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.