Background to the current History and Heritage project
A History and Heritage Curatorial team has been formed to preserve the rich and valuable history of the Eyre Bird Observatory.
In 2023, a grant from the WA Heritage Council enabled a culture and history expert to visit
and evaluate the historical significance of the museum collection. Ms Michelle Slarke spent a week studying the museum items and produced two comprehensive and invaluable
documents – A Significance Assessment and Interpretation Plan. Both documents highlight the importance of the museum collection and the need to preserve its value for the future.
A face-to face workshop was held in Perth with representatives from the EBO committee, the Eyre Repair team, Birdlife Australia and a retired archivist and museum curator to create a vision for a history and heritage project.
The vision has two aims:
- to restore and repair the Eyre Bird Observatory building (former Telegraph Station) and its associated historic elements.
- to develop strategies to manage, preserve and share the museum collection.
Several grant applications have been submitted to implement the project and its aims, so watch this space!
An inventory of museum items has begun, with each item labelled, its condition assessed, and provenance investigated.
‘The photos are some of the several hundred items currently on display in the museum. Each item in the museum has been carefully photographed and tagged to form an inventory of historical objects. The Heritage and History team are now waiting the outcome of our grants to guide suitable preservation, display and signage. Watch this space!’
Examples are:
Visit by culture and history expert.
All modern-day photos credited to Margo Pickworth.
Heritage and History Project for the Eyre Bird Observatory Update Spring 2025
The EBO Heritage and History Project is proceeding slowly, but surely. There are two overlapping parts to the project: the Heritage – focussing on the heritage of the building; and the History – focussing on telling the stories of the historical artefacts within and around the building.
We have recently been successful in receiving a Community Grant from the Shire of Dundas for a Heritage Architect to visit EBO and conduct a Building Condition Assessment.
We have submitted a companion grant application to the Heritage Council of WA to convert this assessment into a Conservation Management Strategy. This will be used in further grant applications to restore the building to its former glory. Look for more news in summer edition of Eyre Waves.
We are planning for the Heritage Architect visit EBO in early 2026.
On the History front, our application to the National Library of Australia was not successful. Our remote location was a hindrance. However, their feedback will assist us in further funding applications. We are awaiting confirmation of another grant application from the Heritage Council of WA, to develop strategies to manage, preserve and share the museum collection.
If you would like to contribute to this ambitious project, please make donations to BSB 016 499 Account No. 2891 51749, with the reference Heritage.
If you want more information, or can assist, please contact Margo Pickworth on mpickworth2825@gmail.com or 0410 480 398.
Margo Pickworth and Rob Phillips
Heritage and History Curatorial Team