We need volunteer helpers!

We would love to hear from you if you have spare time in which you would like to do something worthwhile - and would like to become part of our history project.
We have a fabulous collection and are looking for people with the right skills who can work relatively unsupervised once a task has been set.
Can you lead a project? Can you raise funds, and write funding submissions? Do you enjoy doing independent research at the National Archives and the Public Records Office? Do you enjoy being a host at our exhibition on Sundays? Do you like interviewing, then writing and editing media releases about our exhibition? Do you enjoy training others? Do you like recruiting and managing volunteers? Do you enjoy taking up a cause and working with Council to implement heritage conservation plans? Are you good with managing finances in a treasurer role? Do you like working with young people to coordinate a filming project?

Our next major event is COMING UP

Please mark your diaries - on November 4th from 2pm onwards, we will hold the premiere of our short documentary about the history of Benalla Migrant Camp.
It will be a red carpet event - beginning with an afternoon tea and held at the Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre. Watch this space for more details, as they come to light.
Also go and follow us on Facebook!!

Get your tickets NOW

Benalla Migrant Camp Inc. is organising this one off celebration 

to mark both 50 years since the camp shut in 1967, 

but also 5 years of our project to collect materials and photos concluding.

Finally on the State Heritage List

Unbelievably good news for all of us.
Our success with our State Heritage Application was finally announced Friday last week.
Big news - on  Win TV News Saturday night, on ABC Local Radio with Gaye Pattinson on Monday, on Page 3 in the Border Mail on Monday and on the Front page of our local paper, today Wednesday.
I am pictured with Sophie Arendt nee  Golonski in the door of Hut 11. This is the place where it all began.

We are still waiting for the results of the State Heritage Hearing!!!

Job Well Done!!!

Here are all the people who made a presentation for State Heritage Protection in February - except Helga Leunig who had to leave before this photo was taken: from left to right Veronica Schilling (Benalla Rural City) Wendy Mackowski, Sabine Smyth, Maria Fruhwirth, Dr Bruce Pennay, Rozalie Dean, Jim (Elmars) Klopsteins, Helen Topor, Krystyna Topor, Judith Fleming.

Don't miss the Registration Hearing

The huts above are -unfortunately- all gone. Please help us save what is left.

Day 1 - Wednesday Feb 10th at BPACC - affterwards drinks at Golf Club from 6.30pm

Day 2 - Thursday Feb 11th at BPACC - afterwards meal at Golf Club from 6.30 pm

Please visit our Facebook Page to find out the times of the hearing and the schedule of when different speakers will speak. 

This will be announced soon by the Heritage Council.

Our book will again be for sale.

The Exhibition will also be open from 1-3 pm on both days.

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.

Beverley Brown remembers good times as Camp Kindergarten Teacher

Beverley Brown nee Bourke points at herself on the photo which features prominently in our advertising. The photo shows Beverley walking across the kindergarten grounds holding hands with a row of migrant children in her care. Beverley said she loved the work and formed a close connection to the families whose offspring she looked after. "When I got married and left the job, I was showered with beautiful gifts." "Looking back today my years of work at the camp bring so many happy memories. I loved the job. Townsfolk would occasionally say "How can you do that sort of work, how can you put up with them (the migrant children). But I just loved the privilege of teaching them, they were a joy."

Introducing our 2015 Major Sponsors

Thannk you so much to Anne and Linsday Thomas whose donation means that we can finish reprinting all photos on archival paper, which will now last us up to 5 years. Behind us is a sample of newly updated photos, and you can see how fantastically crisp and clear they look.

We would also like to thank Rotary for their generous sponsorship, which took care of the first half of the exhibition reprints. A wonderful gesture towards commemorating Benalla's migrant past.

Our continued support by the Benalla Lakeside Craft and Farmers Market is also most appreciated.

Our petition to place heritage protection on the BARC Huts achieves well over 1,000 signatures !!

When Helen Topor and her husband Peter Fullagar (from Canberra) visited the exhibition in April, Helen was horrified to find so much of the former camp buildings gone, and the huts that are left in such poor repair. 

When I told her that the huts were not heritage protected she kindly offered to help, and start a petition. Thank you Helen.

We reached a total of 1,028 signatures. 406 on-line and 622 as paper-based. Victorian signatures make up 649 and of those, Benalla has 391. 

The rest, 379 are interstate Australian signatures.

International signatures add up to 68.

Well done and thank you everyone.

The fight to save the huts continues.

  

Would you like to help make some entrance banners for our Exhibition?

Sabine Smyth with John Joyce

If you do, can you please contact the 

North East Multicultural Association (NEMA) , 

John Joyce or Tania Magennis 

on (03) 5721 2090?

We are looking for people who would be happy to spend a half day designing motifs and sewing them onto two colourful banners under the guidance of experienced 'banner makers'/tailors who will help out with advice and hands-on help. It should be fun. I will be there too and it will be great to see you.
No need to have any sewing experience although this would be great. 
All you need is some time to spare and some enthusiasm to pool your ideas with others.

Date: To be advised - will be worked out to suit you and others

Venue: Benalla Art Gallery

Lunch catering will be provided.

John Joyce and his team look forward to hearing from you.

Recent Exhibition Visitors

Exhibition Opening March 8 - Labour Day Weekend

The Sukys Family visited.

Sulev Matt.

We invested our door takings from Australia Day straight back into reprinting some of our photos - which had faded badly.