New beginnings for historical museum

A NEW onsite attraction may have permanently anchored at the Queenscliffe Historical Museum (QHM), but despite the arrival of pilot boat Mavis III, the doors are still closed.
One of the region’s most historic museums decided to close indefinitely two weeks before state and federal government directives for all non-essential services to do so.
Eddie Loughnan from QHM said the committee of management met and decided to pre-emptively close to ensure the safety of volunteers and patrons.
“It was a decision made by the committee and our members who are very conscious of stopping the spread of coronavirus, combined with the continuing updating of rules; the safest thing to do was to close.
“The museum as it currently stands, will be pulled down and will be erected in conjunction with the new Queenscliffe Hub. We will operate a shop front as such while we’re pulling the museum down, it will be a couple of years that we’ll be operating a little different until our new residence is ready.”
Opening in 1974, the museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts including photographs, documents, paintings, newspapers and toys that document Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale and Swan Bay’s history.
The collection and depth of information continues to grow and expand thanks to donations from the community, including 30-year-old pilot boat Mavis III from Port Phillip Sea pilots.