Her Place is our history, and present

CURRENTLY showing at the Eureka Centre is Her Place, a travelling museum exhibition dedicated to women who have made significant contributions to our community.

It’s not just great women of history featured in the Her Place Museum, although there are a few of them, the exhibit features great women of contemporary society.

Their stories are told through short video documentaries and also key artefacts from their lives.

Ten women have been included in the Ballarat leg of Her Place, with many of them having ties to the community.

They were selected after a nomination process where community members are encouraged to submit the names and achievements of our mums, sisters, aunties and daughters.

They include former Premier and Ballarat Technical School teacher Joan Kerner, Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council worker Deruka Dekuek and poet and mental health campaigner Sandy Jeffs.

Her Place Museum co-founder, Mary Delahunty said there were two main criteria for inclusion.

“We have women who have been featured on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women” she said. “The other is who has made an interesting community contribution, either known or unknown.”

Ms Dekuek attended the recent opening of Her Place.

She said her journey from war-torn South Sudan to a Kenyan refugee camp to finally settling in Australia meant that she would go unrecognised for work and experiences she considers just part of her life.

“It’s like a lightning shock for me because coming as a refugee you never thought that you would have such opportunities,” Ms Dekuek said.

Born in Ballarat but now living in Melbourne, Ms Jeffs uses her personal experience with mental health to advocate for greater understanding.

While she was featured in the exhibition, it didn’t sit entirely well with her.

“It’s strange, actually, I still wonder why I’m here,” Ms Jeffs said. “It’s a real honour to be with such fantastic women but I always have this imposter syndrome. So I sort of think I don’t deserve to be here.”

Part of the Her Place Museum includes continuing professional development opportunities for educators from all levels.

On Thursday, 29 November, between 5-6pm there’ll be an in-service opportunity at the Eureka Centre and organisers welcome anyone who wants to attend.

Ms Delahunty said the one of the key reasons for the Her Place Museum, and the subsequent push into schools, was to help address a historical narrative told by men that often only included women who were heroes or villains, and very little inbetween.

“We’ve featured about 40 women,” Ms Delahunty said. “Some of them are not known at all, we’ve uncovered some great stories of Victorian women who’ve done amazing things and they’ve dropped through the cracks of history.”

The Her Place Museum is on show from 10am to 5pm at the Eureka Centre, 102 Stawell Street South, Ballarat until Sunday, 9 December.