Museum members celebrate $2.85m funding to start long-awaited project SUPPORTERS of the Queenscliffe Historical Museum rejoiced last week \u2013 one almost in tears \u2013 following news that after 14 years of waiting, plans to redevelop their building would become a reality.<\/p>\n
Members gathered at a moment\u2019s notice on Friday to hear Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville announce that her government would withdraw the remaining $2.4 million from the Borough of Queenscliffe\u2019s Destination Queenscliff project, and inject it into the Queenscliff Community Hub.<\/p>\n
The project in Hesse Street will redevelop the museum, and include the adjacent library and Visitor Information Centre to become a new integrated hub.<\/p>\n
Ms Neville said on top of this commitment, the government would also provide $450,000 from the Living Libraries fund, making $2.85 million available now to start work on the project.<\/p>\n
Ms Neville also said to ensure the project met the needs of the local community and historical society, the state government would chair a community reference group and take the lead on ensuring appropriate community consultation was undertaken.<\/p>\n
Museum president Garry Spry said on Friday that he was ecstatic because after 14 years of waiting, it now appeared certain that the Queenscliff Community Hub would finally come to fruition.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo give credit where it is due, there are a couple of museum stalwarts who deserve mentioning,\u201d Mr Spry said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca Stott was the author of a book titled Darwin\u2019s Ghosts, in which she criticised Darwin for taking all the accolades for his revolutionary theory of evolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo may I take the opportunity here to mention Jocelyn Grant and Alistair Hope as well as the late Dick de Fegely, because it was they who started this movement 14 years ago, so all credit to them and others who have worked on this project over the intervening years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis hub isn\u2019t just for the museum; it\u2019s for the Borough and the community and for what we hope it will do in revamping this precinct so that it will attract far greater patronage than that it does at present.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our perspective, it\u2019s about celebrating history in line with the museum\u2019s philosophy of \u2018Informing the future through a conversation with the past\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe economic benefits that are expected from this initiative, will have a flow-on effect that will be felt far and wide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Neville said the hub had broad community support and would be a go-to spot for residents and visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about \u2018either\/or\u2019, there were some really big issues and divisions about Destination Queenscliff,\u201d Ms Neville said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know this is a project that has been long awaited and will give great benefit for the residents and community of Queenscliff, plus I think it will have some flow-on effects for Hesse Street as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am hopeful the government will make further commitments, but here is some funding so we can get started now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Museum members celebrate $2.85m funding to start long-awaited project SUPPORTERS of the Queenscliffe Historical Museum rejoiced last week \u2013 one almost in tears \u2013 following news that after 14 years of waiting, plans to redevelop their building would become a reality. Members gathered at a moment\u2019s notice on Friday to hear Member for Bellarine Lisa […]<\/p>\n