Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Come to our exciting launch of our book next Friday November 6th


Benalla Migrant Camp History : A Difficult Heritage
Friday November 6th, 6-7.30 pm at the new Benalla Library, Entry by gold coin donation.

We are so very proud and happy to invite you to the launch of the first ever book about the history of the Benalla Migrant Camp by Dr Bruce Pennay of Charles Sturt University Albury. Bruce is an eminent historian on post war migration and Bonegilla in particular. When he agreed to take on this job of writing the history of Benalla Migrant Camp as a commissioned work from us, we were delighted and knew it would be good. It would also give us a much higher profile and assist us with obtaining State Heritage Protection.
Bruce embarked on extensive research involving the Canberra National Archives and the Melbourne Public Records Office and extensive literary reviews. The resulting work is a fantastic achievement for Benalla, and Bruce will take our history all over Australia in his lectures and presentations. Whilst the book uncovers a lot of the Australian political context in which the camp existed it also poses the question - why is the camp (previously) not publicly acknowledged? For people who stayed at the camp and their descendants, but also for Victorians and Benalla folk this is a fascinating read.

A short presentation by the author will be followed by questions, light refreshments and book sales.
Limited copies available at this stage, so be there. $25

Monday, October 19, 2015

Next Open Days during Benalla Festival


Come and see the newly refreshed exhibition on 
Saturday November 7 and Sunday November 8
OPEN both days, from 10 am - 3 pm.
Thanks to our local sponsors Consisto Holdings (Anne and Linsday Thomas),
as well as the Rotary Club of Benalla, we have finalised a
complete re-print and re-hang of all images. Lots of new pics 
have been added - and a slide show of the Bonegilla Cards,
found in the Canberra National Archives is also there. 
We will have for sale Dr Bruce Pennay's newly completed 
and just-launched book 'Benalla Migrant Camp: A Difficult Heritage'