Community invited to discuss the future of Pingelly’s historical collection and museum

The Shire of Pingelly has joined forces with the Pingelly Museum and Historical Group to discuss the future of the town’s historical collection after it lost its home in the Old Court House. A community meeting will be held at the Pingelly Community Resource Centre for people interested in helping with exhibiting the collection. The historical collection was first collated in the 1970s and was exhibited in the Old Court House in Memorial Park. The museum group was formed in 2011 and took ownership of the collection, occasionally running themed exhibitions. Last year, the Shire offered a peppercorn lease for the Old Court House which was secured my local resident Marcia Devenney to transform the building into a community cinema. The historical collection will now be displayed on the stage area at Pingelly Town Hall once renovations are complete. Shire chief executive Andrew Dover said the meeting was a chance to have the museum reflect the wishes of the community. “There is a significant amount of work to do and direction to be set regarding what the museum will look like in the new location and how it operates,” he said. “This meeting is to consult with the community, particularly those that are interested in Pingelly’s history and heritage in relation to the future of the museum.” Although the Wheatbelt town has a population of fewer than 1000 residents, there is a rich Indigenous and settlement history. The town’s name was derived from a place north of Pingelly known as Pingeculling Rocks, which was the Aboriginal name for watering place, according to the Shire. The opening of the Great Southern Railway in 1889 by the WA Land Company resulted in an economic boom for the district and Pingelly was one of the original sidings of the rail line. “The museum is an important connection to our past, showing where we came from, particularly the stories of those who first settled in Pingelly and Moorumbine and many people living in Pingelly are direct descendants from these settlers,” Mr Dover said. “The museum serves as a window into the past to discover how different life was like only a lifetime ago. “This is an important touchstone for the community and is hoped to be another activity for tourists visiting our town.”