Help us secure State Heritage Listing for the remaining huts

I am just presuming and hoping, that you will agree with us : the huts need preserving.

There is a unique chance to take part in the hearings that will determine whether we get State Heritage Protection for the huts or not - any every person who attends the hearing as an audience member will be helpful to us.

We are lucky that the hearings will be held in Benalla, and at BPACC, on Wednesday 10th February 2016 and Thursday 11th February 2016. Although the times of the hearing have not been advised, I am sure they will go all day - i.e. 9 am - 5 pm. But check the Benalla Ensign the week before, Wednesday 3rd February. The Council column should provide you with the times.

Or come back to this blog!!!

We want State Heritage Protection because

1 - The huts are significant and we want them kept as they are and restored over time. Within them lies a sense of a past, that shaped Victoria. Tens of thousands of families have a direct connection to this site through their family's history. We are asking the State Government, through the Heritage Council to view the collection of photos, stories and items we have so far collated and to respect that this plain looking place actually holds a place in many hearts.

2 - State Heritage is the only legally binding protection there is. Once protected, the huts are safe. All other heritage listing, such as by the National Trust or by local heritage overlays can be ignored, or taken away over time. State Heritage Protection cannot.

3 - The huts are under threat. The Gliding Club of Victoria is so worried that heritage protection will inconvenience them that they have threatened in a recent letter to Heritage Victoria, to move the huts to Wangaratta. (There is currently some dispute over the ownership of the huts.)

Benalla Migrant Camp : A Difficult Heritage by Dr Bruce Pennay

A great read ... AND a great gift for Christmas!!

You can buy the book in three places:

New copies will be available at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre from Monday December 14, for $25. Call the Visitor Information Centre on 03 57621749 to  reserve a copy or pop in during business hours.

Copies are NOW available from the Melbourne Immigration Museum Giftshop in Flinders Street.

You can also purchase copies at the Bonegilla Migrant Experience Giftshop at Bonegilla from Monday December 14. 

Books sell out during Benalla Festival

More copies of Benalla Migrant Camp: A Difficult Heritage will soon be available through the Visitor Information Centre in Mair Street, from the Immigration Museum Giftshop and also during exhibition open days.

Bruce presented us with a most fascinating summary of the findings of his 48 page book. The book is at this stage only available for sale at the exhibition as well as at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre.

An audience of about 80 people attended the launch.

Author Dr Bruce Pennay OAM was available for book signings after the launch.

John Joyce of NEMA (at left) also spoke before unveiling the Benalla Migrant Camp Historical Banner that their organisation sponsored.

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

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'

Check this out, everyone.

Andy Donaldson of Truvista Videos recently put this short clip together for us.
You can download it from Vimeo - just search under Benalla Migrant Camp.

Welcome and thank you to Deb Randich!

It is a big job to keep the exhibition open and looking good, as well as organising our volunteer roster. I am delighted that Deb Randich has now taken on the volunteer coordination role. Deb's heritage is Maltese and she feels the exhibition touches on the difficulties her family encountered when settling in a new land. The migrant experience is universal.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about volunteering, please contact us. We can always do with more friendly faces to greet our visitors and we promise you, volunteering with us is fun.