Wednesday April 14, 2021
Volume 36 No. 13
$1
inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly Mining company donates to Miner’s Memorial Pg 3
Shane Fitzsimmons invited to open Cobar Show Pg 3
Sound Chapel is close to being finished Pg 5
Landmark being restored to former glory Cobar Shire Council is pleased with the renovation work that is currently underway at the Cobar Museum building, despite some of the recent negative comments that have been made by members of the public. Council’s general manager Peter Vlatko said the restoration of the museum building, which is a significant building for both locals and visitors and a major landmark at the eastern entrance to town, is one of the most important projects that Council has undertaken. “As such we called in a specialist team of experts that included an architect, heritage consultant, structural engineer and a disability access consultant. “We also have an exhibition designer who is working with staff from Museum and Galleries NSW and our museum curator Kay Stingemore,” Mr Vlatko said. He said the team was working to the brief that the existing heritage building would be restored to allow it to keep functioning for another 100 years. The project will also bring the building up to current building standards and codes with regards to fire, safety, lighting, technology and ensuring equitable access for everyone. The project aims to ensure the heritage fabric of the building is respected and some of the lost and hidden elements will be reinstated to allow the building itself to be better seen as part of the history of Cobar. As part of the upgrade plan, the work will create a suitable space for the curators to tell the stories of the characters and events which make Cobar what it is. Mr Vlatko said before the work began the community were consulted and appraised of their plans to upgrade the building.
“At our public meetings we called for feedback and outlined the knowledge and aspirations of the dedicated Council staff who run the Museum (Kay Stingemore and Demi Smith) and we went about trying to make that happen with the funding we received from the
State Government,” Mr Vlatko said. “One of our main concerns was being able to provide access and equity so that everyone might be able to enjoy this wonderful building.” Continued Page 2
Work on the restoration of the Cobar Museum building is coming along well and with its new roof on and freshly painted top verandah, it’s starting to look a lot like it did when it was first built in 1910 as the administration offices for the Great Cobar Copper Mine.