Carnamah Historical Society facts for kids
The Carnamah Historical Society is a group that gathers, records, keeps safe, and shares the history of Carnamah. Carnamah is a town and farming area in the Mid West part of Western Australia.
The society started in 1983. It opened a museum in 1992 and launched its website in 2003. Their work has been recognized at big conferences and even featured at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
The Carnamah Historical Society is part of important history groups like Museums Australia. It was the first group in Australia to be listed with the Society for One-Place Studies. In 2010, it won an award for being a "dynamic, but very different society."
In 2015, the society won a Western Australian Heritage Award. The judges praised them for using "cutting-edge technology" to share the history of their area and the whole state.
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Founded | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Type | Incorporated Association |
| Location |
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| Origins | Carnamah Apex Club and Carnamah Restoration Society |
Contents
Carnamah Museum: A Look into the Past
In 1992, the society opened the Carnamah Museum. It's located right in the middle of Carnamah town. The museum has many different items. You can see old objects, tools, machines, photos, and other things. These items show what life was like in Carnamah's past. They cover social life, homes, businesses, and farming.
In 2010, the society received a large grant to make the museum bigger. Other groups also helped with money and support. The expansion included a cool "Window to the Past." This is a large old photo of Carnamah's main street placed in an old window frame. It makes it look like you are gazing back in time! The expanded museum officially opened on September 15, 2012.
Macpherson Homestead: An Old Stone Home
The society also takes care of the Macpherson Homestead. This old stone house is about one kilometer east of Carnamah. It was built in the late 1860s. Over time, it started to fall apart. But it was restored using money raised locally and grants.
The homestead is now a protected heritage site. The Heritage Council of Western Australia noted that early settlers were very important. They helped Carnamah grow and develop. The homestead itself is special because of its tall walls and steep roof.
Online History: Exploring Carnamah Virtually
Society Website: Your Online History Hub
The society started its website in 2003. It uses the internet to achieve many of its goals. While the museum focuses on Carnamah, the website looks at the wider region. This helps people understand Carnamah's history in a bigger picture.
The website has lots of online content. You can find a huge biographical dictionary and a virtual museum. There are also historical photos, cemetery records, local stories, and resources for school. The website has been saved for the future since 2004. This means its history will always be available.
Biographical Dictionary: Stories of People
The society works with another group to create an online Biographical Dictionary. This dictionary covers people connected to the areas of Coorow, Carnamah, and Three Springs. It has information about thousands of people.
The idea behind this dictionary is to tell the history of the area "one person at a time." It's a great way to learn about the lives of people who shaped the region.
Virtual Museum: Exhibitions You Can Visit Online
In August 2011, the society added a virtual museum to its website. This allows more people to see its collection. It started with three online exhibitions. Later, it grew to nine exhibitions with support from the Department of Culture and the Arts.
An image from Carnamah's virtual museum was even on the cover of Inside History magazine! In 2013, the society started adding school resources to its virtual exhibitions. These resources help students learn about history.
In 2014, the society's Virtual Museum: to be known and distinguished as Carnamah won a national award. Judges called it a "very creative" and "innovative solution." The next year, the school resources also received an award. Judges said they were "beautifully designed and comprehensive."
To remember 100 years since the Gallipoli landings, the society made a special virtual exhibition about the First World War in 2015.
Virtual Volunteering: Helping from Anywhere
In May 2012, the society started a virtual volunteering program. People could help by indexing old voting records online. This work helped build the society's databases. The goal was to get more work done and allow more people to volunteer. This included people who might not be able to visit in person.
In 2013, the society received a grant to develop this program further. The money helped them research, test, and improve the program. They also shared what they learned with other community groups.
The society won an award for Virtual Volunteering in 2015. It was called a "great socially inclusive project." It helped both the museum and the volunteers.
Carnamah at the National Museum of Australia
One amazing result of the society's work is that Carnamah is featured at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in Canberra. A curator at the NMA found the society's website while looking for information about soldier settlement.
Carnamah's First World War soldier settlement is part of the NMA's permanent exhibition. This section tells the stories of five soldier settlers and their families. Most of the information came from the society's website. In 2013, the NMA published a book about the exhibition. Carnamah was one of the 33 places featured in the book.
