Grants Improve Facilities

The Cohuna and District Historical Society and the Cohuna Bowls Club were among six community groups within the Gannawarra Shire to receive funding for infrastructure improvements last week.

This is the second year the Gannawarra Shire Council’s Major Community Projects Fund has been offered to community groups to develop infrastructure projects on non-council owned or controlled land, with a total of $251,732 being allocated.

“A highlight of the 2020/2021 Budget, Council received 18 applications for this popular program, with a combined total of $926,658 requested,” Mayor Charlie Gillingham said.

The Cohuna and District Historical Society received $125,000 towards its project to extend its archive building. The full cost of the project is $254,705, with the Society funding the balance. Society secretary, Yvonne Church, said, “We were very excited to be granted our full amount. We are running out of room rapidly. A lot of material that’s donated is one-off; family histories, recollections from families and individuals, photos that people have brought in. We have so many people coming in giving us information about families and historical things and we need to enlarge our storage area. We’ll have new compactus and alter a couple of rooms for storage. We’ll have more room for displays and new display cabinets – we’ve got lots of ideas.” 

The building in Cullen Street will be extended toward the footpath and include a new fireproof room with extra shelving and compactus, static display and document filing areas and new workspace.

“For 51 years the Cohuna and District Historical Society has accumulated and become the repository of large amounts of records, artefacts, objects and memorabilia. All aspects of Cohuna and District’s history are catalogued and stored. This extension will allow better access and display of this material including aspects of indigenous history. We thank the Gannawarra Shire Council for awarding us this grant,” said Geoff Dale, Society president.

The Cohuna Bowls Club was awarded $15,000 for its kitchen upgrade which will see essential kitchen items upgraded, and the kitchen refurbished. The Club will contribute $1,375 of its own funds to complete the project.

Both projects will be completed by mid-2022 and will see improved facilities utilised by both the groups themselves and the community.