Volunteer Museums on Facebook

If you are reading this blog because you are involved in a volunteer-operated museum in Australia, there is a new Facebook page for you. Loretta from the Farmer's Arms Hotel Museum at Euroa has started a Facebook page Volunteer run Australian Museums.

Do drop over - it is spot for a chat about whatever comes to your mind about volunteer-operated museums, and hopefully will be a good place to pick up ideas.

In the meantime, our 1918 Signature Cloth is out on display for a limited period - so if you missed it last time, now is your chance to see it. The names (and more photos) are HERE.

Although Reminder - we are only open Tuesdays during winter.

Stratford Primary Turns 150

The Cahill Autograph Albums

We are having a delightful time at Stratford, working our way through the autograph albums belonging to Ruby and Amy Cahill from Dargo. These sisters, born in 1890 and 1895 respectively, collected autographs, sayings and small artworks from their friends from 1910 until about the start of World War I. Many of these friends were from Stratford.

Collecting autographs was a popular pastime, and people struggled to perform their best penmanship, as well as having something meaningful to write. Some were more profound than others.

The autograph books were with a collection of photographs (167 of them), which came from their brother Ernie Cahill, in a suitcase many years ago. Although many are unidentified, it is going to be interesting to work through to locate the photographs that we think are there, of Ruby and Amy. Ruby did not marry, and was postmistress at Dargo for many years. Amy we have yet to chase up.

Then, there is all the fun of identifying the contributors. Would anyone like to claim this one?

J.Watters contributed a number of very competent drawings to both albums.