By Meg Kennedy<\/p>\n
A grant of almost $13,000 will allow the Bacchus Marsh and District Historical Society to bring more editions of the old Bacchus Marsh Express newspaper to the digital forefront.
\nThe Historical Society was granted $12,973 from the Public Records Office Victoria\u2019s \u2018Local History Grants Program\u2019 to digitise old copies of the once local publication, up to the 1940s.
\nThe Bacchus Marsh Express, which ran from 1857 to 1983, currently has digitised editions up to 1918 \u2013 covering significant events, including the original planting of the Avenue of Honour.
\nBMDHS President Bruce Carboon said it was an \u201camazing outcome with the magnitude of funding\u201d for the society.
\n\u201c[The digitisation of the newspapers] will give a richer picture of how the local community reacted after World War I, throughout the Great Depression and then coming into World War II,\u201d he said.
\n \u201cThe Express was quite a worldly paper\u2026we\u2019re very lucky as a community, it was an interesting and comprehensive newspaper, with social commentary.\u201d
\nDigitising the Express has been a project year\u2019s in the making, beginning when the newspaper was copied onto microfilm at the State Library of Victoria.
\nThe newspapers will be up on database website Trove, which is free and open to the public, and currently features editions from the Bacchus Marsh Express up to the ending of World War I.
\nAlthough the BMDHS hold physical copies of the Express, the digitisation of the newspaper will allow for easier and more accessible research by anyone \u2013 from historians, genealogists, academics to enthusiasts alike.
\n\u201c[The digitisations] allow an opening to the community, which is really important no matter where you live,\u201d said Mr Carboon.
\n\u201cThey are a great resource for different areas such as military, dairy and family history.\u201d
\nMember for Melton and society member Steve McGhie said he was \u201celated that the Bacchus Marsh and District Historical Society will have the additional support they require to preserve our local history.
\n\u201cBy digitalising The Bacchus Marsh Express to the 1920s, the \u201930s and \u201940s will ensure future generations have access to this significant period in our history.\u201d
\nThe project is expected to be completed in January 2020.
\nCopies of the Bacchus Marsh Express up to 1918 can be found at https:\/\/trove.nla.gov.au\/newspaper\/title\/246.
\nFor more information on accessing the Bacchus Marsh & District Historical Society archives, contact 03 5367 9336 or email enquiries@bmdhs.org.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meg Kennedy A grant of almost $13,000 will allow the Bacchus Marsh and District Historical Society to bring more editions of the old Bacchus Marsh Express newspaper to the digital forefront. The Historical Society was granted $12,973 from the Public Records Office Victoria\u2019s \u2018Local History Grants Program\u2019 to digitise old copies of the once […]<\/p>\n