By Tyler Wright
Emerald Museum held its Australian Heritage Festival yesterday as part of Heritage Week in acknowledgment of the rich history in the area.
The museum is located in Nobelius Heritage Park, a site that was part of fruit and ornamental tree exporter Carl Axel Nobelius’ Nursery where some of his fruit plants grow to this day.
Displays of memorabilia, photographs and documents filled the museum, and plants listed in the Nobelius plant catalogue colour the surrounding park amidst the autumn coolness.
Typewriters from the 1800s, centuries-old coffee roasters and agricultural machinery coming from Emerald, Gembrook, Clematis and neighbouring areas form part of the collection gathered by volunteers throughout the thirty years the Museum has been operating.
“It’s a really nice place to come… to learn about the local area and hear more personal stories, which is what history’s really all about,” Emerald Museum volunteer Julia Bell said.
“Which is why when someone donates something, it’s really good if we can get some stories or some background rather than just the object – because that’s what people really want to know [about],” Ms Bell said.
Families scrambled throughout the museum to find items on their treasure hunt list, with children playing with typewriters while asking ‘what does it do?.’
“It’s school holidays, lot’s of kids are around,” Ms Bell said.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to let people know that we’re here and get people to come and then a chunk of them will come back for another visit or tell other people about it.”
Cardinia Shire Council’s Environment Education Officer Annie Jenkins helped get the event running and supplied morning tea for visitors.
Ms Jenkins said it was important for like-minded people to get together and have the opportunity to meet new people after being locked down throughout the last two years.
“It’s good to share that passion and interest in the history of the Emerald Museum and Emerald District,” Ms Jenkins said.
“I’d be really, really excited to do more events like this and really get more people in and enjoy it.”
Emerald local Beryl was a volunteer for the Nobelius Heritage Park & Emerald Museum Committee of Management for almost thirty years.
While she has recently given up the role, you could still find her imparting her knowledge on those walking through the Festival.
Beryl said a worker at Nobelius Nursery, Gus Ryberg, brought former Victorian Premier Rupert Hamer to the property which led to funding from local council and the Victorian Government to keep the nursery running and eventually build the museum that currently stands.
She said she loved seeing young children exploring the museum and the park and asking questions about what they saw.
The Victorian Salvia Study Group had a Salvia Display Garden behind the museum with a stall selling the plants which are very popular with locals.
Nobelius Heritage Park & Emerald Museum Committee of Management President Pauline Murphy said the Festival was “very successful” and the Committee is looking for new volunteers to spearhead the way forward – a sentiment echoed by other members, too.
“We haven’t got a huge amount of volunteers,” Ms Murphy said.
“It’s a bit of a struggle because it means the ones that are left have to do everything.”
Nobelius Heritage Park is registered on the Victorian Heritage Database as a site of State significance, and the Emerald Museum is located at Emerald Museum, 5 Crichton Rd, Emerald VIC 3782.
