Come visit our

Yass Valley History Centre

Key Information

Location

247A Comur Street (two doors from the Yass Visitor's Centre)

Opening Times

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays 10am

Closing Times

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays 4pm

Contact

secretary@yasshistory.org.au

Email

Enquiries for school and group visits to the museum should be directed to secretary@yasshistory.org.au

Admission fees

Entry free but donations are gratefully accepted.

Yass Valley History Centre is now open.

The Yass Valley History Centre was officially opened by the Hon Bob Nanva, Member of the Legislative Council and Government Whip in the Legislative Council on 4 October 2024. It was the culmination of a community effort to provide a permanent home for the unique archival record of life in Yass Valley.

It would be an injustice to all concerned not to acknowledge the assistance from the many individuals, government departments, community organisations, and our own hardworking members who came to our rescue when faced with eviction from the Soldiers’ Memorial Hall in February 2023. Our archival collection had occupied and grown within that space over forty years and in just nineteen days the impossible had to be achieved – to find a new home for the collection.

Our local member Wendy Tuckerman, the then Minister for Local Government, worked hard to ensure we had a safe location to move the collection to and secured the former ambulance station for us.  It was only available for a relatively short time – just sixteen months but it provided the vital accommodation that allowed our society to function while the former museum was repurposed to accommodate both the object and archival collections.

The refurbishment of the building was made possible with a $60,000 NSW Government grant, facilitated by local Labor candidate Michael Pilbrow, a small Transgrid grant and donations from the Yass Soldiers Club, Yass Rotary, individuals and our own fundraising efforts. Local community groups played vital roles in the transformation with the Yass Antique Farm Machinery Club assisting in the dismantling of internal partitioning and relocating the archival collection and Yass Men’s Shed laying the floorcoverings.

We also thank our local tradesmen James Alley Building and Carpentry, David Cleary Electrical, James Byrne Plumbing, Parkers Painting, Howard Stacy Air Conditioning and David Fields Blinds who for the most part worked under less than ideal conditions to meet our deadline. They did a sterling job.

The outcome says a lot about the spirit of our town. When assistance was so badly needed the community stepped up to ensure the archives have a permanent home.

Movers and Shakers: They made a difference

Our latest exhibition was opened by Mayor Allan McGrath on 11 March.

In all communities there are individuals that stand out as leaders and pioneers though perhaps not recognised as such within their lifetime. The twenty-seven Yass Valley residents profiled in this exhibition are representative of those who made a difference to the lives of others whether it be locally, nationally, or further afield. None started life from a position of wealth or privilege, and many were impacted by wars – either in the field or on the home front.

 

Health care and education are fundamental to any society as is good governance and cultural pursuits, all of which are abundantly evident in the profiles featured. The earliest birthdate of those featured is 1780 and the latest date of death is 2015, spanning a remarkable 235 years. Their life spans were diverse – the oldest an incredible 103 years and the youngest a mere 33 years in a war torn and newly emerging nation.

 

This exhibition is based on objects and documents in our collections that have been used to give a window into the lives of these locals.

Local artist Kim Nelson who used his artistic skills to improve the lives of others locally, nationally and internationally
Palette and brushes used by Kim Nelson between 2011 and 2013 in the creation of his artworks.  (Private collection)  

A J Shearsby: Renaissance Man of Yass

Alfred James Shearsby (1872-1962) was a man of many talents, a competent photographer, geologist, artist, astronomer, palaeontologist, writer, and administrator. A community minded citizen he was instrumental in advancing various local associations through his secretarial, photographic, and artistic capabilities. As well as numerous objects related to his life and interests the exhibition features dozens of images that he made during his time as an amateur and professional photographer. The subjects that he is best known for were his photographic record of the construction of Burrinjuck Dam over a period of some twenty years and a collection of some four hundred images of local men and women who enlisted during the Great War 1914-1918

A series of postcards mostly featuring images from the Shearsby Collection are available for purchase. Single postcards $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.

Alfred James Shearsby, a man of incredible talents and abilities is celebrated with an exhibition featuring his photography and artworks.   
Explorer Hamilton Hume played a significant role in the discovery of rich agricultural and grazing lands during his extensive expeditions

Hamilton Hume: The Explorer

The life and explorations of Hamilton Hume (1797 – 1873) told through objects, images, and documents from our collections. A significant collection of Hume furniture owned by Hume is on loan to the National Trust (NSW) and displayed at Cooma Cottage, his home from 1839 until his death.

Comur Street 1890’s.

Our popular model streetscape has been retained to show how our main street looked well before the days of motor vehicles, street and traffic lights, paved footpaths, and trees. The models provide a snapshot of what the buildings in Comur Street looked like in the 1890s – quite a contrast to twenty-first century Yass and well worth a visit. 

There is a digital collection of historic images available for viewing.

Our main street recreated from early photographs and description of buildings in use during the 1890s. Many are still in use today.           

Cabinet of Curious Things

This interesting display of objects shows the diverse nature of the object collection held at the centre. Every object on display has a unique and interesting story to tell

A photographic display detailing the small township that grew and then disappeared under the waters of Burrinjuck Dam
Map of Yass showing the various locations of hotels, pubs and inns from the 1830s to the present

Under the Sign

Take an effortless pub crawl of the twenty-two known sites in Yass town where the thirst of travellers and residents were quenched. The earliest, the Shamrock Inn dates from the 1830s (before there was a town) patronised by travellers heading south to Port Phillip. Pubs changed licensees and names frequently as fortunes were made and lost. Today the town has just three hotels, but drinkers enjoy greater opportunities with three licenced clubs, a bar and numerous licenced outlets.

Cornerstones of Faith

An overview of the development of the churches within the vast Yass parishes, harking back to the days after ‘Sunday crossed the Razorback’.

The establishment of religions of various faiths in Yass during the late 1830s is documented and illustrated in models of the early churches
The large Koerstz wool press was used to compress fleeces into manageable bales for transport to markets locally and overseas

Wool and Wealth

A salute to the wool industry can be seen in the objects related to the fine wool production that has become synonymous with Yass. See the mighty Koerstz wool press, a collection of shearing equipment, the shearer’s bicycle and a miniature farm.

Research and copies of archival material and images related to local and family history should be directed to our Archive.

Photography or videotaping are not permitted within the museum without prior permission.

The museum is conveniently located just two doors from the Yass Visitors’ Centre and adjoining Coronation Park with its playground and toilet facilities.

Enquiries for school and group visits to the museum should be directed to info@yasshistory.org.au