Bunker Museum Mallacoota in Mallacoota, Victoria | History Museum

Bunker Museum Mallacoota

Locality: Mallacoota, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 5158 0725

Address: Airport Road 3892 Mallacoota, VIC, Australia

Website: https://www.mallacootabunker.com.au

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25.01.2022 1923 Breakfast Menu from the SS Riverina kindly sent to the M&DHS by Richard Wells who found it in an old cigar box and believes it was a souvenir from his Great Aunt's honeymoon https://drive.google.com//10kHLlSusJdV_MgXPBDRL5Z1jz/view

25.01.2022 The Society recently assisted the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) with their project to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. The project, due to COVID19, could not be a physical display and the Trust, decided on a website entitled "WWII at Home. One of the featured sites is our own Bunker. Our thanks to Pierre Forcier and Chris Parker who assisted the Trust with the Bunker part of the project. An excerpt from the website explains the object of the p...roject. "The sites featured in WWII at Home have been selected to illustrate the themes of response, reflection, and rejuvenation that emerged from World War II. There are many more sites of significance in Victoria, and we hope this exhibition will provide the first threads to continue your journey in appreciating the design and societal changes that occurred as a result of this important period of our history" Below is a link to this interesting and thought provoking look at WWII. https://wwiiathome.com.au/ Also, the official launch takes place today at 2 pm. If you are interested in "attending" here's a link to more information https://us02web.zoom.us//regist/WN_iwWJ1ho9QKuin5TRoOHyqQ or you can RSVP to the Facebook event on https://www.facebook.com/events/2647973282133600/

24.01.2022 The M&DHS were excited when asked to host the Governor General, Mrs Hurley and our local federal member,Darren Chester on a visit to the WWII Bunker last Tuesday (June 23). Unfortunately due to Victoria's COVID19 restrictions the visit by the Governor General was postponed. However, we were delighted when Darren Chester decided to go ahead with his visit. The Minister was escorted by members of M&DHS led by our Bunker Manager, Pierre Forcier Prior to the visit members spent several hours working to prepare the Bunker and site. Our thanks to Pierre, Chris Parker, Nicole Migotto-Brown, Martin Butterfield, Robyn and Salvador Hunziker for the work they put in. Here are some photos taken at the Bunker during the visit (Thanks to Martin) https://drive.google.com//1y5xvp3sfIpDXphNJFUCsbj04D/view

24.01.2022 Here's a quick video update of the SS Riverina Lifeboat as we went into "lockdown" - Thanks to George Raitt

23.01.2022 New Cover Picture This picture of the the Mallacoota Inlet Hotel C1897 shows L-R Thomas Henry Rochfort, George Washington Rochfort, Tom Hite, Jack Dorron, Bill Hanson with Jessie Rochfort in the doorway. The hotel sold groceries as well as liquor and was located in the "Raheen" area of Mallacoota. In 1898 fire threatened the hotel but a fire break hurriedly constructed around the hotel saw it saved. Unfortunately, according to local legend,a fire in 1901 saw this piece of Mallacoota's history destroyed.

23.01.2022 Historical Society members draw the winners for the book raffle. 1st and 3 rd winner Pam, drawn by Jannie and Eileen. 2nd winner Sharron drawn by Anna.... Thank you to all that supported the raffle including authors who donated books. Few Friendly Lights. Lighthouse Keeper of Gabo Island. Cold Gold 1 - 8 Boarder Tails Mallacoota Reflections Inlet writing 1- 6 Mined off Mallacoota When WWII came to Mallacoota Stepping Stones Enjoyable Actives in Mallacoota. Mallacoota - by Edna Brady. Sir' Who Won the War. The Wolf Raider. The Bunker Museum is well stocked with the above books so call out on a Tuesday morning or Sunday afternoon to make a purchase.

22.01.2022 An article from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria in their June magazine. https://drive.google.com//1tTqT4lUwQifm72Ony9MrO-D09/view

22.01.2022 ANZAC Day past (Circa 1990) Can you put a name to those in the picture??

22.01.2022 Interesting summary of fire history in Victoria.

21.01.2022 Another topical newsletter this time a bit closer to home. The Orbost & District Historical Society's' article of the 1918/19 Spanish Flu gives further insight as to how this epidemic impacted our neck of the woods. Of particular interest to us is on page 4 and titled "City Visitors Shunned". https://drive.google.com//1M5XdufdyuL92RVaIZX6nNT6j_/view

21.01.2022 https://drive.google.com//1F3GJ8UG3Euduvbxa2gbt9oT80/view The latest newsletter from our friends at the Leongatha & District Historical Society.

19.01.2022 https://mcusercontent.com//c97cfeb0-/River_communities.pdf The following article was sent by the History at Work people and provides an fascinating stroy of Melbourne's history of its waterfront communities.

17.01.2022 SS RIVERINA LIFEBOAT PROJECT - SUNDAY 22ND 1 PM. MALLACOOTA WWII BUNKER - 51 Airport Road Currently the lifeboat is on display in modified unrestored form. It is proposed that initial steps be taken to restore the external appearance,... This Sunday (22nd) at 1 pm members of the M&DHS are starting this project and are looking for volunteers to do some light scraping, vacuuming and a general clean up (we have had to evict a resident rat). If you're interested in taking part in this project then come along, with your scraper, and get involved.

15.01.2022 The Royal Commission into National Natural disasters starts tomorrow, Monday 25 May, at 10 am. All public hearings will be livestreamed through the Commission's... website.. Also you can contribute your own bushfire experience through the 2019-20 Bushfire History Project The 2019-20 Bushfire History Project is an initiative of the Royal Commission into the National Natural Disaster Arrangements. It is an opportunity for people to record their personal experience and share photos and videos taken during the 2019-20 bushfires or the ongoing recovery. The material received by the Royal Commission will form part of the official records of the Royal Commission. See more

15.01.2022 Photo of the opening of the Genoa Timber Truss and Concrete Bridge, sadly destroyed during the recent fires. The bridge replaced two earlier bridges and provided a crucial link in the Princes Highway rout between Melbourne and Sydney. Construction started in 1926 and the bridge was opened in 1928 by Mr Albert (later Sir Albert) Eli Lind who was the local member of the Victorian parliament. In 1989 the bridge was decommissioned. Thanks to the hard work of the Genoa Town Com...mittee The Genoa River Bridge in 1995, was deemed historically and architecturally significant at State level by the Heritage Council of Victoria. Further lobbying in 1997 saved the bridge from demolition and saw its preservation and restoration. With its destruction we not only lost a significant part of our past but also a tangible reminder of the power of small communities. https://drive.google.com/open See more

12.01.2022 The next installment of the SS Riverina from George Raitt https://drive.google.com//1rwXVjR3KU7F6SaSUsOuhnHmLx/view

12.01.2022 I joined the convoy to Eden and back for the first time yesterday (Thursday). I have to admit that I was not prepared for the utter devastation on the Genoa Rd.... Like all of us who travel that road frequently I am familiar with all the bends, twists and turns. However I was completely disoriented at times, nothing looked familiar. Apart from the miraculous oasis of green around Genoa, that devastation continued all the way to about 15 kms from Eden. Whilst I can only imagine the frustration of residents trapped out of town, as well as tourists who want to retrieve their cars etc, I have a new understanding of the amazing work of all the emergency services. Trying to open up the roads after the inferno that engulfed it has required an enormous effort. It was obviously unsafe to travel on those roads, notwithstanding some locals doing so. I think once the returning residents see this for themselves they may have a different understanding of the delay in getting them back. See more

12.01.2022 While the Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum and the Riverina Boatshead came through the recent fires unscathed the surrounding bushland was impacted. Until the area is assessed and permission given by the authorities, the Bunker will remain closed. When it is safe to do so, and at the appropriate time, we look forward to welcoming visitors again.While the Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum and the Riverina Boatshead came through the recent fires unscathed the surrounding bushland was impacted. Until the area is assessed and permission given by the authorities, the Bunker will remain closed. When it is safe to do so, and at the appropriate time, we look forward to welcoming visitors again.

11.01.2022 WWII BUNKER MUSEUM CLOSURE Due to the Covid 19 Epidemic the Mallacoota WWII Bunker museum will not be open until further notice. While M&DHS are disappointed to take this decision we wont put our volunteers, who run the museum, at any risk. We will review this decision periodically and hope to have this Mallacoota attraction operating again as soon as we can.

11.01.2022 Lakes Log Newsletter from Lakes Entrance There seemed to be a problem viewing this link in our last post- have refreshed the link and hopefully it will now be viewable. https://drive.google.com//1u0bOqmBj7xrRvmzMFXbHbzGSl/view

11.01.2022 BUNKER OPEN TODAY The Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum will be open today 9.30 to 11.30 - Locals and visitors are most welcome to come along and check out this interesting part of Australia's WWII history together with some fascinating glimpses from the 1940's Australian life.

08.01.2022 HELP WANTED As things in the town are slowly getting back to normal the Historical Society feels that it is important to now collect and record documents of the events leading up to and during the last week of December 2019 and the weeks following. Although a devastating event, especially for those whose homes were fire impacted, this will become part of Mallacootas history and it is our job to faithfully and factually record it not only for visitors but especially for futu...re generations. We are looking for people who would like to assist with this important task. There is a mountain of information out there - not only photos and videos but also Facebook posts, tweets and stories. These all need to be collected and collated and put in a format that will allow the archiving and telling of this part of Mallacottoas history. No decision has been made as to how we will use this information especially, in the short term, but we will make sure it will be done both sensitively and with respect. If you can help with this important project then please contact the Society at [email protected].

08.01.2022 Latest Newsletter from the folks at Leongatha including an interesting article on the 1918 Spanish Flu and an informative one on the origins of some of our place names. Our thanks to the Leongatha & District Historical Society. https://drive.google.com//1VC1HcKNVGVcb8PYAXjMflQeH1/view

08.01.2022 Latest newsletter from Merimbula Old School - Very interesting and apt article on the impact the 1919 Spanish Flu epidemic had on Bega and surrounds https://drive.google.com//1rihD91w6kBc8zmcmBhHUFpc75/view

07.01.2022 BUNKER RE-OPENING Sunday 26th 1 to 3 pm The M&DHS are happy to again welcome members and visitors to the Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum. ... Please note. Although the Bunker wasn't impacted by the recent fires, the surrounding areas were. Visitors are asked to park their cars on Airport Road, to stay clear of cordened off areas and not to walk through the bushland surrounding the site. Also please note toilet facilities will not be available at present. The Bunker will be open only on Sundays (1 - 3 pm) until further notice. Come along and learn about the "Secrets of the Bunker" a little known, but fascinating part of Australia's WWII history.

07.01.2022 The Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum open today 1 to 3 pm Also Tuesdays 9.30 to 11.30 am A unique look at a little known part of Australia's history

06.01.2022 October is History Month - COVID has put a damper on activities but the post below details what has been organised

05.01.2022 Gabo Island 1965 me with my brother and sisters,lm the one with the bear. Nice memories

05.01.2022 Some interesting reading while you self isolate https://drive.google.com//1y9MpPcuYTSzwrVWfLaZtDuITT/view

03.01.2022 M&DHS members have been working on the "Saving Mallacoota Memories" project. This project is designed to record/collect and collate information both factual and anecdotal. As part of this we're asking for "Stories from the Fires" We understand that not everyone feels comfortable writing their experiences but may prefer to tell it to a sympathetic listener. So if you've got a story to tell please send it to us or if you'd like to have someone write it for you let us know an...d we'll arrange a "social distancing appropriate" way to have your story heard. These stories don't have to be long, can be humorous, told as a poem or a piece of art. It can be about what happened when the fire came though, or how it impacted you or an perhaps an evacuation experience, Stories from our wonderful emergency services volunteers and relief workers would also be most welcome. We'd also be interested to hear experiences from visitors who were here at the time and those locals who evacuated before the fire hit. The idea is to be able to tell future generations a well rounded story of of the last week of 2019 and the first month of 2020. To get your story to us or to arrange for someone to chat with you about your experience, either send to "[email protected]" or post it to PO Box 151 Mallacoota 3892. Here's the flyer that was circulated last week which will give you more information about this project. This event will form part of Mallacoota's future story so please consider letting your story be part of it. https://drive.google.com//19h11c1QEdgINmX9Yn9zc2ZH6y/view

03.01.2022 Here's a link to a webinar on "Memoir Writing" which may be of interest to some. This is not put on by M&DHS and booking need to be made through the details supplied on the flyer. https://drive.google.com//1-xje8SHLxoeWtyQETd6hk_6-j/view https://drive.google.com//1GbwCThs-GCnxVjFtTSDrh_d4Z/view

03.01.2022 Heres a quick video update of the SS Riverina Lifeboat as we went into "lockdown" - Thanks to George Raitt

02.01.2022 Many of you have had the distressing task of sorting through what remains of your home. Some may have found valued items that have been fire affected. Below is a a flyer from the AICCM (Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material) that gives basic information what to do with fire-damaged material. They also have additional information on the website https://aiccm.org.au/disaster/2020Bushfire YouTube also have a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s...9i9BfofVFo Hopefully this information may be of benefit and we thank Julie McCarthy for this information. https://drive.google.com//1sjv8MHbb4kOUik8xJFtyOOsQg/view

02.01.2022 Here is an audio link to an interview on ABC Radio Hobart for their "Virtual Travel" section. This episode "visits" Mallacoota through interviews with the EGSC Mayor, John White, Mallacoota bakery owner Dean Shaw and our own Bunker volunteer George Raitt. Give it a listen Reproduced with kind permission of ABC Radio Hobart, Copyright ABC 2020. .

01.01.2022 GENOA SCHOOL RECORDS Unfortunately, with the loss of the Genoa School many wonderful exhibits were destroyed. One of the exhibits we were most upset about were the school records (both Genoa and Wangrabell). We think there may be some copies of these records out in the community and as we have insurance that covers record re-writing are asking for anyone who may have any Genoa School records to let us know.