General News
27 July, 2024
History eyes on GMW site
WEEKS ahead of Goulburn Murray Water shutting the gates on its Pyramid Hill depot, a bid has emerged to make the Barber Street block home to a new Loddon Valley history centre. The town’s historical society has held early talks with GMW and gained...
WEEKS ahead of Goulburn Murray Water shutting the gates on its Pyramid Hill depot, a bid has emerged to make the Barber Street block home to a new Loddon Valley history centre.
The town’s historical society has held early talks with GMW and gained support for the vision from local leaders and MP Peter Walsh.
Plans would see historic agricultural machinery taken from storage at Mitchell Park and incorporated in the new museum and interpretive site showcasing five key eras of the region’s history.
Society president Alan Mann said five key themes of the centre would be indigenous history, early white settlement, beginnings of irrigation in Australia and Goulburn Murray Water, Mawson’s granite quarries and the industrial history of Pyramid Hill and districts including the butter factory, agricultural inventions, and its booming modern livestock and cropping industries.
“Up to 1000 vehicles a day pass through Pyramid Hill, the history centre would be a reason for people to stop and explore,” Mr Mann said.
Society member Trevor McIntosh said: “The site is ideal and some infrastructure is already in place.”
Plans also include interactive exhibitions and outdoor history interpretive trails. Mr Mann said recent meetings in Pyramid Hill had shown enthusiasm for the proposal.
And Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh said: “Pyramid Hill must be seen as one of the success stories, not just of regional Victoria, but of all Australia.
“It has brought itself back from the brink of disappearing into insignificance by making brave and industry-leading decisions which attracted a significant new workforce to the area, revived local agribusinesses and has seen a parallel revival of its commercial heartbeat.
“This is the community now turning its energies to the next level in its reincarnation – to the establishment of this history centre.
“If there is any regional community which can be guaranteed to punch above its weight, Pyramid Hill would be the gold medal contender.
“I will be supporting every step of this project as it moves forward, I will go into bat with its negotiations to secure the GMW site as its future home and I will be its voice on the floor of the Victorian Parliament and with the relevant departments whenever necessary.”
Goulburn Murray Water shut its Pyramid Hill office last month with the depot slated to close in mid-August.