One of the oldest historical society in the region has been forced to down grade and move from its Lismore HQ to Goonellabah.
It’s sparked concern from Lismore City councillor Jasmine Knight-Smith, who told The Echo councillors have been left in the dark by Council staff.
According to its website, www.richhistory.org.au. it ‘has one of the best historical collections in regional Australia’.
President of Richmond River Historical Society (RRHS) Robert Smith, told The Echo, ‘After the 2022 flood, the collection was evacuated and was placed in 10, 40 foot shipping containers for three years’.
As one of the oldest historical society in the region, he says the museum has amassed 30 tonne of material since it began in 1936.
He says, ‘In April, we started to get mould on the materials and notified Council staff – they moved fairly promptly and we were given a space in the Goonellabah Community Centre, located behind the library’.
‘We have been moving there since mid June’.
He says while it is safely stored, it is not a suitable space, as it is not as big as the previous location.
‘Nor is it centrally located’, he added.
Smith says they had been operating in the Municipal building for 30 years.
‘After the flood renovations, we were making preparations to move back in’.
‘But in January, when it was ready for reoccupation, we were told without warning we would not be moving back in.
‘Most of the building has remained empty ever since.
‘Were told the property review would take 90 days, but we still don’t know when that will be completed.
‘The current space is not suitable as an equivalent museum for the public. With this space we will have to have smaller displays. We are not sure we can even charge an entry fee, as we used to.
‘We used to charge $5 per head to cover electricity and cleaning costs’, he added.
Changing need of Council
The Echo asked Lismore City Council staff, ‘When is the property review due to be released to the public, and ‘Is there another suitable location being sought given the location appears inadequate?’
In reply, a Lismore City Council spokesperson did not answer when the property review would be tabled.
They told The Echo, ‘Lismore City Council recognises and supports many not-for-profit organisations within our community and leases 46 Council-owned properties to many of these organisations at peppercorn rates’.
‘Unfortunately, given the changing need of Council and community expectations, we could no longer offer the Richmond Historical Society space in the old Council building at 165 Molesworth Street, Lismore.
‘Council staff actively worked with the Society to find a new location for this important cultural institution, with the Society recently signing a lease and moving into the Council-owned Goonellabah Community Centre’, the spokesperson added.
Travesty, says councillor
Lismore City councillor Jasmine Knight-Smith (Labor) told The Echo, ‘Right now, I think Lismore might be the only city in the state, without a museum – what a travesty!’
‘The Lismore Municipal Building has been sitting empty since January, waiting for a ‘Property Strategy’ – I’ve not been given a copy of it and yet here we are using it for a Council event.
‘Prior to the floods, Citizenship ceremonies have been held at City Hall, post flood in council Chambers, why the sudden change without letting councillors know?! I sends a very discouraging message to the volunteers who run our Museum.
‘We can’t forget how this started. We had a flood, the Richmond River Historical Society who operate the museum, were situated in the Municipal Building. They moved the collection to the top flood (free of the 2022 flood) and moved out of the building for repairs. Council received grant funding to upgrade the building so that it would be fit for the Museum. The building was ready in January but the Museum were not invited to move back in. The collection has been sitting in shipping containers. What a travesty!
‘A little while ago Council offered the Historical Society some space behind the Goonellabah Library. There is no ceiling in part of it! It’s just shocking. I had a tour and could not believe what a terrible building they’d been put in, while the building that was purpose fitted out for them, sat empty!
‘Our community have donated artefacts to the Historical Society, our community have donated records to the Historical Society. How do we, as a council, thank our community, thank the volunteers that have kept those records and artefacts safe for some 89 years? Well we essentially make them sit in limbo, in a substandard situation.
‘Our museum was a leader, other Historical Societies and Museums came to Lismore to see how to do it right – look at us now! A pop-up shop and the rest sitting in a space where not all of it even has a ceiling. It breaks my heart.
‘We have been blessed for so long, by the wonderful volunteers doing what other Councils have to pay staff to do. And we just kick them out, for what… providing us a free service?!
‘Our precious collection has sat shipping containers for almost three years! So long that some of the collection started to deteriorate owing to humidity and mould, basically due to the fact that shipping containers are an inappropriate storage facility for precious documents and artefacts.
‘This week staff put a sticker over the word Museum on the sign outside the building and it really sent home what little respect our Council seems to have for the History of this beautiful city’, added Cr Knight-Smith.
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