By KATRINA BRANDON
LOOKING into the future of Old Gippstown Heritage Park, the park’s committee has released a strategic plan.
The committee met with Member for Eastern Victoria Region Harriet Shing to discuss plans for the next five years.
As part of the plan, the park aims to share vision and ideas for preserving history and fostering deeper educational experiences for those visiting the open museum in Moe.
“We have a plan, and we know where we want to go,” Old Gippstown Reserve Committee of Management Secretary, Bill Baker said.
“I see Old Gippstown as an uncut gem; it just needs a bit of polishing. As soon as we get this going, it will create some real benefits for the community.
“It’s not just about Old Gippstown, it is about the regional community to benefit from it.”
The five-year plan comes after Old Gippstown celebrated 50 years last year. The principal theme of the strategy is to be recognised as a must-see heritage destination, targeting a broad demographic for attractions, including tourists, school programs, community parks and accredited museums.
For the next five years, the Old Gippstown committee has five key visions:
-Be recognised within the tourism sector as a must-see heritage tourist destination;
-Deliver quality education programs, including curriculum-ready content for schools;
-Use innovative technology to enhance visitors’ experience and engagement;
-Conserve, preserve and present the buildings and collections to museum standard, and;
-Provide a community park that fosters wellbeing through inclusion and acceptance of diversity.
A change that has already been made is the new Old Gippstown Heritage Park logo that was introduced last year.
Old Gippstown Chair, Libby Scott told the Express: “We want to develop, grow, and develop a five-year plan for the buildings, the parks, and the front entrance”.
“We are drawing up plans and looking forward to achieving many of these things.
“We want to keep the heritage parks. A lot of them (heritage parks) died many years ago. There used to be a lot 20 years ago, and now we want to keep going, getting bigger and better and just show everybody Gippsland’s history. It is important to show and share with future generations.”
After discussing the park’s future, Ms Shing toured the grounds with the committee.
“Heritage is one passage and point of journey through points of time. It’s then about saying where we sit on either side of that and what it looks like in terms of where the region is going,” she said.
The committee has added seven key priorities to the strategic plan, outlining the park’s governance, people, community, heritage buildings and collections, grounds and facilities, education and tourism, and events.
Governance
KEY priorities under governance aims to ensure long-term financial sustainability, maintain a high standard of corporate governance, increase stakeholder support and recurrent financial contributors, use succession planning to retain valuable information and skills and ensure the committee comprises members with diverse skills and abilities.
People
OLD Gippstown relies heavily on volunteers and has a small number of employees who are responsible for day-to-day operations.
Key priorities under people are increasing training opportunities and improving skills and abilities, undertaking annual employee appraisals against key performance criteria, increasing volunteer participation and engagement, establishing a volunteer education and training program and maintaining a safe working environment.
Community
COMMUNITY is a key focus for Old Gippstown, which provides meeting spaces for community clubs, activities, and social engagement for numerous community groups and encourages activities that contribute to wellbeing.
Encouraging community events and use of the park by outside organisations, implementing an annual membership card for local residents, fostering a culture of inclusivity and acceptance of diversity and assisting community wellbeing through partnerships with other organisations fall under Old Gippstown’s banner of community key priorities.
Grounds and Facilities
WALKING around Old Gippstown’s eight acres, visitors are met by gardens, creek beds, a playground and much more to occupy all those who venture in.
Looking forward to their key ground priorities, Old Gippstown is looking into continuous review of the design and presentation of park facilities and grounds, review of the park entry, office and administration configuration, improve energy efficiency and sustainability throughout the park, improve accessibility for visitors and user groups, and ensure high-risk areas are maintained, and appropriate safety measures are in place.
Heritage Buildings and Collections
THE park features 30 original buildings relocated across Gippsland and 18 other purpose-built buildings to complete the village.
Each building houses furniture and artefacts representing the Gippsland settlement from the early 1840s pioneering and gold mining days through transport, timber, farming and electricity industries. It also provides valuable insight into social and community life and trade.
Within the key priorities for buildings and collections, the committee has outlined that it would like to attain museum accreditation (MAP), establish a collections management and archive building, increase maintenance and preservation of buildings, collections, and archives and undertake a comprehensive catalogue system review, and investigate Gunaikurnai First Nations history and integrate it into displays.
Education
TAKING a step back in time, school groups and more visit the park to experience the historical stories within.
Key priorities regarding education include developing curriculum-ready content for the education program, planning and implementing a school holiday program, developing and undertaking a sustainable education sector marketing campaign, creating interesting, interactive, and engaging displays incorporating appropriate IT, obtaining SPP (Strategic Partnership) funding to employ an education officer, and sourcing and training new volunteers to deliver education program activities.
Tourism and Events
THE committee aims to establish an annual special events calendar, obtain Latrobe City funding to become a tourist guide centre, establish strategic partnerships with other Gippsland heritage organisations, establish and increase networking opportunities with the tourism sector, attend and promote Old Gippstown at relevant events and expos, and create new exhibitions to encourage return visits.
