CURRENTLY showing at the Eureka Centre is Her Place, a travelling museum exhibition dedicated to women who have made significant contributions to our community.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Their stories are told through short video documentaries and also key artefacts from their lives.<\/p>\n
Ten women have been included in the Ballarat leg of Her Place, with many of them having ties to the community.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Her Place Museum co-founder, Mary Delahunty said there were two main criteria for inclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have women who have been featured on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women\u201d she said. \u201cThe other is who has made an interesting community contribution, either known or unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Dekuek attended the recent opening of Her Place.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a lightning shock for me because coming as a refugee you never thought that you would have such opportunities,\u201d Ms Dekuek said.<\/p>\n
Born in Ballarat but now living in Melbourne, Ms Jeffs uses her personal experience with mental health to advocate for greater understanding.<\/p>\n
While she was featured in the exhibition, it didn\u2019t sit entirely well with her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s strange, actually, I still wonder why I\u2019m here,\u201d Ms Jeffs said. \u201cIt\u2019s a real honour to be with such fantastic women but I always have this imposter syndrome. So I sort of think I don\u2019t deserve to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the Her Place Museum includes continuing professional development opportunities for educators from all levels.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, 29 November, between 5-6pm there\u2019ll be an in-service opportunity at the Eureka Centre and organisers welcome anyone who wants to attend.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve featured about 40 women,\u201d Ms Delahunty said. \u201cSome of them are not known at all, we\u2019ve uncovered some great stories of Victorian women who\u2019ve done amazing things and they\u2019ve dropped through the cracks of history.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Her Place Museum is on show from 10am to 5pm at the Eureka Centre, 102 Stawell Street South, Ballarat until Sunday, 9 December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n