Combined Presidents and Curators Report – AGM, 2010

This year has been very busy with many high points but also several low points. We have lost some of our dear friends and members during the last 12 months and we extend our sympathy to their families and friends.

The highlights have included the Bursill family reunion, a wedding ceremony and several wedding photo shoots, as well as many incoming tour groups. Our tour guides enjoy introducing first time visitors to the joys of Glenalvon in particular and Campbelltown in general.

Our members bus trips have proved popular, as have the monthly raffles which raised nearly $500 during the past year. This year’s Christmas raffle will be in a different format to previous years, with more prizes to share the spirit around.

We have welcomed new members, so if you meet someone new please introduce yourself and make them feel at home. I thank all members for their ongoing support of the Society.

The Society continues to actively participate in the local community, and promote and defend our heritage. We are represented in the Heritage Protection Sub-Committee, Glenalvon Sub-Committee, the local chapter of Museums Australia and others. Marie Holmes writes an historical article for the Macarthur Chronicle, and I am regularly called on by the Chronicle to comment on local heritage issues. We have been pleased to accept an invitation to be part of the Visitor Centre’s monthly walking tour. In order to showcase Glenalvon I am working on a presentation album of photos, with assistance from John White and my next door neighbour, Simone Campbell. This album will be valuable at conferences, Chapter meetings, and expos to demonstrate Glenalvon’s attractiveness for weddings and other functions. I have also been working on a wedding flyer.

Glenalvon’s gardens are now waking up after winter – thanks to the loving attention by Val West, Pam Bonomini, Ken Green and Kim Beddie. If anyone has access to manures or other fertilizer our team and our plants would be most grateful for a donation.

I would like to thank the members of the Executive Committee for their hard work and support during the last year, and look forward to working with them for a busy and successful year. I would particularly like to thank my husband, Ken, for his hard work, good humour, and support.

As curator I would like to thank my team – Ken, Clarice, and John who work so well and tirelessly. The room displays in Glenalvon receive a positive reaction from visitors. The Macquarie exhibition has also been well received. Cataloguing the collection continues steadily.

June and Neville have just returned from Bali and have stepped back into their work on the photo collection. I am sure they missed that while they were away!

John White has been producing some excellent photos of cameras in our collection, as well as researching and cataloguing onto MOSAiC. This will be ongoing with the aim of a feature page on our website.

Thank you all.

Jackie Green
President and Curator
Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Inc