By Renee Wood
The Upper Yarra Museum will be rumbling with the sound of yesteryear on Australia Day as it joins forces with the Yarra Valley Machinery Preservation Society for a special event.
Several displays showing heritage engines and machines of all kinds will be on display, while the museum’s exhibits will also be open to attendees.
Upper Yarra Museum President Lee Pannett said the day will help both groups get back in action after more than two years without events.
“It’s a great way to get out to celebrate Australia Day with a sausage sizzle down at the local museum and support the volunteers who put in all that hard work to preserve and look after our local history,” he said.
Volunteers have worked throughout the lockdown periods to update and change the displays throughout the museum.
“Our main display room now holds a photographic display of townships along the Warburton Highway.
“And we’ve been working on refreshing some of the older exhibits and giving them a spruce up and changing a couple of those exhibits as well.”
The Railway Cottage has also undergone a make over with new paint, weatherboards and roof, and the display has been rearranged.
The Australia Day event is a precursor for Crank Up in March, to work out the nuts and bolts needed for a Covid safe event.
Crank Up has been running for decades and draws in hundreds of visitors with various displays of heritage items, draft horses and a wood chopping event.
“From what I understand it is the longest running event in the Upper Yarra.
“We have had about 2,500 people in over the two days.”
Crank Up will be held on 26-27 March.
