OCTOBER 2025
SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE ARAPILES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Treat yourself to A Night at the Museum!
Click on QR code to make a booking
And don’t forget Di’s Cafe at the Courthouse!
JULY 2025
JUNE 2025
New Interactive screens for AHS!
The Arapiles Historical Society would like to sincerely thank the Horsham Sports & Community Club for their generous support through a community grant, which has enabled us to purchase interactive screens for our museum displays.
These new screens will play a key role in enhancing the visitor experience, allowing people to engage with our videos, photographs, and historical stories in a modern, accessible way. It’s another important step in preserving and sharing our local history with the wider community.
We truly appreciate the ongoing support of organizations like HSCC, who make projects like this possible. Thank you for helping us bring history to life!
Photo: Pat Ford, AHS president, and Di Ellifson, AHS secretary
[#horshamsportsandcommunityclub]
Lighting Up the Past: A Bright Future for the Arapiles Garage Museum.
A crowd of over 100 people gathered at the Arapiles Historical Society’s museum on Saturday evening to celebrate a major milestone—the unveiling of upgraded museum lighting, made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).
Guests travelled from across Victoria and beyond, with attendees coming from Dimboola, Melbourne, and as far away as Brisbane to join the celebration.
The event, aptly titled Lighting Up the Past, blended history, community spirit, and a touch of theatre. Guests enjoyed a lively series of short performances by AHS members, bringing local history to life with scenes highlighting early farming practices, the artistry of home sewing, and the evolution of rural medical support.
The evening’s highlight came as the museum’s new lighting system was dramatically switched on to the stirring notes of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. The illuminated garage display drew gasps and applause, with its impressive brightness showcasing the improved visibility the upgrade now offers.
A raffle was also held during the evening to raise funds for the society’s ongoing development of the museum precinct. A huge thank you was extended to all the local businesses who donated prizes.
Organisers described the night as a glowing success, celebrating not just brighter lights, but a bright future for preserving local history.
Left to Right: THE CAST!! Di Ellifson, Lisa Ford, Geoff Little, Elizabeth Both and Peter Ellifson
DECEMBER 2024
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO ALL AHS SUPPORTERS!!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING OUR JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY THROUGHOUT 2024!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- AHS will be in recess during January 2025, during which time the safety lighting upgrade for the Garage Museum will be undertaken, thanks to the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal’s (FRRR) 2024 Small & Vital contribution.
- If access to our historical precinct is required during this time, please contact Jennette as per below details.
- AHS next General Meeting is scheduled for February 11th, 3pm at the Research Centre, Main St., Natimuk, where all interested people are welcome to attend. Please lock it in!!
- Memberships: AHS supporters who wish to continue their support and last paid membership fees in 2023 are reminded to renew membership fees, which run from 1st July to 30th June.
This requirement ensures voting rights at AHS meetings, provides insurance for AHS volunteer activities and adheres to Non-profit Organisational Model Rules criteria.
Individual memberships @ $20 / Family household memberships @ $30.
- Renewal forms available at Natimuk Post Office.
- EFT payment details as follows;
A/c name: Arapiles Historical Society.
CBA BSB: 06 3514
Account Number: 10093208
- Cheque / cash payments can be posted to The Treasurer, AHS, PO Box 199, Natimuk.
- In 2024 AHS were invited to hold delegation at the Horsham Home of History Group meetings, which are supported by Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC). John Brack and Elizabeth regularly attend and report on collaboration between parties.
- Bunning’s Sausage Sizzles: AHS are seeking a new coordinator to share commitments for these AHS fund-raising events in February, May, July and August 2025. If interested, please contact Pat or Di for more information.
MAY EVERYONE BE AT PEACE AND SAFE FOR THE 2024-2025 FESTIVE SEASON!
AHS HISTORY’s PAGE: Provided by Gianna Sudholz (AHS Research Officer).
NOVEMBER 2024
Open Day For History Month (October 2024)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: AHS wish to thank and acknowledge the support of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal: FRRR granted us a $10,000.00 contribution towards the Museum Lighting Upgrade – celebrations project.
This Grant will allow AHS to enhance infrastructure safety by upgrading the lighting in the Garage Museum, ensuring a safe and accessible environment for volunteers and visitors through the Ian Rollo Currie Estate Foundation.
THANK YOU!!!! AHS also wish to thank our community support groups, including the Natimuk A & P Society, Natimuk Men’s Shed, Natimuk Community Art & Craft shop, Natimuk Primary School, Nati Frinj Festival Committee, Horsham Rural City Council through the Nati Socio & Economic Group Committee, and Dr Anne Webster MP, for letters of support for this important safety lighting upgrade in our Garage Museum.
Open Day Saturday November 04 2024
AAHS held yet another successful Open Day with the usual Sausage Sizzle, Dinky Di’s Devonshire Tea and Car Boot trading table sales, creating a welcome space for all. Visitors enjoyed displays of the historic Beard and Sisson display, alongside other local artifacts, as well as The Natimuk Court House exhibit on the history of the Natimuk Brass Band, which played live with a one-hour performance.
Our Climbing Museum was also popular, including the sale of Nuts About Climbing/Mt Arapiles T- Shirts and Coffee Mugs. We were pleased to receive including international visitors from England, Germany and New Zealand. The three English visitors were staying with Keith and Sally Lockwood and had listed Mount Arapiles for many years as their dream destination!
Looking For A Unique Christmas Gift?
Meet our multi-talented models! Gianna (Research Officer) & Pat (President AHS)
OCTOBER 2024
A SPRING DRIVE TO THE PAST..
A drive through the Wimmera landscape on Sunday took us to Tooan School, and the desire to see what it was like when it was still used as a school. A little nostalgia, a little sad to see what became of it, while grateful for the witness of a not so far away past and for the serenity of the place.
B/W Photo dated 11 Nov 1968 of the Tooan State School (#1620) [photo from Kevin EMMERSON Collection]
JULY 2024 UPDATE
We were lucky to have Alison Eggleton, art and museum curator, give us a lesson on how to look after artefacts. You can listen to Alison on the audio above, or go by her recommendations below:
This is valid whether you deal with small or big objects.
- WEAR DUST MASK!!!! (OLD PAINT MAY CONTAIN LEAD)
- WEAR COTTON GLOVES OR LATEX GLOVES (SKIN OIL CAN DAMAGE MATERIALS)
- USE SOFT BRUSHES ON WOOD AND LEATHER (SUCH AS SOFT PAINT BRUSH)
- USE TOOTHBRUSH ON HARDER MATERIALS (IRON ETC)
- ONLY GET RID OF DUST
- USE VACCUUM CLEANER (with brush attachment) ON LOWEST SETTING BUT ONLY TO COLLECT DUST YOU HAVE ALREADY BRUSHED OFF
- NO WATER OR CHEMICAL CLEANING
FEBRUARY 2024 UPDATE
20 APRIL 2024 Open Day and Fundraiser.
Bring your bits and bobs to sell, have fun and support your local historical society!
NEW ROOF!
New Roof! Thanks to FRRR and its Strengthening Rural Communities Program 2023″!
November 2023 Update
CLIMBER’S CORNER
Sixty years on…
This month, climbers are celebrating the 60th anniversary of climbing at Mt Arapiles.
To mark the occasion, the following is a first-person account of the first climbs at the Mount, in November 1963, by one of the pioneers Greg Lovejoy:
“It took Steve and Bob Craddock quite a lot of talking to get people even to think of going as far as some new cliff that they had found the other side of Horsham called Mt Arapiles, but the weekend of 16th and 17th November 1963 found Steve and Bob, Peter Jackson, Doug Angus and myself camped at the foot of the Mount.
“The first views in the morning brought forth cries of – ‘it’s all rotten, nowhere to belay, too far from Melbourne, only 300 feet of muck’; but that was the first view.
After a typical new cliff breakfast, slow and drawn out, the group moved along what is now called Tiger Wall towards the Watchtower faces looking for a line that looked feasible.
Introductory Route and Siren were the first lines climbed after which the true size and nature of the rock became apparent.
A great climbing weekend was had with Rob Taylor turning up later in the weekend.
From this weekend on the cliff started to echo to the sounds of climbers and, except for a few short breaks the development of the Mount continued.”
———–
The climbs pioneered on that initial weekend, Introductory Route, Siren, Tiptoe Ridge and Spiral Staircase, along with 3000+ more climbs established since then, have become in many cases world-renowned classics climbed and cherished by tens of thousands of climbers from around the world.
In 2019 Arapiles Historical Society, along with Natimuk climbers, recognized this rich heritage and culture of climbing at Mt Arapiles by establishing Arapiles Climbing Museum (ACM) in the former Masonic Hall, part of the Society’s historical precinct. It showcases the history of climbing, with a particular emphasis on Mt Arapiles, and features items donated by local climbers and from interstate and overseas.
A visitors’ book at the museum includes heart-warming comments from visiting climbers from Denmark, Nepal, South Africa, the USA, Canada, England, Wales, Norway, Singapore, the Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, France, New Zealand and Argentina (among other places), plus visitors from across Australia.
The museum, open by volunteers from 2-4pm on Sundays, is unique in Australia.
- Contributed by Keith Lockwood. Photo below: Keith getting in the mood for an anniversary repeat of Introductory Route
AHS NEWS
QR on Heritage Trail signs
Arapiles Historical Society’s (AHS) most exciting development is the introduction of QR coding by Arapiles Multimedia for a selection of Heritage Trail signs which are listed in the AHS publication Natimuk Self-Guided Walking Tour booklets. Visitors following this trail can now connect to historical videos, thanks to the Horsham Rural City Council Community Development Grant awarded to AHS. AHS research officer Gianna Sudholz (left on the photo below) wrote the voice over for the videos.
Arapiles Multimedia ( Lisa Jackson and Pat Ford, center and right on photo above) have now been nominated for a national NBN award as a result of this successful project, which AHS hope will result in extension to more Heritage Trail sites.
New Roofing
The AHS Research Center is the busiest building in our historical precinct. This is where we research families history, administer the society, catalogue collections, coordinate the volunteering, have general meetings each month on the first Tuesday at 4pm.
New roofing for this historical Circa 1870’s edifice is about to be installed, thanks to the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) funded project. Once this is done, the interior ceiling & upper walls are to be repainted thanks to contributions from Horsham Sports & Community Club’s (HSCC) Sponsorship program.
Courthouse Exhibition: Parklands
For History Month, AHS opened a new exhibition in the historic Natimuk Court House. Parklands, depicts life for Roy Schmidt on this historic Lake Avenue property. Parklands was built by Heinrich Sudholz Jr in 1921.
AHS wishes to thank the Natimuk Lions Club for donating funds for the purchase of storage equipment from Archival Supplies to guarantee safe keeping and protection of costumes from this collection.
The Parklands exhibition is available for viewing on Tuesday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm, during the Research Center open hours, or by appointment.
The Old Garage Museum and other news
Working bees in the old Garage Museum are occurring weekly with positive results emerging thanks to our keen volunteers.
Fundraising through Bunning’s Sausage Sizzles continues and memberships are increasing markedly, with exciting new skill sets to match. Below: not just fundraising, but also a great social occasion!
Join us!
We welcome everyone to our meetings, with our next meeting to begin with a Christmas themed get together from 3pm, before meeting at 4pm, where there is always much to discuss. Plus our new coffee machine will be ready for all to enjoy! 🙂
Contacts
President: Peter French 0427 340 488
Vice President: Errol Hateley 0407 340 856
Treasurer: Jennette Sudholz 0439 871 215
Secretary: Elizabeth Both arapileshistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Research Manager: Gianna Sudholz 0412 799 061
Acquisitions Committee: Peter French
Jennette Sudholz.
Communications/media Officer: Brigitte Muir FB Arapiles Historical Society or brigittemuiroam@icloud.com
Climber’s Representative: Keith Lockwood 03 53871457
Grants Officer: Elizabeth Both 0400 531 950.
August 2023 Update
HISTORY’S PAGE: TREES: Weekly Times, Saturday 18 August 1923, page 50
One hundred years ago young Laura LANGE wrote to the ‘Young Folks Page’ about her concerns for trees.
Laura LANGE, who lives at Natimuk writes: –
Dear Aunty Connie,
This is the second time I have written to you. I am talking for my subject “Trees”.
Trees are wonderful. We could not do without them. They supply us with firewood, homes, bridges, factories, schools, furniture, fences, pianos, and many other things. Many people have them for beauty around their homes. Birds make use of them by making their nests in the branches.
The main parts are roots, branches, and trunk. If we cut the bark off all around the tree it will die, because the sap cannot get up and down.
The trees that are mostly grown in Victoria are gum, wattle, box, and other ornamental trees.
There are two kinds – evergreens and the ones that don’t lose their leaves. Some trees lose their leaves in Autumn, while others don’t. First, they turn yellow or red and then the wind comes and away they blow.
When the early settlers first came to Australia, they cut down all the trees as quick as possible.
As there were so many destroyed, we have set a day apart every day to plant trees. That day is in June and is called Arbor Day.
I am eleven years of age and in the sixth grade at school.
Wishing the ‘Young Folks Page’ every success.
[Thank you dear for your good wishes. Write again – Aunt Connie]
Note: – ‘Arbour Day’ has been observed in Australia since 20 June 1889.
‘National Schools Tree Day’ is held on the last Friday of July for schools and ‘National Tree Day’ the last Sunday in July throughout Australia. Many states have ‘Arbour Day’, although Victoria has an ‘Arbour Week’, which was suggested by Premier Rupert (Dick) HAMER in the 1980s.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Arapiles Historical Society are pleased to announce allocation of Sponsorship Funds from Horsham Sports and Community Club (HSCC), which were presented to our Treasurer Jennette Sudholz who, together with our Media Officer Brigitte Muir OAM, attended the HSCC official Presentation afternoon on Sunday 25th June 2023. These funds will contribute towards repair of the AHS Research Centre Roofing and eventual ceiling restoration project. We thank our local community groups who willingly register their support for AHS grant applications.
We are grateful for HSCC’s annual Sponsorship Program support and encourage our readers to consider membership, where, for only $11 per year, you receive;
- $15 off a Main Bistro Meal and 1 free 2 course lunch to use in the month of your birthday.
- Discount of Food & Beverage across the Venue.
- Access to all club facilities and no need to sign in.
- $5 donated to your Sporting Club or Non-Profit Community Group.
- Full voting rights at AGM.
- Access to Rewards Program with cash & prizes to be won.
SAUSAGE SIZZLE:
Our team of volunteers are gearing up for our regular fundraiser at Bunning’s Horsham on Saturday 30th September. More helpers would be greatly appreciated to help lighten the load. Please contact Peter French if able to do so.
MEMBERSHIPS:
We thank our supporters who are stepping up for new or renewed memberships for AHS. In so doing this documented process ensures we have correct details recorded, guarantees insurance cover for AHS volunteer activities you may wish to be involved in, and gives you voting rights at our monthly meetings, which are now held in the daytime on the first Tuesday of each month, in our Research Centre, 59 Main Street, Natimuk, at 3pm.
Memberships are a crucial part of our Society and promotes eligibility for funding sources while providing a stimulating social atmosphere where we enjoy a sense of belonging and purpose for our community. Our coffee machine is now up and running in the Research Centre, where volunteers are welcome to help themselves and simply enjoy. Memberships can be electronically paid via the banking details provided on the form available at the Natimuk Post Office, or by posting to The Treasurer, PO Box 199, Natimuk.
QR PROJECT:
Thanks to Pat Ford, (Arapiles Multimedia Digital Video Production services) and Gianna Sudholz, our Research Officer, the new Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC) Community Development Grant funded QR Project is well underway, which, when completed will grace and enhance ten pre-selected Heritage Trail sites on Main Street for people to access and enjoy digitally. Watch this space!!
November 2022 Update
Vote and Snack!
Saturday 26th November Democracy Sausage Sizzle at the Natimuk Town Hall from 8am.
Sausage Sizzle at the last Frinj, in front of the Courthouse
2023 Historical Calendars
Our 2023 Historical Calendars are now available at the Nati PO & Craft Shop, depicting celebrations of six Back-To-Natimuk events, covering 150years of European Settlement in this district. Now only $5 at the Post Office, Natimuk!
Meetings
Our meetings are currently held at the Research Center on the first Monday of each month at 7.30pm – all welcome.
Memberships cost $20 per person or $30 per family – forms are available at the PO.
Open Days
Open days are Sundays from 2-4pm for the Arapiles Climbing Museum & Tuesdays 2-4pm for the Research : Display Center.
Exhibitions in the Court House can be viewed by appointment or on Market Days.
The Courthouse during last Frinj Festival. Art Installation by Sam Burke
June 2022 Update
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Membership renewals: ALL WELCOME! Supper included – MONDAY JULY 4TH 2022 – 7.30pm RESEARCH CENTRE, 59 Main Street Natimuk. Speaker on AHS future design project
CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR FUTURE EVENTS:
- BUNNING’s SAUSAGE SIZZLE: Scheduled for Saturday July 9th. As our list of volunteers has dramatically reduced over the Covid epidemic, we would greatly appreciate offers of assistance from the general community. We operate on 3-4 hourly shifts. A great opportunity for involvement in a community atmosphere, while raising awareness of our need to manage your historical collection.
Working Bee: The AHS Collection has significantly grown over the past two years and needs a gathering to sort, record, digitise and display. Please let us know if interested to assist.
- Working Bee: The Garage Museum’s new shelving thanks to HRCC has creates more display opportunities. We are keen to clean-up for display of items. Please pop in during our Research Centre open hours on the last Tuesday afternoon of each month between 2-4pm if interested to assist.
CAPITAL WORKS:
Roof Restoration
AHS wish to acknowledge with gratitude Horsham Rural City Council for allocation of Community Development Grant 2022/23 funds for roof restoration works above the Arapiles Climbing Museum. This project is to repair sub structure supporting a box gutter, by bolting through the brick facade to the roof structure. Quoted works carried out by local business HB Enterprises, Malcom Matheson.
Electrical Upgrade for Research Center
The Research Center, thanks to funding support received from the Australian Governement’s Culture, Heritage and Arts Regional Tourism Program, received an upgrade of its power and lights. The work was completed by local tradesperson Mark Radford.
BUS EXCURSION:
AHS invite interested people to join us in a 21seater bus for an excursion to Woods Farming and Heritage Museum in Rupanyup, departing Horsham on Friday July 22nd at 9.30am. Car link transport available if required. Cost is $30 per passenger and includes morning tea on arrival and a provided lunch. This setting is home to an incredible display of old farming as well as household memorabilia. Some of them date back to as far as the 1920s, with so much more to offer than just the tractors of days gone by.
Both young and old will be able to learn many things about how farming was done in the past. Some of the interesting and unique items on display include old generators, sewing machines, clothing, television, toys, and much more. They speak of Australia’s rural history, and you’ll be able to get a glimpse into how people lived during the late 19th and 20th century. There are also areas that recreate how town shops looked like, and it does make you feel like you’ve just stepped back in time.
For bookings, please contact Elizabeth on 0400 531950 or Graeme on 0429 019 747.
April 2022 Update
Natimuk 150th Anniversary of Settlement 25-27 March
Friday 25th March saw the launch of three books dedicated to Natimuk and its settlers. Horsham Mayor Robyn Gallen and member for Lowan Emma Kealy were the two dignitaries who welcomed people to country and at the same time, back to Natimuk.
Author and AHS member Keith Lockwood was master of ceremonies. He also spoke about his book: Natimuk Reflections, a picture book commissioned by AHS and including a stunning collection of photographs from the early days to the present day.
The Woolmer Collection takes pride of place in the book. Horace Woolmer’s photographic plates were re-discovered by its McQueen family descendants and Mary French, daughter of the late John McQueen, talked about the collection and the memories attached to it.
Colin Haustorfer talked about his book Natimuk District Pioneers- Celebrating 150 Years from First Land Selection in the Natimuk District on 21st September 1871. Orders are being taken if you missed on getting your copy, Colin ran out!
The third book published was an impressive compilation by Gianna Sudholz, called Sudholz Family History – About Time. The book was twenty years in the making, and her husband David was the official speaker for its introduction. Arapiles Historical Society President Peter French also said a few words and opened the exhibition in the courthouse, one of the AHS sites.
The Courthouse exhibition is a collection of photos and memorabilia from the previous Back to Natimuk week ends of 1924, 1947, 1972,1988 and 1997. Jennette Sudholz, Liz Both and Gianna Sudholz curated the exhibition.
You can listen to the speeches here:
October 2021 Update
| · Local History Grants Program: |
AHS are thrilled to announce receipt of funds through the Local History Grants Program (LHGP) to purchase and install museum quality protective display cabinets. Arapiles Historical Society gratefully acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government and Public Record Office Victoria for making this project possible.
Natimuk Special Grants allocation
Arapiles Historical Society are grateful to acknowledge Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC) for the contribution of funds towards the cost of production for ‘Natimuk Reflections’, a pictorial publication of Natimuk which will coincide with the celebrations of Natimuk’s 150th year of settlement anniversary, to be released at the 130th annual Agricultural & Pastoral Show as mentioned below *.
This publication will include photographic records of the old tennis courts in flood, and transition to the opening of the new courts, hence creating available funds from HRCC for our community’s benefit, including ‘Natimuk Reflections’.
Back-to-Natimuk
Another meeting was held on Wednesday evening to keep the ball rolling for Natimuk’s back-to and grand annual show next year, scheduled for the weekend of *March 26-27.
We will keep you all up to date with developments as they occur.
We are excited about the street parade which will kick off the 130th annual show and back-to celebrations possibly on the Saturday morning. So, it would be good if groups and individuals could start thinking about joining the fun. Polishing the vintage car, decorating the bike, making a float, creating a costume… Ideas can be tossed around, but it might be wise to wait until after harvest and Christmas to actually create something due to Covid-19 uncertainties.
Let’s all keep positive, look ahead and plan to gather in March to celebrate our town’s 150th birthday – Keith Lockwood, for Arapiles Historical Society and Back-to-Natimuk trustees.
************************************
If anybody knows of some gentle horses who could willingly and safely pull horse drawn carriages please contact AHS members or pop in Tuesday afternoons 2-4pm at Research Centre.
Fund raising – AHS next Horsham Bunning’s sausage sizzle fundraiser is to be held on
Saturday 13th November 2021. Willing helpers greatly appreciated.
Please contact Peter French if available to assist on 0427 340488.
2022 Historical Calendar: AHS volunteers and community members have been working diligently to create a historical calendar for next year with a sporting theme. With the final production ready to go to print we hope to soon release publications through our usual retail outlets.
Natimuk Cricket Club – Arapiles Cricket Association Premiers 1986-87
THE BOWLER……. (Contributed by Jenny Dumesny.)
My old man’s a bowler.
He wears bowler’s shoes.
He would rather play a game of bowls
then go out on the booze.
And if his wife asks him
how long before he’s back,
He says he won’t be home
till he’s put one on the jack.
Now when he bowls a short one,
he gives his pants a hitch.
He swears the next one will be up
then puts it in the ditch.
And if they ask him why he didn’t
take a little bit more green,
He puts the next one out so wide,
there’s three rinks in between.
When my old man’s bowling
and finds he’s one bowl down,
he asks the Skip to let him run
the shot bowl out of town.
But when the Skipper wants him
to break the head,
he puts a fast one down
and takes his own bowl out instead.
When my old man’s bowling
he says it makes him sick,
to see his rival get a shot
from off a flaming wick.
So, if you see a bowler
looking satisfied and glad,
don’t take his shot bowl off the Jack
‘cos he might be my old Dad………Anonymous author.
****************
Next General Meeting: Monday 1st November 7.30pm, AHS Research Centre, Natimuk. All welcome!
June 2021 update
Colin Webb Stories and Memories from My Life at Grass Flat 1931-2002
Colin turned ninety years old a few weeks ago. Sadly, his twin brother Neil passed when he was eighty nine.
Valma and Colin Webb have been playing together for many years: Val on the piano, Col on the organ. Brigitte Muir from the Arapiles Historical Society caught up with them at their Grass Flats home to record the history of their families in May 2021. Colin’s words and the voice recording of both Val and Col will be available later this year.
In the meantime, you can watch them play at this link: https://youtu.be/ksBRMReo7O8
The 2021 Calendar is out!
Grass Flat State School No: 3192- 1908 – 1946 Artwork by Ruth Schilling, 1992
Featuring a black & white collection of historic schools and activities across the region, these calendars can be purchased from Natimuk’s Post Office, the Craft Shop and Milk Bar or by phone on 0400 531950.
We sincerely thank all contributors and supporters.
The calendars are now available for $10 each.
The Fourth Wave Exhibition November 2019
Every second year in early November, while punters grab their hats and wallets and head to the Melbourne Cup, The Frinj comes to Natimuk. Or Natimuk becomes the Frinj. A big arty farty fun festival that brings people flocking to town, and is an absolute joy for the inhabitants of our not so sleepy little town.
The Frinj Festival starts with a Hay and Thespian Mardi Gras (*) Parade on the Friday. It used to be that no one was watching it, because everyone was in it! These days, quite a few visitors line the street, and a significant amount of locals let their hair down in the Parade.
(*) this is a word play, courtesy of the inimitable Greg Pritchard, based on the name of the organisation auspicing the do ( ACT, Arapiles Community Theatre) and the fact that, well, we live surrounded by farmland.
For the Arapiles Historical Society, the Frinj is an opportunity to share our history with the younger generation, the newcomers, and the visitors. There will be a display this year at the Garage, and Jennette Sudholz, researcher, has been busy gathering information on the fourth wave of inhabitants to the Wimmera, the German settlers who came from South Australia. We do possess an original German wagon ( from the Werner Family), which was part of the fourth wave of settlers/visitors to the area, after the first people – the Duanbarap-, Major Mitchell’s expedition (1836) and the squatters – such as the Wilson brothers (1844) and others. (**)
The German families came from the Mount Gambier- Penola area and stopped at the lake, with the Haustorfer, Speher and Klowss families first filling in land applications in 1871. (**)
Listen to Jennette’s interview and call for help HERE
(**) From Allan Lockwood’s book, Natimuk… The First Hundred Years
22 September 2019
AHS hosted the 2019 meeting of the WVAHS (Western Victoria Association of Historical Societies) Wimmera Zone on Sunday 22 September. We were lucky to have close to thirty representatives of Dimboola, Warracknabeal, Stawell, Horsham and Arapiles Historical Societies, as well as Elleyne Hockley from the History Victoria Support Group (RHSV) is also the archivist of the Castlemaine Historical Society. She gave a very informative presentation on what the support group can do for local Historical Societies.
It was also a wonderful opportunity to trial outfits on our Arapiles Climbing Museum mannequins!
Arapiles Historical Society 