The preservation of Parkes Shire's history will continue to thrive under the leadership of the Parkes and Districts Historical Society (PDHS), with a new three-year lease signed for the occupation of the Henry Parkes Museum.
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President of the Parkes and Districts Historical Society, Yvonne Hutton OAM joined Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM last week to renew the lease.
The document has provided certainty for the PDHS to continue their development of the museum and maintain the stewardship of the historical memorabilia of the area.
Cr Keith updated his fellow councillors on the status of the museum’s occupation at Parkes Shire Council’s monthly meeting on August 15.
“I’m very excited to announce the Parkes and Districts Historical Society has signed a three-year lease,” the mayor said on Tuesday.
“There’s now some certainty on the occupation of that premises...[and] shows that some of the rumours out there are not true.”
Cr Barbara Newton told Cr Keith, on behalf of the remaining councillors, that they were delighted with the result.
“By preserving our region's history makes it possible for the past to serve as a key educational resource, which we can reference when we make important decisions today,” Cr Keith said.
“The Henry Parkes Museum and Antique Machinery Exhibit combine to form a wonderful tourism precinct where locals and visitors can come to learn about the area and why it all adds up to a positive place to live, work, and visit.
“This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Museum, which is a tremendous achievement.”
The Henry Parkes Museum and Antique Machinery Exhibit depicts early life in Parkes through objects, photos, historical information, maps, cemetery records, clothing and embroidery.
The site houses a collection of historic buildings, along with many other items of significance, including a wooden schoolhouse, two churches, a blacksmith shop, Silver City Comet carriage, 45 restored tractors, and over 20,000 ephemeral items.
Formed in 1953, the Parkes and District Historical Society has been enormously successful in assembling the large collection of items from the region of which the majority have been donated by the local community.
The Henry Parkes Museum proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.