Lawrence Museum in Lawrence, New South Wales | Museum

Lawrence Museum

Locality: Lawrence, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 6647 7588

Address: 2 Merton Street 2460 Lawrence, NSW, Australia

Website: instagram.com/lawrence_museum

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• Arts and entertainment
• History Museum
• Museum
• Community museum

25.01.2022 Behind the Scenes...... Just recently Stuart McSwan, from Woodford Leigh donated a 1930's fridge. It is a General Electric, and was working up until a couple of years ago. It has now been restored by one of our members for the themed kitchen. Here it is

21.01.2022 Annual General Meeting Our AGM was held Tuesday 13 October. The meeting was held outside between the old building and the new shed, under the new shade sail. It was very pleasant with a breeze. Both the President and Vice president provide a report on the achievements of the past year. One of the highlights being the completion of the construction of the shed, with the Building Certificate approved by council.... John Ibbotson kindly took the position of Returning Officer.The President Rob Forbes, Vice President Roz Jones and Treasurer Prue Harrington were re-elected unopposed. We welcomed two new members to the committee, Kayleen Chaffey and Nathalie Key. Although still not open to the general public, volunteers are busy with a number of projects, including developing new displays for when we are able to reopen.

21.01.2022 The wedding gown worn by Elizabeth Dennis when she married Alexander McPhee in 1864, has been on display in the Lawrence Museum for the past few years. In keeping with best practice for conservation of textiles, the dress has now been laid in storage. it is a very specialised process and we were very fortunate to have Museum Consultant Joan Kelly to advise and show us the correct process. Elizabeth Dennis, was the daughter of Mr & Mrs John Dennis of Ulmarra. She was born on t...he Parramatta River and came to the Clarence around the time of her marriage to Alexander McPhee. The couple made their home at Lower Southgate, and had thirteen children. Alexander McPhee died in November 1905 and Elizabeth died on 15th January 1920, at the age of 74. She is buried in the Lawrence Cemetery. At the time of her death, nine of Elizabeth’s children were still alive, and she had 34 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. The gown was cared for by her son, Athol McPhee, until his death in January 2001, and was gifted to the museum by Athol’s son, Stuart, and his daughter-in-law, Margaret.

21.01.2022 Although our Museum is closed to the public at the moment, our members are still working on our collection, and construction. Here is an Aladdin 5 burner stove, recently restored.. Research shows the five burner upright range was made around the early 1950s. There were two main models sold; an ‘Upright’ and an ‘Elevated’ model In 1951 the upright sold for 47 pounds. Four silent burners were on top in a conventional range setting and the fifth was located down beneath the oven. There is a splashback and a plate rack to boot. It was advertised as, " Here's modern cooking convenience without gas or electricity. Five adjustable self-pricking burners make the Aladdin Range simple to operate and give finger-tip heat control for boiling or simmering."

21.01.2022 The installation and commissioning of a lift in our Museum’s new shed completes improvements to accessibility and infrastructure works, following a grant awarded to us by the Nationals in the NSW Government in 2018. Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis visited the Lawrence Museum today to test out the new lift and congratulate the hardworking volunteers on how far they have come in transforming the former headquarters of the ABC (2NR) broadcasting station into a first-rate mu...seum. The Lawrence Historical Society was awarded $186,000 from the NSW Government’s Regional Cultural Fund to undertake works to improve accessibility and upgrade building infrastructure. The vision for the historic site has certainly taken shape over the past few years with the completion of the shed later this year the final chapter in what has literally been a labour of love by a small group of volunteers, Mr Gulaptis said. The volunteers have done a tremendous job transforming the precinct into what it is today. The shed in particular has been built using recycled materials by a number of the museum’s own volunteers who have a diverse range of building skills and have saved thousands of dollars in the process. Mr Gulaptis said work began early in 2019 with the restoration of the exterior of the heritage listed former 2NR building, followed by the replacement of the damaged concrete driveway and construction of safe access pathways to the outbuildings. The lift is designed to take a wheelchair and two persons and will ensure people of all abilities will be able to safely reach the upper level of the shed display, Mr Gulaptis said. Vice President of the Lawrence Historical Society Roz Jones said the projects were very much undertaken with safety in mind and to ensure easy access for everyone to view and enjoy the local history. The building is historically significant as the former headquarters of broadcasting station which broadcast to the Northern Rivers for fifty years. The building is architecturally significant, as a rare example of the inter war functionalist style in the Maclean shire. Photo: Roz, Chris Gulaptis and Society life member Rae Harrison test the lift.

21.01.2022 Australia Day Flag Raising in the Park. Once again the Lawrence Over 50's organised the Flag raising ceremony. MC for the event was Neville Taber, Guest speakers included Terry Bird, Joan Kale, Robyn Hoskings and Maureen King. The Tempomentals provided music and Aussie songs. A display of vintage cars complemented the proceedings. After the ceremony everyone enjoyed an Aussie morning tea, damper, golden syrup, lamingtons and ANZAC biscuits, provided by the Lawrence Historical Society. The Society also opened the Museum , free admission from 10.30 to midday. The Lawrence Golf & Sports Club provided a BBQ lunch and entertainment from midday.

21.01.2022 Can you help? Whilst we are still closed to the public, we are busy developing new displays for both the new shed and the 2NR building. We have a beautiful old child's bed , but no mattress. Does anyone have a single bed mattress they would be be happy to donate? Thank you Di from Ulmarra for donating a child's mattress, it is a perfect fit.... We are also looking for old wood working tools for a carpenter's workshop, and a kitchen dresser for a 1930's kitchen. We can collect. Please call Roz on 0429 477 102 if you may be able to help us. Thank you.

18.01.2022 Great Donation We were contacted recently by Garry Ensbey, now of Ballina. Garry wrote and published the Ensbey family book. he approached the museum to see if we would like to accept two Ensbey family chairs. The two chairs the same (His & Hers perhaps.) Garry told us, "They belonged to my Grandfather John Richard Ensbey b. 21 May 1869 and died 25 Nov 1942. He married Rebecca Clarence (Clarrie) Childs on 6 Aug 1890. Clarrie died on 29 Nov 1961. I'm not sure whether they re...ceived the chairs as a wedding gift or they purchased some time in the early 1900s. My father, George Edward Ensbey, 4th child of John & Clarrie told me that they used to stand in the bedroom of his parents when they lived on the farm at Lower Southgate. In Clarrie's later years she moved to her eldest daughter's, Lillian Ada Fernance (nee Ensbey) home in Mary Street, Grafton. I remember seeing these chairs as a young child in my grandmother's room. When Aunt Lillian passed away on 4 Feb 1964, the chairs were passed onto my father and they stayed with him until his death on 20 December 1989. I have held them since that date, restoring the varnish finish on the timber sections around 1995. The cloth is original as are the arms and legs. The legs used to be placed in small round holders for carpet protection." Of course, we are delighted to accept the chairs, and will find a special spot for them when we set up the displays in the new shed. The focus of our collection is about Lawrence , the people and their history. The chairs will be a valuable asset to this collection. Thank you Garry!

18.01.2022 This small petrol engine has just been restored by one of our members. It is dated 1953 and was made by Villiers in Ballarat. The engine is now working beautifully.

17.01.2022 This small petrol engine has just been restored by one of our members. It is dated 1953 and was made by Villiers in Ballarat. The engine is now working beautifully.

16.01.2022 Kevin Hogan visits Lawrence Museum. One of the facilities we have needed at the Lawrence Museum for many years, is a good storage facility for collection items and props. We created space in the new shed for storage , but needed a good shelving system. Kevin was very supportive of our grant application for shelving and we were successful in our venture. We are very appreciative of Kevin's support. Photo taken along the balustrade in the new shed.

13.01.2022 Gone to Pot............... At last, the Lawrence Museum gardeners have a potting shed. Thanks to their male colleagues, the girls now have a shade area with shelves, and sprinklers, a sink, workbenches and tool storage. No wonder they look so pleased. Photo, left to right, Lorraine with Cricket and Pat with Sapphire.

11.01.2022 ‘Cedar Queen’ closer to Preservation The Lawrence Museums heritage listed cedar flood boat is a step closer to preservation, thanks to a visit from the Australian National Maritime Museum’s David Payne. David is the curator, Australian Register of Historic Vessels, Environment and Communities, Public Engagement Research and Collections. David’s visit was the result of an application from the Lawrence Historical Society, requesting assistance with this specialised preservatio...n programme. The cedar flood boat is already heritage listed with the Australian Maritime Museum, and the purpose of David’s visit was to assess the condition of the vessel and prepare a management plan for repair and preservation Local shipwright Bill Gleeson, will be carrying out the recommended work required and was at hand to discuss the detail with David Payne. The 7.5m cedar flood boat was built from full length planks, reputedly cut from one log, which came from the head of the Clarence River. The log was transported by ship to Towns Boat Building Company, in Newcastle, where it was milled and transformed into this beautiful vessel. The boat was named the ‘Cedar Queen’ by the Oxenbridge family, who owned her for many years, and was bought from the Grafton Sea Scouts. She sat on the veranda of the Sea Scouts shed near Cochran Park for many years. Later, the boat was put outside, under a tree, and was deteriorating badly. George Oxenbridge approached the Scouts when he saw this and offered $50 for her, which they accepted. The Oxenbridge family used the ‘Cedar Queen’ for many years. On one occasion they rowed her to Copmanhurst. At another time they put a rig on her and sailed around Elizabeth Island. Later Geoff Oxenbridge donated the boat to the Lawrence Museum, where it could be maintained & preserved for the community. When asked for his assessment of the boat, David Payne told us, You have a very lovely original flood boat. It needs a bit of work, there are some problems there towards the middle of it, towards the strakes, but once that work is done, there is still a lot of original boat here which is lovely to see. It’s so old, around late 1890’s. It was built by Towns in Newcastle. There are very few in existence now, from many that were built, and to have it such original condition is so important. Whilst visiting the Lawrence Museum, David was surprised to find a handmade tin duck punt, possibly made around the 1920’s, and a ply duck punt, possibly constructed in the 1950’s. We explained in the past, Lawrence had creeks with many hundreds of ducks, and men would shoot the ducks, both for sale and for feeding families in hard times. It is now likely these vessels will also receive heritage listing status. This is the first step to gaining funding to preserve the ‘Cedar Queen’. It is heartening that the Australian National Maritime Museum views this vessel as significantly important and will work with us to ensure the preservation of the ‘Cedar Queen’.

11.01.2022 Flood Boat to be restored. Lawrence Museum has been successful with a grant application for the restoration of the heritage listed flood boat, the Cedar Queen. The Cedar Queen is a wooden, clinker-planked skiff, with an open layout. It was built by N &E Towns of Newcastle and represents a typical skiff from their boatbuilding firm, established by their father George as early as the late 1860s. The Cedar Queen a could date from the late 1880s through to the 1920s. ... The Australian National Maritime Museum will fund the restoration which will commence in the next few weeks. The restoration will be undertaken by Brushgrove shipwright Bill Gleeson. When complete the restored flood boat will be returned to the museum, on a new cradle, ready to take pride of of place in the new shed. See more

09.01.2022 Another year has flown by, and here we are at the start of a new decade. Please find attached the latest newsletter. Also attached is the Membership Form for 2020.

09.01.2022 Lawrence Museum volunteers enjoy Christmas celebrations

06.01.2022 Looking for the lady who requested two small horseshoes. A while ago, a visitor asked our blacksmith, Don, if he could make her two very small horseshoes. Don has made the horse shoes, (they are very cute), but we don't have her contact details. If you are that lady, your shoes are waiting for you at the museum. Or you can call Roz on 0429 477 102

03.01.2022 Colvillea in collection Gardening can be full of surprises. The tree here in the garden centre was thought to be a poinciana. It was donated by some members a few years ago, but it died suddenly, and we thought it had been hit by lightening. We didn't remove it straightaway, and gave it a chance. This year it threw out some branches, and last week, surprised us with flowers, but definitely not poinciana flowers. A call to the garden guru, Phil Dudman on the ABC north coast ra...dio, quickly soled the problem. Phil immediately recognised the tree as a Colvillea racemosa. It is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. Its genus is named for Sir Charles Colville, an ex Governor of Mauritius. The tree is particularly known for its bright orange flowers that grow in large cone or cylinder shaped clusters. Thank you Phil, we will continue the enjoy watching the tree grow in the Museum garden. See more

03.01.2022 We are temporarily closed to the public. We are sorry to advise that we are temporarily closing our doors to the public.Our closure is a precautionary measure to assist public health services and ensure individual risk is minimised. Thank you for your understanding.

02.01.2022 Lawrence Museum will remain closed for the moment. The committee is reviewing reopening on a monthly basis. We take into consideration the age of our volunteer guides, the compliance requirements and risk situation. In the meantime we are busy working behind the scenes to provide new display when we reopen.We appreciate your patience.

02.01.2022 Bluff Point Quilters Excel Lawrence Hall was completely transformed for the day. With over 140 display items,perhaps the largest to date, visitors were overwhelmed with the variety, the creativity and the skills. As well as enjoying the tour of quilts, needlework items,demonstrations and items and bargains to be found on the' treasure ' stand - no trash here, visitors enjoyed the conviviality of the country welcome with a cuppa and selection of sandwiches, cakes and slices.... The quilters challenge this year was to produce a creative piece with the given piece of 0.3m of fabric. More than 44 entries were received. Winners: Viewers Choice: Yvonne Cameron, ANZAC quilt Challenge: Helen Nickless Raffle: Lloyd Montain The Bluff Point Quilters announced they will be donating $2,375 to the Lawrence Museum, as a result of the exhibition. The Bluff Point Quilters group and their Maclean and Yamba counterparts work hard all year round to be able to present such a great display. The Lawrence Historical Society is very appreciative of this donation, it will certainly be put to good use. Thanks to all the Bluff Point Quilters & supporters who created such a wonderful exhibition.

02.01.2022 Lawrence Historical Society volunteer Roz Jones was among the nominated volunteers from across the Northern Rivers region recognised for their outstanding contribution to volunteering at a special ceremony in Lismore. Roz was nominated by fellow volunteers for her outstanding contribution to the Lawrence Museum. Roz has been a volunteer with the Lawrence Historical Society for several years and is currently vice president. Roz explained, When I first started volunteering a...t the museum I had no experience in museum operation at all. It is a great opportunity to increase skills in many fields. I enjoy learning more about the rich history of Lawrence and surrounds. We have a lot of projects underway, so everyone can contribute in the way that suits them. Most of all I enjoy the friendship and camaraderie at the Museum. The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards is an annual program run by The Centre for Volunteering which has grown to become one of the largest celebrations of volunteering across the country. Regional finalists for the awards are announced at 21 ceremonies throughout NSW and are invited to the Gala State Ceremony in Sydney for the announcement of the 2019 NSW Volunteer of the Year. The Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate said volunteers from across the region had given so much to the local community. Your volunteers build connections for people in towns and communities across the region, Ms Rygate said. They help to build such positive experiences and links to services across health, education and community sectors. Our ceremony today recognises their work and allows us to say thank you. The Northern Rivers 2019 Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Robert Grasby who almost single-handedly helps keep the Coraki Golf Club operating through his volunteer work on the greens. The 2019 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are supported by principal partners the Department of Family and Community Services NSW and Clubs NSW, representing the state’s 1,400 not-for-profit clubs. Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said volunteers made an enormous contribution to local communities. See more

02.01.2022 Launch of ‘The Diary of Harry Stanmore’ The Diary of Harry Stanmore is the first publication by the Lawrence Historical Society Inc. and was officially launched on October 13th 2020 at Lawrence Museum, following the Annual General Meeting. This book relates fascinating details of the voyage from Plymouth, England to Sydney, Australia in 1882 by Harry and his new bride Mary. The original diary, handwritten by Harry describes the journey of a young couple to a new land with the... highs and lows of a long sea voyage, during the final decades of the Victorian period. The book, includes sketches, and reveals Harry’s personality as curious, willing and compassionate. Grandsons of Harry Stanmore, Roger Reeves and Robert Stanmore, attended the launch, along with their wives, Dulcie Reeves and Lyn Stanmore. Roger is the custodian of the original diary. The publication was introduced by Lawrence Historical Society member Peter Jones, who managed the grant funding from the Royal Australian Historical Society and took on the task of publishing the book. Dulcie Reeves provided the transcript from the original book. Similar to the other books in the Series, this one follows the theme of providing an insight to the social history of the time. We are very enthusiastic about this book and others in this ambitious project. The Diary of Harry Stanmore is priced at $15, can be purchased by contacting the Lawrence Museum on 6647 7588. The photographs include Harry Stanmore's grandsons, Roger and Robert Reeves, their wives Dulcie and Christine, and Robert Stanmore and his wife Lyn.

01.01.2022 Annual General Meeting We will hold our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 13 October at 2.30pm at the Lawrence Museum. Members are welcome. Social distancing rules will apply