Plans to establish a large-scale Maitland museum will be put forward for public discussion as part of a campaign to create a permanent tribute for the city’s pioneers.
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The Maitland Historical Society will host a meeting on Wednesday night to garner opinions and community support for a High Street museum.
“We have an art gallery, we have libraries, and that’s great but now it’s our turn and we want a government grant to open a museum,” society committee member Bob Roberts said.
“Most major towns in the Hunter Valley have a museum to showcase their history throughout the ages so with Maitland’s bi-centennial coming up the creation of a museum would be a fitting tribute to our earlier pioneers.”
The society has earmarked the former Maitland Mercury building as a potential site for the museum.
“We’ve outgrown this place so we want to find a permanent place. And everywhere seems to have a museum except us,” Mr Roberts said.
However, all plans hinge on government support.
“The society can’t possibly fund something like this so we need to go bigger with our plans,” society secretary Tom Skelding said.
“We’ve been talking about this for a while and you can talk as much as you want but you’re not going to get anyway unless you rally a groundswell of people behind you.”
Mr Skelding said the museum would serve as a permanent homage to Maitland’s rural, agriculture, mining, maritime, industrial, convict and indigenous elements.
“We’re steeped in history,” he said. “Back in the early 1800s, this was the second biggest city in the colony and we helped form the nation. The worst thing that could happen is for us to lose all of this and if we don’t do this then we will.”
The meeting will be held on Wednesday at 7.30pm at Maitland Town Hall in the Maitland Room.
