Month: June 2016

30th Anniversary Celebrations of the Avoca and District Historical Society – 18 May 2014.

(Craig Wilson, Editor and Proprietor of Pyrenees Newspapers Pty Ltd attended and took many photographs, and has given permission for this one to be reproduced on our website.)

L to R: Beryl Maidment, Tony O’Shea, Cr. Ron Eason, Dorothy Robinson, Denis Strangman, Vicki Burge, Margaret Oulton, Jill Hunter, Helen Harris OAM, Graeme Mills, Mary Dridan, Sue Slater, Edna Jarvis, Cr. Robert Vance (Mayor, Pyrenees Shire).

The Committee and members of the Avoca & District Historical Society Inc were delighted that the Society’s 30th Birthday was attended by some 50 people, including many we had not seen for a long time. These included our Speaker, Helen Harris OAM (founder of the Society), our Webmaster, Denis Strangman from Canberra, and Margaret Oulton.   Mayor Robert Vance and Avoca Ward Councillor Ron Eason were also present, along with representatives from neighbouring Societies.   Our President, Cheryl Mallinson presented Denis Strangman with a framed “Life Membership” certificate, which included the following explanation:   “….. recognition of his work over the past two decades in maintaining the Society’s Website., which has been the major source of new memberships, paid research jobs, publication sales, etc., and as such he has made a major contribution to the fact that the Society is in such a strong position, financially and otherwise, as it reaches the Thirtieth Anniversary of its foundation this month.”

Helen spoke about a list of things which were newsworthy in 1984, the year of our foundation, and about the necessity to continue working towards getting more female representation in positions of influence in each level of government.    She also alerted us to the possibility of working with Trove to get the early Avoca local papers digitised in a form that rendered them more accessible, and searchable by key words, rather than reading every page on a film reader.  Helen believes that this will inspire many more people to use our archives to research their ancestry.  She made the offer to partly fund this process, if we decide to use it, and the Committee will no doubt discuss it at our next meeting.   Maybe other members may like to emulate Helen’s generosity.

Mrs Cheryl Mallinson, President of the Society, chaired the proceedings.