Blazing new trails with virtual history tour
Visitors following Natimuk’s Heritage Trail can now connect to history videos thanks to a $5000 Horsham Rural City Council Community Development Grant awarded to Arapiles Historical Society.
Society research officer Gianna Sudholz compiled the information used in the production and Pat Ford created the videos with voiceovers by Lisa Jackson, both from Arapiles Multimedia.
Natimuk Heritage Trail is a self-guided tour around Natimuk comprising 40 different sites in the town and one at nearby Grass Flat. People taking the trail can now use their phones and QR codes at 10 of these sites.
Club President Peter French said the interpretive plaques could only provide limited information but this has now being extended by several minutes of historical facts through the videos.
“Gianna’s extensive research based on documents and anecdotal evidence reveals how four pounds could buy a block in the very early days and that pioneers were no strangers to floods, fires and mixed financial fortunes,” Mr French said.
“You can learn how the National Hotel burned down and faced fire on either side in its early day and had a string of early publicans and owners.
“At the Colonial Bank, the video tells of floods, bank name changes and its role in hosting both a pioneering flying doctor and a radio expert,” he said.
He said the Soldiers Memorial Hall site had hosted homes, a library, an early gramophone demonstration, the shire offices and many pivotal community events over more than 150 years.
Mr Ford combined old photographs, recreated
newspaper clippings, copies of original documents and some impressive animations of fire, a ghost and a monkey puppet, to complement the detailed historical information.
These videos not only add value to the heritage trail, but have had positive impacts for the society.
“Since this project began, the Society’s memberships has increased markedly to 30, with traffic on the Arapiles Historical Society website also growing,” Mr French said.
Arapiles Historical Society is open most Tuesdays from 2pm-4pm. The Arapiles Climbing Museum is open Sundays from 2pm-4pm in Main Street Natimuk.
HRCC’S Community Grants have been highly successful over the past 12 months with dozens of local projects worth $210,211 allocated funding.
Most successful applications range between $500 and $5,000 and are awarded to not-forprofit organisations that enhance the Horsham municipality.
Clubs and organisations can apply for a share of the next round of funding via the HRCC website from 1 February until 28 February 2024.
GRANT FINDER TOOL
Community Groups can now access up-todate information on available and upcoming grants from all levels of government as well as philanthropic programs – all in the one place on the HRCC website.