HISTORICAL society members from across the state had a sneak peak at the newly completed extension of the Berrima District Historical and Family History Society (BDHFHS) building in Berrima last weekend.
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Delegates attending the Royal Australian Historical Society's 2014 State History Conference attended the launch of the society's latest publication Life Behind the Bar: Inns and Hotels in the Southern Highlands1824-1924 written by Shylie Brown.
The extension was a shell for the launch, but will soon be fitted out as an exhibition gallery and from next April will house the Southern Highlands 1200 Anzac Centenary Exhibition, as part of 2015 Anzac commemorations.
The new gallery is the result of community contributions to the Southern Highlands 1200 Anzac Centenary Project that was launched in April 2013 by the BDHFHS.
Project Manager Harlan Hall and a team of museum volunteers raised $250,000 towards the gallery's construction, thanks to numerous grants received and the generous donations of time, money and materials by local people.
The most recent grant of $35,000 was provided under the Arts NSW Regional Capital 2014/15 grant program, and will assist with gallery fit-out costs.
Goulburn MP Pru Goward said the funding "will improve the usability of the much loved society."
"[The] funding will go towards the supply and installation of two exhibition showcases, an iPad interactive bench and the exhibition track lighting," Ms Goward said.
Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, said the funding supported arts and cultural activities in regional NSW.
"High quality venues and facilities in regional communities encourage wider participation in arts and cultural activities," he said.
Later this year the museum's new gallery will be formally opened with its first exhibition: A Camera on Gallipoli, a collection of images made available by the Australian War Memorial.
BDHFHS's Phillip Morton said the new gallery would become a valued addition to the Wingecarribee Shire's museum and gallery spaces.
"It will serve as a key facet in the museum's immediate aim and long-term vision to be a 'Story Centre' that informs, educates and entertains local people and enables visitors to gain a greater understanding of the rich heritage of people and places in the shire."
