General News
1 April, 2026
Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum: the early years, Part 2
The Jeparit and District Historical Society holds a huge number of documents, newspaper articles and hundreds of photographs, relating to the early years of Jeparit’s iconic Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum.
This valuable collection helps to tell the story of the Museum’s evolution and the huge contribution the local community made to it in the 1960s and 1970s.
By 1974, Mr Harold Lienert was now in charge of the Museum, Mr Griff Perkins having left Jeparit.
Schools continued to visit the complex with 1494 visiting in November-December 1974.
Ken Sleep constructed a yard to house an emu and other birds, and there was also a kangaroo to engage young visitors.
‘Sam’ and ‘Jock’, the Museum’s draught horses, were also a common sight working equipment and drawing carts.
Wally Volkmann and his trick-performing dog ‘Ned’ were a drawcard with visitors on special event days.
The Jeparit and District Historical Society is grateful that, over many decades, documents and dozens of media items relating to the Pioneer Museum have been kept, and we are happy for visitors to view this part of our extensive local collection, which is a testament to many local people’s vision and commitment to establishing and developing the Museum.
People often said a feature of the Museum was the volunteers taking people around, explaining exhibits and telling the history of the area.
Years before the Museum staged its annual Rally over the June long weekend, it staged very popular Special Days over Easter, and the 1974 event saw more than 1100 people enjoying the many working exhibits and entertainments and also a fashion parade with locals Eileen Hoffmann, Meaghan Haire, Nan Livingston, Gwen Rendall, Jane Davey, Mary-Anne Rethus and Dianne Gawith modelling garments.
The Museum had become a community-wide asset, with the district’s women also becoming heavily involved with running and promoting it.
Val Lienert, Nola Niemann, Helen Hounsell, Lee-Anne Gawith and Denise Milich embarked on a promotion of the Museum in Adelaide, handing out thousands of brochures and contacting tour bus companies.
The same group also promoted the Museum in Melbourne.
Mrs Moll and Mrs Altmann demonstrated spinning and lace-making at major events.
Mr and Mrs Esma Dorrington, who were long-time residents at the Museum, enabled volunteer staff to open seven days a week.
However, by the early 1980s, many of those who had been instrumental in establishing the Museum and in running it who had been in their fifties or sixties, were now in their eighties, and things were becoming more challenging.
Laurie Binns, who had done much of the machinery restoration work for many years, passed away in 1982.
Charlie Pfeiffer, Bob Altmann and others needed more volunteer support to keep the complex open each day.
In 1980 local Apexians constructed the barbecue and shelter at the corner of the Museum.
It took around ten years for the H. V. McKay pavilion – funded by government grants and the H. V. McKay Trust – to be erected to showcase the McKay machinery collection, which opened in 1985.
In the same year, the Museum was entered in the Museum of the Year competition but the judging panel deemed that after some twenty years, the Museum was in serious need of being re-imagined and re-organised but that is a story for another time.
The Jeparit and District Historical Society is grateful that over many decades documents and dozens of media items relating to the Pioneer Museum have been kept and we are happy for visitors to view this part of our extensive local collection which is a testament to many local people’s vision and commitment to establishing and developing the Museum.
By Craige Proctor