WINGHAM Museum now has a space to showcase some of its most precious and significant pieces.
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A large glass cabinet sits pride of place at the entrance of the museum filled with fascinating historical items that could not otherwise be safely displayed to the public.
The cabinet was officially opened by Mr Ian Sinclair at a ceremony where he said how lucky the museum was to receive funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Review (FRRR) and the Julian Flett fund to acquire the valuable display cabinet.
“This is a wonderful way to have memories preserved for the town’s benefit,” he said.
Marsha Rennie, one of the hard working Manning Valley Historical Society volunteers was instrumental in writing the successful grant application and in setting the display up before its grand unveiling.
The cabinet was especially made by local shop fitting company RSF to match the style and colour of the other timber cabinets in the museum which have mostly been donated by local shops that have closed down.
The successful grant meant half of the funds were donated by the FRRR and Julian Flett Foundation which supports worthwhile activities in the areas of culture and tourism, the arts, history and heritage in the area. The other half was made up from donations and museum door takings.
Displayed in the cabinet is one of the museum’s prized pieces, a Gaelic bible which was owned by Donald McLeod of Kilmuir, Isle of Skye. The bible was used for daily service on the immigration ship, Midlothian which arrived in Sydney Cove in December 1837 after a voyage of five months from Scotland.
The bible was also used for the first Gaelic service held in Australia and the southern hemisphere. Next to the bible is an example of a traditional Scottish ‘Bruce kilt’.
The historical dress also has a special story behind it. It was originally thought to have been worn in the early 1900s by Ethel Broomfield, the daughter of a Scottish immigrant.
After it was appraised by the Powerhouse Museum the dress was revealed to in fact be a whole generation older, worn by Ethel’s mother Nancy Broomfield nee Wallace in the 1860s.
Nancy was the third child of Robert and Helen Wallace and was born in the Scottish Lowlands on January 21, 1837.
In 1839 the family boarded the sailing ship Formosa and travelled to Australia. Nancy married Robert Bloomfield in 1859 at Chester Hill. The blue dress is thought to have been her ‘going away’ outfit. In later years the couple built a house in Lower Bow Hill.
The display cabinet is an exciting addition to the museum and will allow more of its remarkable and noteworthy historical artefacts to be appreciated by the public.