Nobelius a noble effort

A display that tells the story of Emerald icon Carl Axel Nobelius and his Gembrook Nursery was launched on Sunday 28 May at the Emerald Museum.
More than 100 people attended to help celebrate the event, including descendants of Nobelius and Cardinia Shire Mayor, Cr Brett Owen.
Kitty Owens from Museums Australia was also on hand to give great advice to the committee.
Emerald Museum President, Chris Britton, said the subject was an incredible person.
“The display only touches on the surface of this far-sighted man, his nursery and his family,” she said.
“A timeline covers the years 1851, the birth of Nobelius, until today 2017.
“In the world of business and society, Nobelius had a reputation for traditional values of hard work, thrift and honesty.”
Last year, Nobelius Heritage Park achieved state and national significance.
The Emerald Museum is located in the scenic heritage site and is the only remaining remnant of the nursery, with many specimens of trees once stocked by the nursery.
“Featured in the displays are ledgers with orders from all over the world, the labelling machine and the rare typewriter, dating back to 1884 and used in the Nobelius office,” she said.
“These are housed in new display cabinets that were made by the Emerald Men’s Shed.”
The committee have also produced a new brochure to match the map located in Nobelius Heritage Park, showing the name of plantings, and the interpretation of trees and heritage sites.
New benches are located on the museum verandah, with wood made from the old cypress hedge that was removed from Worrell Reserve to make way for ‘a place of last resort’ in case of fire in the area.
Meanwhile, Beryl Bartacek was honoured for her long service and commitment to the museum over 20 years.
The community is encouraged to check out the display, which will be a permanent exhibition.
The museum is open every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm; and Sundays from 1.30pm to 4pm.
The committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 4pm and are looking for new members.