Our new
and exciting plans for 2008/2009.
Sheep Shearing Interpretation and Farming/Men's Sheds.
PROJECT DETAILS
This project is needed because..
Our history group is very active, but most of the volunteers are in the age bracket of 60 and 70. We needed to think of the future. Where will we be in ten years time? Many of the volunteers will no longer be able to be so active so we looked at what the younger generation were interested in. Speaking to quite a few locals we came to the conclusion that these families were passionate about their sheep and farming way of life. So this project of building a Sheep Interpretation and farming sheds will not only be a great asset to our museum to house artefacts from the area, but it will also ensure the future of the museum by encouraging the younger generation of Woodsdale and Levendale to be part of the development.
In meeting the need….
We have already acquired the expertise of local young
Shearer’s and their families to come up with a design for our sheds showing
150 years of shearing/farming history. The shearing shed will show how shearing
was conducted 150 years ago to how it is done today. Local author Rachael
Treasure and husband John along with Lucy and Darren Byers as project managers
are keen to be involved with the showing of sheep shearing and dog training as
well as wool clothing fashion shows.
Many retired Shearer’s have come forward with
artefacts that belonged to their descendants and are willing to donate to the
museum. This in turn has lead to oral history stories being recorded about the
hardships of the early shearing days which will be played on audio hubs within
the shearing shed.
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Our
history group feel that the development of these sheds are unique and are not
duplicated in this area and will serve as an historical reference as well as
passing on knowledge of the importance of the sheep and farming industry to
other Tasmanians, Mainland and overseas visitors.
Especially
the visiting schools groups which will be able to touch, feel and smell what a
sheep shearing shed is like. It will give other options for the teachers when
choosing the Woodsdale Experience activities.
Our history group has applied through the Tasmanian Community Fund for a grant to build these sheds along with the many volunteer hours that the local community have offered. We are hoping this project will be completed by the end of this year.
