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Lawrence Museum broadcasts exciting news

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Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent

A lot of hard work has gone on behind closed doors at the Lawrence Museum.

And those doors are about to open to the public once again.

Lawrence Museum
One of the original wagons used at the Grafton Fire Station during the 1920’s is displayed at the Lawrence Museum. Photo: Emma Pritchard.

While dedicated volunteers have been busy setting up exhibits including photographs, information boards, historical artefacts, local memorabilia, and personal treasures generously donated by Clarence Valley families for the highly anticipated reopening next month, Vice President of the Lawrence Museum Roz Jones is confident visitors will enjoy and appreciate the unique history on display.

“Everyone has worked extremely hard to get to this point and we’re all looking forward to welcoming people back to the museum,” she said happily.

After the Lawrence Museum was forced to close in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Jones said the facility has undergone a significant restoration and transformation in the past 16 months.

A spacious new building which has provided the museum with an additional 250m2 of floor space and display rooms, along with a lift to provide better access, will undoubtedly be well received by visitors.

Several new attractions to the museum’s impressive collection include a historical, agricultural and social tribute to early life in Lawrence, two 100-year-old wagons previously used by the dedicated brigades at Grafton Fire Station, a carpenter’s workshop displaying tools of the trade throughout the last century, and an arrangement of beautiful locally made clothing from several eras.

Ms Jones said one of the most recent additions to the Lawrence Museum is a uniform donated by Maclean resident Robin Hoskings, which belonged to Elizabeth Green, the first female member of the mounted police in NSW.

The uniform is currently displayed on the upper level of the new structure.

Lawrence Museum volunteers
Lawrence Museum volunteers Marie Besson, Greg Donovan, Barry Janetzki and Vice President Roz Jones are excited to reopen the popular local attraction to visitors on August 1. Photo: Emma Pritchard.

“People will be able to walk around and browse the museum at their leisure,” Ms Jones said.

“Everyone will see something which interests them.”

The Lawrence Museum is located in the former 2NR Broadcasting Station building in Merton Street, Lawrence and will reopen on August 1 between 1-4pm.

Admission is $5 per person.

Ms Jones wishes to advise that EFTPOS will not be available.

The Lawrence Museum is also encouraging additional volunteers to join their dedicated team. Anyone who has an interest in history or a desire to help their local community is encouraged to contact Ms Jones on 0429 477 102. Training will be provided and no previous experience is required.  

Clarence Valley Independent 21 July 2021

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 21 July 2021.

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