DUNKELD History Museum will be hosting their 40-year anniversary as well as the launch of the museum’s new book ‘Dunkeld’s Soldier Boys & Girls of WWII’ at the Dunkeld Community Centre (Sterling Place) today at 2pm.

The three aims of the Dunkeld Museum have been to preserve the local heritage, to create an interesting and entertaining centre for tourists, and to provide a valuable educational centre where the local features of geographical and historical interest are professionally displayed for primary, secondary and tertiary students; these were the goals set at the formation of the Dunkeld and District Historical Museum Inc. in 1983.

They are still the museum’s aims today and the only difference is the museum underwent a name change in 2011 and is now known as Dunkeld Museum Inc.

The journey through the area by Major Mitchell is a popular talking point and in fact the museum displays the stump of a tree that once stood at Lake Repose which one of Mitchell’s team wrote a message on.

A replica of Major Mitchell is shown in uniform in all his finest regalia, which is standing in front of detailed information of his journey through Victoria.

Other displays depict the arrival of the squatters, the experience of settlers, the stories of the timbermen, the apiarists, soldier settlers, bakery and baker’s cart which many have been photographed sitting in.

The most recent achievement was of a showcase depicting local racing club memorabilia that was completed recently.

The museum houses an extensive collection of well over 6000 registered items, along with an extensive family history archive any historical society would be envious of, while two very dedicated researchers manage the extensive files that the public can come in and browse.

The volunteers have been the backbone of the museum with their dedication to upholding the ambition of the founding president, Elise Clabburn, to identify as being the “People’s” museum - operated by the district’s people for the district’s people.

Dunkeld Museum secretary, Joyce Gordon, said that all those at the museum were very proud of making it to 40 years and have tried to uphold the ambitions of the founding president, Elise Clark.

“Elise put together the community and got everyone to come together and raise funds to buy the church (old Presbyterian) part of the building which cost $7500 and the whole community got on board … we were able to raise enough money,” she said.

“Unfortunately Elise didn’t make the opening day in 1985 as she passed away before that, but I do have a letter that she has written to the committee where she has basically written a letter on deathbed and she’s saying what she wants to do for the museum and it’s a pretty touching letter.”

The process of the celebration has been effectively split up into four parts.

Part One was the placing of a plaque on the memorial rock at the Dunkeld cemetery, which named 22 soldiers who served overseas as well as some enlisting from places other than Dunkeld, but those whose final resting place is in Dunkeld.

The unveiling of this plaque took place on November 11, 2018.

Part Two was all about the booklet “Our Soldier Boys, Volume 1”, containing information from these men’s service records and the museum archives, giving a brief overview of each man’s known after-war life and was produced as a record to acknowledge their contribution to Australia’s involvement in the First World War.

Part Three involved the placing of a large plaque on a sperate memorial rock, which was also at the Dunkeld cemetery which came about by someone throwing up the challenge that the Dunkeld Museum should also give recognition to the World War II service men and women.

This plaque which named 106 personnel was unveiled at the cemetery on November 7, 2021, and still had a further four names to be unveiled prior to the book launch today making a total of 110 people recognised on this plaque.

Part Four was the launching of the book “Dunkeld’s Soldier Boys and Girls of World War II” and will take place at Dunkeld’s Sterling Place this afternoon in conjunction with the museum’s 40th birthday since its formation in 1983.

This book has been over two years in the making, much of which was done during COVID-19 when museum staff worked from home.

With the project now coming to a close, the museum thanked all who helped with the research, as well as family and friends who donated photographs and information to the museum for inclusion in the book, building the museum’s extensive family history archives to a higher level.

The Museum also thanked the families of those mentioned in the book for their generosity of donations and the Southern Grampians Shire Council for a $2500 grant.