Background to the development of the Mansfield Heritage Museum
By Graeme Stoney AM
President Mansfield Historical Society
Background to the Museum and wider precinct project
The Mansfield Historical Society (MHS) along with many community members and groups such as the Apex and Rotary Clubs have been calling for a Museum in Mansfield for more than 40 years.
In 2022 MHS decided to launch a modest fundraising appeal in the hope such a community move would attract a State or Federal grant. It did and the $114,000 attracted over 1 million dollars grant to build the Museum building to lock up stage in 2024.
The locked up rammed earth building was looking as good as we had hoped. Stage one was supervised by the Shire of Mansfield with a local building company (Hennessey’s) constructing the building. It was designed by Taylor Consulting Engineers also located in Mansfield.
While the building was being constructed we knew that we would need further grants to fit it out and construct the exhibits. We decided to launch another major appeal in the hope that would attract a sizable Federal Grant to finish the museum project and improve the Station Precinct. Within the year we had raised over $250,000 with extra donations still quietly arriving in cash or kind right up until the time this has been written.
This has been a heartening example how the Mansfield community put its dollar and support behind the MHS and the Shire efforts to have a wonderful space in the Station Precinct.
After a nervous wait for some months the Federal Government awarded the Station Precinct $14 million grant to be administered by the Mansfield Shire.
Stage two of the project which was to fit out internal walls, ceiling and desks in the administration room is completed and is the Historical Society’s new home. As at March 2026, the internal fit out of the main Museum building is now well underway with Hennessey Constructions running the project under the supervision of the Mansfield Shire Council. Next, the exhibits will be gradually installed. We hope to open the Museum in late 2026 or early 2027.
Explaining the Station Precinct $14 million dollar project
A Museum, a dog park, an all abilities playground, three car parks, upgrade of the Goods Shed and Fertilizer Shed, new horse facilities and a Pump Track! This large exciting project attracted Federal Government support because the Council application included the Historical Society’s successful appeal for donations from the Community. We have been told by a reliable interstate source that the solid amount of donations to the Historical Societies appeal from the Community plus the professional application written by the Shire was the reason it was funded so well. We have been told this put Mansfield right up the ladder ahead of many other applications from around Australia.
Not only did the Community donations totaling well over $400k with two appeals result in a Museum, it has resulted in what can be claimed to be one of largest projects to benefit a wide range of community users ever undertaken in Mansfield- ever!
The Governor of Victoria Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC visited the Mansfield Heritage Museum recently. She is pictured inspecting the rail trail with members of the community including Mansfield Historical Society, Mr Steve Rabie the Mayor of the Mansfield Shire Council, Councillor Tim Berenyi and senior council staff
Steve Rabie, Graeme Stoney AM and the Victorian Governor
Update March 2026
Exciting news about developing the Museum exhibits:
Andrew Johnson from Studio Johnson in Tasmania is well on the way towards designing and supervising the construction of the exhibits. Andrew has been on board for some months to oversee this long and complicated project in conjunction with the Shire and the Historical Society. Installation will commence shortly.
It is planned that the exhibits will use the latest techniques to tell the story of Mansfield's proud history and culture including a significant display of local fish fossils going back to the start of time and the Taungurung first people’s story. The more recent history and pioneering feats connected to high country forestry, timber harvesting, alpine grazing, timber, gold and tourism which built our district will also be featured in the Museum or the railway carriages.
We have some surprises to come, including displays reflecting on how the Man from Snowy River films and the spectacular development of Mt Buller changed Mansfield for the better. The Historical Society is the guardian of many precious local artefacts and we want to be able to put them on display in rotation. We now have negotiated to have our larger items displayed throughout the area around the Museum area under cover. When completed, the Museum will attract visitors to the town and encourage them to stay longer therefore increasing business opportunities. Importantly, it will educate our children and visiting schools about the long
and proud history of Mansfield.
STOP PRESS!
An exciting development
Apart from the exhibits in the Museum, there has been a recent exciting decision to create a “theatrette” in the third chamber of the museum. This has been made possible by a very generous $100,000 contribution from Bendigo Bank Mansfield; District and in turn made possible by all those who choose to bank with the Community Bank in our town. This support will be recognised through the naming rights for the space for some years. This arrangement will be announced publicly in due course. The theatrette is an exciting concept which will give visitors an immersive experience and feature videos of local subjects in high quality and educational offerings for students, including the significance of the Mansfield Fossils. We are lucky to have experts in this very technical field to assist the MHS and Studio Johnson. Professional supporter Milton Taylor is leading the IT program for the project, ably assisted by professionals Gerard and Sarah Brennan, who are advising us on several aspects of the Theatrette, other exhibits the branding of the Museum and the wider station precinct project.
The current Government grant does not fully cover the extra cost of creating the special digital theatrette, or the delivery of the immersive experience that it will deliver. Therefore there is a need for us to source top up funding for the Theatrette over and above the generous Bendigo Bank donation. This means we are in the process of alerting people who would be interested in also having their name, as associated supporters of the Bendigo Bank Theatrette, by also making a significant donation. The cost of creating immersive content is high, but the effect will be worth it, delivering an invaluable asset to our community for many generations to come.
I would love to discuss this new tax deductible donation/funding opportunity further with anyone interested in becoming involved.
To sum up where we are with the Museum.
The vision to create a Museum which will tell the story of Mansfield using three themes combined with a spectacular immersive theatrette is about to come to fruition within the year. The Visitors Centre and the Historical Society will each have desks in the foyer and visitors will be welcomed by staff and volunteers from both organizations.
The Society’s volunteer administration, research and digitization program is already operating in one room within the Museum, staffed by volunteers who are researching and recording Mansfield History both written and in photographic form. This work is under the supervision of our office manager Gwen Cornelius. The named pavers will be laid around the entrance to the Museum when the landscaping and car parks are completed during this year. The paver fund raiser was very well supported; we look forward to them being revealed, thank you all.
A café will open in the old Station building when the Museum opens. It is planned that the Museum project will be finished and opened late this year or early next year. In the meantime, in about a month or so we plan to open a “Coffee Corner” in the original station building where we still have our shop and continue to provide the public face of the MHS, until the Museum opens. We will have coffee and cake available for purchase at
reasonable rates to members and the public during the current opening times Friday Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm.
When our Coffee Corner commences we will email members a notice to announce the opening and invite members and the public to come along. Please call in to say hello and take the opportunity to speak to the MHS volunteers on duty and Coffee Corner manager Jenny Delaforce. They will tell you the stories they know about local Mansfield history and how the Museum build is progressing.
The Historical Society is appreciative and publicly recognises and thanks the Shire Councillors and CEO of the Shire of Mansfield for their strong ongoing support for the completion of the Museum and the development of the Station Precinct.
For enquiries or comments on the Museum project contact either myself or our efficient secretary Di Williams secretary@mansfieldhs.org.au. Once again thank you for your support which has made all this happen.
A BIG thank you to generous Mansfield- Lets keep going!
Yours sincerely
Graeme Stoney AM
President - Mansfield Historical Society
Looking to the future
How to keep upgrading the exhibits and how to “keep the lights on” when the Museum opens in 2027- our forward plans Museums and Art Gallery’s rely heavily on their communities to stay modern and refreshed.
To achieve this, we will always have to rely on ongoing financial support from entry fees, donations and running events combined with prudent budgeting. This is very achievable.
It has been heartening that in the last twelve months we have been given some on going and very generous donations. As well, two others to restore a large artefacts and several significant contributions in kind. We are also negotiating with a family regarding a significant bequest. All these contributions are coming from families with long connections to the district.
I invite you to have a look at our video on the QR code below using your mobile phone. As a longer term suggestion some families may consider a bequest to the Museum in their wills. We would be very glad to call around to discuss this option. We would be happy to tell everyone interested more about the project including other donation options if you would like to get involved. All donations are tax deductible.
Any of our management team will be happy to chat about the project . Contact them via secretary@mansfieldhs.org.au or ring 03 5779 1094
Management Team:
Ann Ware, Gwen Cornelius, Di Williams, Graeme Stoney, Kevin Hogarth, Jenny Delaforce & Emma Sim (inset)
How to donate
Direct deposit:
Mansfield Historical Society
BSB 633-000 A/C 211 441 605
(please provide your name as reference and for receipt purposes)
Cheques:
Mansfield Historical Society
PO Box 309 Mansfield VIC 3724
Credit card:
Please use this QR code
About the Mansfield Historical Society
The Historical Society houses a vast collection of photos, clothing, stories and equipment from a bygone era, that has been donated and bequeathed from Mansfield families and individuals. They are also the custodians of over 1200 family files which include photographs which currently are in the process of being digitised. “We have family members who come in to discover pictures of their relatives that they’ve never seen before,” said curator – Ann Ware.
The Mansfield Historical Society volunteers work tirelessly to capture, research and record our history. One of the current research projects includes the provenance of a buggy believed to be connected to the Widow of Wappan, Anne Bon (1838-1936) – pastoralist, philanthropist and advocate for Aboriginal people.
Currently this collection of Mansfield’s history is housed in numerous storage facilities scattered around the district, out of sight. Recently a significantly important local collection was lost due to lack of storage and now these historical and valuable artefacts of yesteryear will be scattered across the countryside and lost forever instead of remaining intact in Mansfield as part of our unique heritage.
Once the project is completed, our precious artefacts will be securely stored, with many displayed in the new Mansfield Heritage Museum (MHM). When finished the museum will form a key part of the Mansfield Shire Station Precinct and the new home of the Mansfield Historical Society.
Our district has a rich history in farming, timber and gold, with wonderful stories of prominent families, successes and losses, crime, murder, war and mayhem just waiting to be discovered.
MHS still needs to continue raising significant funds to finance the design and maintenance of our world class exhibits telling the story of Mansfield since deep time.
Historical Society members Bernie Anstee and Di Williams take the 1944 Chev Lendlease fire truck for a spin at the High Country Festival