Project set to preserve city’s history

Bunbury’s social, cultural, political and architectural history is set to be digitised into a unique collection that will be publicly available.

Bunbury City Council is set to enter into a two-year agreement with the Museum of Perth to digitise and display the city’s history.

The agreement is worth nearly $55,000 to the council with it expected to financially support the Perth History Association in leasing a CBD office for the project.

It could include documenting the city’s history of heritage buildings, digitising and transcribing historic records, creating heritage-related digital media content and researching and documenting public art and plaques.

Mayor Gary Brennan said the city would get “quite a bit” of benefit out of digitising its history and it was important to keep records.

“The pace of change is just so rapid these days and it will just keep getting quicker,” Mr Brennan said.

“It’s important to remember where you come from as you surge forward and bring about further transformations of our city.

“It’s just incredible how fast things change and how quickly we could forget what was there previously.

“It’s really important to understand the history of Bunbury, the culture of Bunbury – I don’t think that changes, the culture of our community, and I think that’s really important that it doesn’t.

“Physically things change and that’s why it’s good to record what’s in place at a particular point in time.”

In an added boost, the project will be a Work for the Dole initiative and is expected to generate about 40 positions.

A report to the council labels the project as reflective of its objectives in stimulating the CBD.

“The program aims to upskill a currently unemployed segment of the Bunbury Geographe community,” the report said.

“(It) will generate additional foot traffic in the CBD and provide take up of a commercial premises.”

It is not known what office space will be used for the project, but Mr Brennan ruled out the vacant former South’s Furniture building.