In 2013, 150 years of local government in Armidale will be celebrated and the current focus of preparations is the compiling of an historical book.
The Armidale Sesquicentenary Committee recently met at the Armidale Dumaresq Council civic administration building to finalise the planning phase in the development of a book on the history of local government and the community in Armidale.
Armidale Sesquicentenary Committee Chair, ADC Deputy Mayor, Cr Jim Maher said that one of the major goals of the Council is to have a book in place to commemorate 150 years of progress in this area. ”
A diverse range of volunteers are bringing their specialised knowledge to the table, writing sections of the book or contributing with professional insights.
“We’ve already spent a great deal of time identifying what should be in the book. Our latest meeting was to recap on progress to date, allocate tasks and set a timetable to bring this project to fruition in 2013,” Cr Maher said.
“Council decided to set up a committee, allocated some resources and developed a business plan some time ago. We will be seeking pre-orders for the book and sponsorships.”
“In particular, we’ll be looking at some of the challenges that council has faced, major projects it has taken on, and some of the interesting characters who have contributed to council’s deliberations over the years.”
Editing down material will be a challenge.
“We don’t want to go much beyond 250 pages. We will have to review written pieces and plenty of editorial work. We’ve done a lot so far, in terms of a style guide, prioritising content around the local government focus.”
Cr Maher said that input from the community is still being sought.
“We’re still looking for ideas and photographs from the community. We intend to have a lot of photographs in the book, to show (visually) how Armidale has changed over time,” he said.
“We really want the community to be involved and to feel a part of this anniversary effort; so that when the book is published, they’ll be proud to see the finished product.”
“People wishing to contribute can contact council, the Armidale Folk Museum, the Heritage Centre or myself (via the Council).”
Encapsulating 150 years of Armidale council history is a formidable undertaking, but the volunteers on the Armidale Sesquicentenary Committee represent a wealth of writing and local history expertise and experience. “We’ve got professional historians, people from various professional backgrounds in town and I am an experienced academic as well,” Cr Maher said.
Story: Gary Fry
