The first stage of repairs to the roof of the Daylesford Museum, an important local heritage building, is now complete.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) provided funding of $337,000 to the Committee of Management for the first stage of the works identified in the Museum’s conservation management plan.
The old roof was rusted and leaking and risked damage to the valuable historical collection. (Photo supplied.)
The conservation management plan recorded the history and different uses of the building and established its significant heritage value.
The funding was part of a $2 million volunteer support fund to help committees of management keep operating through the COVID-19 environment, including essential building maintenance works.
“Our committee of management really appreciates the grant provided by DELWP,” said Gary Carter, Chair of the Daylesford Museum Reserve Committee of Management. “This enabled us to complete the first stage of the restoration work which will help protect the building and the valuable historical items inside from water damage.”
The museum plays an important role in the local community, housing two much loved cultural institutions, the Daylesford and District Historical Society and Daylesford Community Brass Band.
The large heritage collection managed by the Historical Society is open to the public on weekends and during school holidays, while members of the Community Brass Band regularly use the building to rehearse.
The Daylesford Museum dates back to the early 1890s when it was used by the School of Mines to teach classes on science and art. The building retains many of its original features including one of the earliest and most intact School of Mines laboratories and metallurgical laboratory interiors in Victoria.
The roof was in poor condition with leaks in several locations across the building, causing it to deteriorate and risk damaging the historical community collection.
