COMMUNITY
MULL MUSEUM CELEBRATES 50 YEARS later in the Masonic Hall. On February 2 1972, a This wasn’t good for the group of about 20 people exhibits, especially fragile gathered in the Spinning Wheel Café in Tobermory to documents and photodiscuss starting a museum. graphs, being spread out on tables, then packed away in An encouraging speech members’ attics and sheds from the chairman for the until the next year. evening Angus MacIntyre In 1986, permanent premgot things under way. ises came in the shape of It was agreed to form a store in Columba Buildthe Mull and Iona Folklore ings, gifted by Jessie Craig, Museum, and Duncan supported by her sisters MacQuarrie was electDaisy and Ena and brother ed chairman, with Roddy George. MacNeill vice The museum chairman, Alick We have is still in these Yule treasurer everything premises and and Chrissie from geology the team is MacInnes and forever grateDaisy Craig as and prehistory, ful for this gift joint secretarthrough the which changed ies. clans, to the everything. A selection of wars. Renovations the kind of obto the buildjects that might ing, which had be displayed in suffered from damp, crea museum was laid out on ating an internal staircase, the table and John O’Hare shelving one of the rooms commented that more items might come forward if upstairs for the library and archives and flooring the suitable premises could be attic for storage all took time found. - years and years, in fact, At first the displays were of volunteer commitment, temporary summer exhibifundraising and hard work. tions in the old school and
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The list of names of those involved runs into the hundreds but special tribute must be paid to those who worked so hard, particularly renovating and converting the Columba Buildings site from its previous uses - a store, a butcher’s shop and a bakery - the oven still exists!. Alastair and Hilary Garvie, Elizabeth Normand, Ted Brockie, Val Thomas, Bruce Whittaker, Anne MacGregor and Norman MacDonald (contractor) were all involved in those early challenges. Since then interesting displays have been mounted and the museum has welcomed visitors from all over the world. Just before the pandemic it had up to 27,000 through the door each year between April and October. All the time the collection of artefacts, documents and photographs continues to grow and during the pandemic visitors were welcomed virtually by offering its catalogue online and answering queries. The
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Mull & Iona Life issue 45.indd 28
20/04/2022 09:16:03
