Costerfield’s history to go on show

A COMMUNITY project is delving into Costerfield’s past and the people behind it are aiming to put the town’s history on show for all to see.

Mandalay Resources community advisor Jodie O’Donohue said she hoped the effort would provide a resource for both visitors and locals in the longer term.

“We are working together with the community to develop some storyboards to highlight the history of the town,” she said.

“They will be located at the hall, in the heart of Costerfield.”

Working group member June Gleeson said the hall was chosen as the hup for the history project as it was where people passing through the town tended to stop.

“People pull up to visit the toilet block, and this will give them a chance to learn something about the surroundings of the area,” she said.

Ms Gleeson said she became involved with the project because of a commitment she made to her late father.

“Being a Coster kid, dad had a real passion for its history and he’d started writing a book,” she said.

“I typed up about 40 pages of it before he died, and I always promised that I would complete it for him.

“This is my way of fulfilling that promise.”

Costerfield has a post-European settlement history dating back to the mid-19th century and farming, mining and timber have all been important industries in the region.

The small working group looking at the project has met several times and identified many key themes including the region’s Indigenous peoples, social and industrial history, as well as local flora and fauna.

Ms O’Donohue said the Costerfield Hall committee had recently given its support and the next step would be to apply for a planning permit for a shelter to house the storyboards as well continuing to research content.

The working group would like to hear from anyone with old photos from the area and they can be contacted at [email protected].