Bringing history home to Katamatite Museum

Team fundraiser

Simon Northey and Pauline Woodman are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Julie Ballard.

Donation protected

WE WANT TO BRING A PIECE OF HISTORY HOME TO THE KATAMATITE MUSEUM.

The Katamatite Historical Society wishes to purchase the replica of the E.W. Kilgour Grocers Cart and have it stored in its rightful place at the Katamatite Museum.

HOW WILL THE FUNDS BE USED?

$4,000 - This will be used to purchase the Grocers Cart (currently being held for the Katamatite Historical Society until funds are raised on GoFundMe).

$200 - This will be used to transport the cart from another country town in Victoria to our historical museum.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GROCERS CART…

The E.W. Kilgour General Store was established in 1933 in Katamatite, a small rural town in Victoria, Australia. Ernest and his wife Lillian ran the store, and had a two wheeled grocers cart to sell and transport groceries to customers in the region.

E.W. Kilgour General Store - Pictured 1950

The store is currently occupied by the Katamatite Bazaar, pictured below in 2019.

Rod Kilgour, the grandson of Ernest and Lillian, created this magnificent grocers cart in the mid 2000's in honour of the E.W. Kilgour General Store and other grocer carts of its time. It is a beautiful piece of equipment - the cart has cushions for seats in the front, with valcro attachments. Other attachments include a shaft for a pair of horses or a single horse. The cart has Holden road tyres for transport, and a vehicle tow with hitch and wagon wheels.

THE HISTORY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM...

The Katamatite Historical Society was formed in 1984, and in its 35 years of operation it has seen numerous people visit the town to see the Katamatite Museum and the rich history stored there. Our aim is to collect items, machinery and memorabilia of our area for our mud brick museum and shed.

This local history collection includes a growing photographic collection of local World War I and World War II veterans. A shed added in 1995 houses farming machinery, agricultural implements used in the "horse and buggy" days - A Furphy header, reaper and binder, wagon, separator, spring cart, single farrow plough etc. and other tools of local interest.

Our mud-brick building houses photos and documents, including a copy of cemetery records, and memorabilia relating to local history. It also stores artifacts used by locals - trinkets, glassware, clothing, lamps, school work etc.

WHY SHOULD YOU DONATE?

This fundraiser will benefit the township of Katamatite and all of the surrounding regions as it will help the township hold onto some more of its rich history. So many times pieces of history - whether it be buildings, equipment, machinery or artifacts - are lost or destroyed in the years that pass after their use is deemed no longer necessary. It is important to the Historical Society that we do not lose this magnificent piece of history.

We will be needing the funds by the end of October 2019 to purchase the Grocers Cart and bring it back to Katamatite from another country town - Tatura, also in Victoria.

The support given means the world to the Katamatite Historical Society, the Katamatite Museum and the township of Katamatite who are trying to hold onto some of their history. The Historical Society will be forever grateful to those who support this cause - the Grocers Cart will be shown off and on display in the museum, with other pieces of history stored inside it to be shown off to visitors. The Grocers Cart will also be on display at numerous events in Katamatite, where the cart will be pulled by horse.

Thank you so much for your contributions and we hope to see you visit the museum (located at 50 Beek Street, Katamatite) to see the cart in its rightful home.