Getting
Involved with Heidelberg Historical Society.
Heidelberg
Historical Society is a not for profit organisation, run
by its members. It provides opportunities for people to
become involved in interesting a worthwhile activities.
Helping to run the Museum on Sundays
General membership meetings
Cataloguing the Photograph Collection
Helping with the Reference Library
Web Site Maintenance
Helping with research requests
Maintenance of the museum
Assisting with displays
Recording new (old) historic items
Writing submissions for funding
Undertaking research projects
Adding to our collections
Helping
to run the museum on Sundays.
We need 4 volunteers each week to staff the museum when
it opens to the public, from 2pm to 5pm on Sundays.
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General
membership meetings are held every second month.
This gives members a chance to hear about our activities,
to share their views and to hear from one of our series
of expert speakers. Attendance at meetings is one of the
best ways to keep up with the Society’s activities.
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Cataloguing
the Photographic Collection.
A group of members has been cataloguing our collection
of 3,000 photographs for the past 3 years. Volunteers
normally meet at the museum from 10am to 12 noon on Mondays.
The work involves noting information about each photograph
on data sheets. It’s a good way to find out about
local history in a friendly atmosphere.
Photographs are also being scanned and entered on a computer
data base. People with a basic knowledge of computer operation
could help with this project too.
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Helping
with the Reference Library
We need volunteers to assist with cataloguing, book repair
and covering.
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Web
site maintenance
Web sites like this one need to be updated regularly.
"What’s New" must be kept new. Information
needs to be provided in electronic form. The skills of
web designers are always in demand.
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Helping with research requests.
Members of the public often make requests for information
about aspects of Heidelberg History. This can include
information on the house or the street they live in, help
with school or university projects or research, and assistance
to government bodies involved in public affairs and events.
Members with local knowledge are needed to follow up on
requests. This can involve sharing your knowledge or assisting
people to find the required information.
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Maintenance of the museum.
Any historic building needs regular maintenance, including
normal cleaning and dusting, but also straightforward
handyman tasks. (We don’t ask our members to do
anything risky or dangerous.) Working bees or regular
small jobs need the support of members.
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Assisting with displays.
A small group of members is involved in planning and arranging
displays of the Museum’s objects. Displays change
regularly and include exhibits for special occasions,
such as the Banyule Festival. This is a good way to learn
about Heidelberg history and our various collections.
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Recording new (old) historical
items.
All sorts of items, including objects, photographs, documents
and maps frequently find their way to the Museum. Each
one has to be assessed, registered and catalogued to place
it in historical context. We need people who are prepared
to assist with this on-going task. It’s no good
having a lot of material unless we know what it is and
where it is in the Museum.
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Writing submissions
for funding.
Government bodies regularly offer funding opportunities
for volunteer organisations. These can include the purchase
of computer equipment, the scanning and conservation of
historic material, or oral history projects. Writing submissions
for funding takes time and patience. If we are successful,
then volunteers are needed to carry out the projects.
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Undertaking research projects,
both individually and in co-operation with others.
One current project involves tracing ownership of all
the properties in one part of the Heidelberg area, from
the earliest Crown Land sales in 1838 to the present.
One person can only cover limited parts of the district.
The co-operative involvement of others would result in
a large, invaluable collection of information about Heidelberg's
past and present.
Another member was recently involved in writing the history
of a local primary school.
Oral histories are one way of holding on to and helping
to understand memories of the past.
The Society seeks ideas from members, especially those
who want to engage in research work, themselves.
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Adding to our Collections
We are always on the lookout for photographs, objects,
maps, documents and other literature relating to Heidelberg’s
history.
Although we have some 3,000 photographs, there are large
gaps in our collection. We need members who can actively
seek out old photographs from people who have lived in
the Heidelberg area for many years.
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