THE 2014 Crank-Up at Yarra Junction over the weekend was noisy, vibrant, laden with history, and the best ever according to local history buffs.
The competition woodchop on Sunday was a highlight with local axemen joining some of Australia’s champion competitors in what has traditionally been a huge drawcard to festivals and shows in the region.
With the Upper Yarra Museum and the Upper Yarra Historical Society volunteers at the heart of it all, there was plenty to do and see with the blacksmith forge firing up, displays by local community and historical groups, the Yarra Valley machinery Preservation Society’s machinery display, chain-saw carving, draught horses, timber trucks and the museum’s collection of buildings, documents and artefacts from around the region.
With this year marking the centenary of the start of World War I, the UYHS’s Upper Yarra Anzacs 1914-1919 commemorative display was another important highlight that will continue to be a focus as Anzac Day approaches and beyond.
The museum is open on Wednesdays and Sundays and, with barely time to take a breath between gigs, the volunteers will be back on board showcasing local history as part of Ecotopia Junction Festival 2014 next Sunday, 13 April.
