In conjunction with the Twilight Markets on Saturday 18 October, the museum had an open day from 10am to 7pm with free entry. Many took the opportunity to visit for the first time and were duly impressed.
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At 4.30 pm two new panels were opened, one outside and one inside, interpreting the story of the slab hut in the museum grounds.
The Sustainable Collections Project, with the key theme, Pasture to Plate, funded these panels and the hut kitchen had a special display of cooking utensils from early days when all cooking was done over an open fire.
This hut has been adopted as the logo for the Historical Society. Built as a shepherd's hut in the 1830s on the vast Merriganowry pastoral station of district pioneer, John Grant, it had many uses over the years after Merriganowry station was subdivided.
By the end of World War 1, Jock Davidson owned the portion with the hut and other early buildings.
He and his wife, Chris (nee Norrie), lived for the first eight years of their marriage in another slab building close by.
In 1971, the next owner, their son, Jim Davidson, realising its heritage value, contacted his cousin, Dorothy Balcomb, to offer the derelict hut to Canowindra Historical Society.
It was a daunting task but in 1972, the Canowindra Lions Club, as a special project, worked with Historical Society members to demolish the hut, carefully numbering all the slabs and re-erecting it in the museum grounds.
On Saturday, John Davidson, Jim's son, unveiled the two new panels and delighted the audience with his memories of the hut and those related by his grandparents.
The Wheat Industry in Canowindra
On the same theme, Pasture to Plate, there was a small display near the museum's collections of early harvesting machines of the Wheat Industry in Canowindra showing samples of wheat in head, wheat seed, flour, and the end product, bread. There were pictures of Tee's and The Great Western flourmills that were once important businesses in Mill Street.
Next Meeting and Christmas Party
The next and final meeting of the Canowindra Historical Society & Museum Inc for 2014 will be held at 10am on Tuesday 4 November at the Historical Museum. As this is Melbourne Cup Day the meeting will be short enough to allow members to attend one of the local Cup parties.
The Historical Society break up function will be at Cargo on 8 November 2014 with lunch for $15 at the Rustic Notions Caf at noon for 12.30 followed by a tourist walk/drive of Cargo. Bookings by 1 November with Anne Vincent on 63441817, annevincent@netspace.net.au or me, Dorothy Balcomb 63600618, tekoona@bigpond.com
While lunch numbers are limited to 30, more can come for the tour after lunch and, if sufficient number, a bus could be hired. Friends also welcome.
Dorothy Balcomb, Publicity Officer
