Redland Museum facts for kids
The Redland Museum's exterior, viewed from the Cleveland Showgrounds, with the blacksmith shop on the left.
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| Established | 1968 |
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| Location | 60 Smith Street, Cleveland, Redland City, Queensland, Australia |
| Type | Local museum, toy museum |
| Collection size | 14,000+ |
| Founder | Norman Dean |
| Public transit access | Smith St at Cleveland Showground |
The Redland Museum is the local history museum of South East Queensland's Redlands region, situated in the suburb of Cleveland. It specialises in preserving the Redlands' social history from 1842 to the present day.
With over 14,000 items on display and in storage, the Museum regards itself as among the best in Queensland. Along with the large main building in Cleveland, Redland Museum operates a historical reference library, the adjacent functional blacksmith's shop, and a small outpost on nearby Russell Island.
History
Originating as a project of the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 1968, the Museum building was quickly constructed, opening to the public in 1970. It was soon dedicated to the people of the Redlands. As the Museum increased its collection size and popularity, largely due to the efforts of local volunteers, it outgrew the original building. This led to major expansions after 2009, allowing for more items to be displayed.
Collection
Much of the Redland Museum's collection consists of donations from local residents, all of which are processed and catalogued by Museum volunteers. The items mostly reflect the Redlands' colonial and agricultural history, due to the region's historical value for farming and fishing, although several items originated from elsewhere in South East Queensland. Among the most popular objects in the Collection are:
- A restored Ford Model TT truck, originally purchased by a Mount Cotton farmer, with its wooden frame built by a local coachbuilder
- A functional player piano
- An original Halladay windpump used in a Cleveland farm
- An 1860s wedding gown, worn at a wedding in Toowoomba
- A manual pill-making machine used in a nearby pharmacy
- A Magneto telephone switchboard from Kingsthorpe
- A large patchwork quilt representing the Redlands' international diversity
Displays and exhibitions
The Museum houses many permanent displays, featuring, respectively: farm equipment (Dan Holzapfel Farm Pavilion); post office materials; bedroom furnishings; dolls; textiles; and varying items and texts of particularly local historical importance (Stories of the Redlands).
A series of constantly-changing exhibitions are also run by the Museum. Exhibits of: writing (including a 1716 King James Bible); mannequins; bicycles; a Reedy River performance; wall-length murals; culture-fusing artistic displays; Queensland history; and Australian Aboriginal culture are among past highlights.
Australian Toy Hall of Fame
As the newest permanent display, the Australian Toy Hall of Fame intends to commemorate the toys that have been iconic to Australia throughout its history. Nominations are accepted based on popularity, endurance, and remembrance; Lego, marbles, slingshots, toy cars, and teddy bears are current inclusions. The display also features an interactive play area for children.
