Historic Courier items first in Heritage Museum collection

After years of development the Mansfield Heritage Museum is nearing completion, with the first exhibit objects delivered last week, and our very own Mansfield Courier history establishing the museum collection. Since 2022, the Mansfield Historical Society has been working to bring the local museum to life, with anticipation now building as construction nears completion and the museum’s interior exhibits begin to take shape. The management team is now working to establish the museum collection, based around the extensive history of Mansfield, with the first major exhibit items moved in last Wednesday. The arrival of the first objects marks a shift from construction to the next stage of the project, as years of planning begin to translate into displays that will tell the stories of the district. A sign, desk and type case were transported into the museum, the objects intended to be a part of a Mansfield Courier exhibit, that will showcase the history of the local paper from its original development in the 19th century. The desk, designed by early Mansfield Courier editor Harry Amour, will be displayed in a replica office, along with an original Mansfield Courier sign and type cases from the era of mechanical printing. The exhibit will give visitors a glimpse into how the newspaper was once produced and the role the Courier has played in recording generations of local news, events and community life. Joan and Tony Tehan, previous co-owners of the Mansfield Courier with the Stoney family from 1970, said they held onto the items to preserve a part of history and are happy to see them apart of the museum. “We’ve had our own exhibit at home,” said Joan. “It’s good to see the items here now”. The Courier exhibit will become a permanent exhibit, with more items planned to be moved over as the museum's collection develops. Graeme Stoney, member of the museum management team, and previous co-owner of Mansfield Courier, helped move in the objects and said this is a significant milestone for the museum. "It's very significant because this museum's been under construction for some years, and we're now ready to start moving in the exhibits over the next couple of months,” he said. Other parts of the museum have also begun to be assembled, with some items in the rotating exhibit now displayed, intended to regularly change once the museum is open, to best showcase multiple parts of Mansfield as people walk in. The changing displays will allow the museum to draw on a broader collection over time, giving different local stories, industries, organisations and families an opportunity to be represented. As further objects are installed, the museum will continue to move closer to becoming a central place for preserving and sharing Mansfield’s history with future generations. In the next few months, after many move-in days, the museum will be open for locals and visitors alike to come and share in the rich history of the Mansfield Shire, hear about the developed history of the local paper and the many families that have built the town.