30 September 2011

Display Shed Redevelopment



It had been hoped that the redevelopment of this shed would have been completed in time for the museum's 45th birthday next week. However, difficulties in obtaining quotes from builders and uncertainity over the future management of the museum has delayed the project. We have, however, with assistance from the Greenough Regional Prison, had the old bush poles replaced by steel posts, and today Keboda Stone completed a limestone buttress to fill a gap in the west wall. This work was funded by the City of Greater Geraldton through a Lotterywest grant.

Let's hope the project is completed well in advance of the museum's 50th birthday.

21 September 2011

Pioneer Museum & the National Gallery



What does the Greenough Pioneer Museum and the National Gallery of Australia have in common?
They both have a drawing by Tom Rands of the 1888 flood at Greenough in their collections.
Our drawing, donated to the museum by Phyl Duncan in 2007 is pictured above. We believed it was the only image of that devastating flood in existence.
Image our surprise when we were informed that the exhibition entitled "Out of the West" currently on display in the National Gallery has another Tom Rand drawing of the 1888 flood.
The NGA drawing was purchased in 2010 and can be viewed at http://nga.gov.au/exhibition/OUTWEST?Default.cfm?MnuID=2&GallD=3.
On comparing the 2 sketches I presume that ours is a quick preliminary sketch, and that Rands then decided to improve the composition by including adjacent buildings.