Not all neighbourly relationships are as loving and stable as that between the Manning Valley Historical Society’s Wingham Museum and Well Creative.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Well Creative designer and director, Aaron Cueno, has had a vision for his neighbour that started with a designing a brochure for the museum, and has extended to the creation of a brand new, modern and responsive website for the non-profit organisation.
Work on the website started in November 2017, and it was launched on February 23 this year.
The website was provided via a contra deal with the museum.
“There’s a brass plaque that was originally on this building just outside the door,” said Aaron, who’s business is housed in the old ES&A Bank building in Bent Street.
“And by some miracle, I don’t why, but when the ANZ took over the building they levered it off and I was there at the museum one day, and I went, ‘THAT’S the plaque!’. It’s really cool because it’s part of the building’s history and it is original, and I’m quite passionate about the history of the building being preserved and restored.”
Related reading: Old ES&A Bank restoration was time well spent
The historical society is hoping the new site will bring more visitors to the Museum, and work providing a new stream of revenue.
“The old website was pretty much ‘here’s a website’, but this is actually about encouraging increased visitation to the site. We do a lot of destination marketing so we have that kind of focus,” Aaron said.
The museum’s entire collection of books for sale can be ordered from the site. And, in what will be a long term project and a new source of income, their archive of historical photos are being uploaded.
“You can request the image and they will email the image to you when they receive payment. It’s an amazing resource that they’ve got, but they’ve got a lot of content still to put in here. That will be a work in progress,” Aaron said.
We dream up wild ideas and they push us in the right direction.
- Terry Tournoff
Although it means a learning curve and a lot of work for the museum’s volunteers, everybody is excited by the new website.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it’s the way things are going now. People go to websites before they go to maps or anything like that so it’s our first exposure, especially to travellers,” museum curator, Terry Tournoff said.
“We have to say that Well Creative are an excellent company to deal with. They put us in the right direction; we dream up wild ideas and they push us in the right direction.”
As for Aaron’s vision for the museum, he hasn’t finished dreaming yet.
“From Well Creative’s point of view we’ve always kind of had a bigger picture in mind and I still have a bigger picture in mind which is the front of their building. I’ll do a rendering of it one day and get them excited,” he said.
Visit the new website at www.winghammuseum.com.au.
Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
