projects that are underway.

If you have any ideas as to how the Branch could best utilise the Old Waterworks Shed please let us know.

Next Branch meeting

To be held on Thursday 20^th September, commencing at 7:30pm in the Old Courthouse.

Meetings are open to anyone who is interested in finding out more about the Branch’s activities, so if you are interested (or even just a little curious), please come along. 

You will be made to feel most welcome. 

How to contact us

Chairman   Raymond Parker  8132 1887

Vice-Chairman   Dilys Bull      8892 2303

General contact:

Email        burrant@chariot.net.au

Phone      0407 014 353

Mail          PO Box 97, Burra 5147

What does the Branch do? (continued)

Residents of the Regional Council of Goyder are reminded that they can visit any of the museums for free, so if you haven’t visited them recently, please come and have a look.

Ø      Provides employment in the town

While much of the work undertaken by the Branch is done on a voluntary basis, the Branch also employs Museum guides, maintenance and cleaning staff and a book keeper.  Around 15 people work for the Branch, with the total paid hours being equivalent to about 2½ full-time equivalent positions.  This injects a significant amount of money into the Burra economy each year.

Ø      Conservation work on buildings and the Branch collection

During 2006 and early 2007 the Branch has had two surveys undertaken with funding received from a National Library of Australia Community Heritage Grant.

The significance survey reviewed the Branch’s collection (which is extensive with much of it currently not able to be displayed) to identify items which were of particular significance to Burra and those which would be better placed in other collections or which generally lacked significance at all.

The preservation survey made recommendations on the most appropriate methods for the Branch to maintain its collection, particularly the most significant items.

The Branch has commenced working through the recommendations made in these two reports and will continue to do so during 2007.