Photos: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY WALLIS VINSON, MEMBER OF FRIENDS OF LAGGAN HOUSE
The Gumdale Historical Museum was originally a tin-shingle one-room shed on a property on Greencamp Road. It had been a storage shed, a garage, a hay shed, a small animal abattoir, and a home for a Depression-era family. The shed was carefully disassembled, with each part numbered, and then reassembled at its present site. A small group of dedicated volunteers devoted a significant amount of their time and expertise to ensure that this snapshot of a past era was not lost.
The museum has been officially named Laggan House, after the family who first lived in it.
On display in the museum are items from the Depression years and earlier, through to the 1940s. One interesting item is an 1870 kerosene tin watering can, which was handmade by a gold miner in Tenterfield.
The interior of the museum displays everyday items from that era. There are too many items to list, so you need to come along for a look. We are sure you will have memories of the same types of items being used by your grandma or grandpa. The outside displays include a tool shed, a laundry area with a copper, and a thunderbox toilet. Everything is displayed in a true-to-life setting.
Volunteers will be on-site on open days to give you a guided tour and answer any questions you may have. There is a quiz for the children where they can learn about everyday items from the past and a fantastic book for sale titled “From Saplings and Kero Tins: A Peek at Gumdale’s Past.”
Several times a year, one of the open days is dedicated to a special display in keeping with the era. Some of the past displays have included puzzles, games, toys, and dolls appropriate to the era; a military memorabilia display before Anzac Day; a vintage clothing display; a display of vintage and antique clocks, radios, and gramophones, and a volunteer dress-up day.
The museum is located at 737 New Cleveland Road, on the grounds of the Gumdale Progress Hall, with parking on site. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children or concessions, and $5 for a family. The museum is open on the first Saturday of each month (except December and January) from 10:30am to 12:30pm. See you there!
