Mayoral Column 17th September 2021
Published on 17 September 2021
Rocky Hill Museum exhibition nominated for Imagine Award
The opening exhibition for the new Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum building, Objects of National Significance: When war trophies came to Goulburn, has been nominated in the Museums & Galleries NSW 2021 Imagine Awards.
The concept for the opening exhibition grew out of the significance of the original WW1 war trophy collection which established the museum, the enduring community support for the precinct, the desire to transition the museum into current best practice curatorial standards and to promote wider audience engagement.
The exhibition is centred on 16 objects of national significance from the WW1 collection housed onsite since 1927. The objects were further researched, contextualised and re-interpreted by our staff and volunteers to tell the history of the museum, of the collection and of the surrounding community to showcase the new exhibition space.
Through re-interpretation that articulates the connections between people, place and objects over a period of 90+ years the exhibition delivers a meaningful experience that has re-engaged the local community and attracted new audiences to this important regional collection.
Whilst the museum is currently closed due to COVID restrictions, the museums team is working behind the scenes to deliver a new exhibition in 2022 based on local experiences of WW2. The exhibition will feature both war time service personnel and the experiences of those who lived through the war years In Goulburn and surrounding districts.
Liveability Census
At next week’s council meeting we will consider a report on the Australian Liveability Census, which was the largest social research project in Australian History, and was undertaken between 28th March 2021 and 30th June 2021.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council participated in the census as a distribution organisation, using our online and offline communication channels to circulate the census to our community.
The census assessed the liveability of neighbourhoods around Australia, by rating 50 ‘place attributes.’ These Place Attributes include topics across a broad range of themes; open space, movement, local character, economy and more.
Our three highest rating liveability strengths were found to be:
At the moment due to COVID-19 and stay at home restrictions we are seeing more people out and about exercising in our community spaces, which is one positive to take from this situation. Some interesting statistics have come below from our pedestrian counter, which is placed near the elevated bridge as part of the river walkway, near Joshua Street.
- Average weekday pedestrians: 116
- Average weekend pedestrians: 147
- Average weekday cyclists: 33
- Average weekday pedestrians: 46
We've also seen a huge increase in August no doubt due to restrictions - daily averages are well over 200 pedestrians and 50 cyclists. These numbers are impressive when you consider they are counted at only one location within our huge network.
Vaccination push
As I write this column on Friday morning, vaccination rates in Goulburn Mulwaree currently sit at just under 70% of first dose vaccination, and 40% with second dose vaccinations.
Obviously there is a number of reasons for these rates, including supply being diverted to other areas, however I really want to push our community to go out and get the jab. Our local member Wendy Tuckerman is pushing the government for more vaccines, particularly Pfizer and easy walk-in clinics in our region and I expect to see results here quickly.
In the meantime please make your appointments, and consider Astrazeneca if you are comfortable with the health advice and of course have consulted with your GP first. I am told the supply of Astrazeneca in our region is high, and could help accelerate our rates.