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A GRAND OPENING: Harrietville Historical Society vice president Brian Cherry cuts the ribbon, made of toilet paper, to open the museum’s new bathroom. PHOTO: Brodie Everist
A blessed relief AROUND 40 attended the long-awaited opening of the Harrietville Museum’s bathroom last Friday, the conclusion to years of brainstorming, setbacks and trips to the public toilet down the road. Harrietville Historical Society president Robyn Downey began the event explaining some of the obstacles they had faced in getting a toilet installed. She said the museum’s lack of a toilet had been discussed since the building was established in 2008,
BY BRODIE EVERIST
beverist@ nemedia.com.au
but no solutions were forthcoming, partly due to the site’s proximity to the river and its size prohibiting a septic system. Even Ms Downey said she had given up getting a toilet installed following a failed attempt some years earlier. She said the impetus for the latest effort had come from current society vice president Brian Cherry, who
Phone for an appointment, call in to our DLJƌƚůĞĨŽƌĚ ŽĸĐĞ Žƌ ǀŝƐŝƚ ŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĨŽƌ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ƉƌĞͲƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ LJŽƵƌ ĨƵŶĞƌĂů ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨƵŶĞƌĂů ďŽŶĚƐ͘ 166 Myrtle Street, Myrtleford
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was dismayed in 2019 that a 98-year-old society member had to walk to a public toilet half a kilometre away. According to Ms Downey, Mr Cherry had a relative who was building a house on the Hume Weir and was using a new type of wastewater system called a pump-out system. After meetings with the local member of parliament and council officers it was determined a 6000-litre pump-out system could work at the museum. “We’ve learnt a lot along
the way,” she said. “We were told that we only needed a plumber, and we found out fairly soon that no, we do need a builder, and we need a building permit.” Due to various issues their builder resigned, but luckily they found another at a local pub who agreed to do the job, she said. They received a $61,000 grant from the Federal Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Relief Fund for the project, and Ms Downey said they had to
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extend it three times. Ms Downey thanked members of the historical society, including Brian Cherry, as well as council officers, the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, builder Tim Martin, state MP Tim McCurdy, and many others. Speaking with the Myrtleford Times/Alpine Observer, Mr Cherry said the society would often receive bus tours of older people who would need a bathroom. “Soon as they get here, they’re looking for
MUSEUM’S TOILET SAGA NOW OVER a toilet,” he said. “Nine times out of ten the bus driver, he’ll pull up down the road where the toilets are. “But sometimes they forget.” He particularly commended Ms Downey’s administration and organisation to get the project finished, including getting the building permit and liaising with council. “She was full bore on that computer – she’s done a fantastic job,” he said. First use of the bathroom went to four-year-old Ripley Brettargh.