Hurled Into Eternity: The 16 Executions at Maitland Gaol

Stories of the condemned prisoners at Maitland Gaol were captured in detailed reports in the Maitland Mercury and have now been collated in the first Maitland Gaol Occasional Series publication - Hurled Into Eternity: The 16 Executions at Maitland Gaol.
Information in the publication was researched as part of the inaugural exhibition held at the newly restored auditorium and exhibition space at the gaol, which focused on the gaol’s deadly history. To close on August 30, the display includes hangmens’ ropes and the death mask worn by prisoners in that era.

The full article by Briony Snedden is available at the Maitland Mercury, 6/08/2009.

Museums and Galleries New South Wales

Seminars and workshops in September 2009:

M&G NSW and the Historic Houses Trust present Artists interpreting history, a half-day seminar studying some of the engaging - and sometimes controversial results – of artists’ interventions of museum spaces and collections.
Speakers include: Caroline Mackaness, General Manager, Properties, HHT; Jude Philp, Senior Curator, Macleay Museum; and Robyn Stacey, Sydney-based contemporary artist.
Friday 4 September 2009, 2-5pm. Full details at the Museums & Galleries NSW web site.

Exploring Social Media & Online Content : a Museums Australia NSW & Powerhouse Museum Thinkspace Workshop for small museums. Learn about social media and best practice models. Consider issues such as equipment, copyright, privacy, managing user accounts, balancing personal and work time, finding help and resources. Plan a social media/online project. Create a basic blog, podcast or flickr stream content project.
Tuesday 15 September 2009. Time 930-12.30am. Check Museums & Galleries NSW.

Going the distance: planning for sustainability workshop is a back-to-basics workshop which looks at different streams of planning that are crucial for cultural organisations: business planning, strategic planning, and recruitment/succession planning. "This day is a must for all museums and galleries looking to carry their organisation into the future."
Friday, 25 September 2009. Full details at the Museums & Galleries NSW web site.

Derelict buildings - Newcastle & Maitland

The Newcastle Herald has reported that "Civic leaders are set to seek increased legal powers to bulldoze derelict buildings considered a blight on Newcastle and bill property owners for the cost." In particular the condition of the former Post Office has caused public angst because it is considered a heritage landmark.

The full article by Jacqui Jones is available at The Herald, 4/08/2009.

A corresponding report by the Maitland Mercury included comments from the Maitland Mayor:

"Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore said he would support the idea if Newcastle City Council resolved to put the motion to the conference.
He said councils had some power to act on maintenance where there was a threat to public safety, as had occurred in the case of Bob’s Bird Farm, on High Street, Maitland."

The full article by Briony Snedden is available at the Maitland Mercury, 5/08/2009.

Maps at the State Library

State Library have issued a reminder regarding the Library's map collection.

The State Library holds one of the most significant collections of maps in Australia, reflecting changes in cartography from the earliest charts of European navigators to digitally created maps of the twenty first century. The estimated size of the collection is 170,000 maps which includes over 40,000 subdivision plans. The current collection covers Australia, in particular NSW, the Pacific region, Antarctica and extends to the rest of the world.

Morpeth Courthouse roofing

Historic Morpeth Courthouse will undergo a partial roof replacement to ensure the 1862-built structure continues to be a landmark for another century.
A delivery of slate to be shipped from Wales is necessary for the repair.
The building operated as a courthouse until 1943, and was a branch library before the Morpeth Courthouse Museum was established in 1971.

The full article by Briony Snedden is availabe at the Maitland Mercury, 4/08/2009.

The Retaining Wall and the RTA

From the Maitland Mercury report:
A retaining wall that has been a feature of Pitnacree Road since convict gangs were said to have built it about 1830 is to be removed to make way for the approach road to the third Hunter River crossing, with the remainder of the wall to be “preserved in situ and covered”.

An RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) commissioned Statement of Heritage Impact and Historical Archaeological Assessment for the third crossing, which would link Glenarvon Road, Lorn, with Pitnacree Road, found the wall signified the importance of Pitnacree Road in the local area, and was rare evidence of 19th century road works in Maitland.

The full article by Briony Snedden is available at the Maitland Mercury, 3/08/2009.

Temora Community Archive

The community of Temora, a rural town in southern New South Wales, has created an underground archive to effectively preserve and manage its unique community records over the long term. In Temora (and no doubt countless other communities) it became apparent that a multitude of local organizations were carefully creating an historically valuable record of their participation in the community, only to be faced with the challenge of preserving it.
Their solution for a practical, long term storage environment with a low maintenance cost has been the construction of an underground archive, literally a reinforced concrete bunker structure.
Bill Speirs, Manager of Temora Rural Museum provides full details in part 1 of the archive project via the community blog of State Records NSW : Archives Outside.