The former site of the Benalla Migrant Camp is due to have new interpretive signage installed to take visitors on an interactive tour of what it was once like.
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Funding for the signs was secured by the migrant camp exhibition committee.
Committee chair Sabine Smyth said she wrote to Benalla Rural City Council chef executive officer Dom Testoni about 12 months ago, introducing the idea.
“We (offered) to pay for the design and manufacture of the signs from funds raised through the local community and former residents,” Ms Smyth said.
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Ms Smyth said council was receptive to the plan, offering advice on how to proceed.
“We believe these signs will be a welcome addition to Benalla for the many visitors to the site,” she said.
“Near the main gates will be a large sign with a historical overview and map, and then visitors will follow numbered, smaller, signs with images and text in a short, easy walking loop.
“As part of the walk you will learn where the supervisor’s office was, the linen rooms, the accommodation huts, the shop, the chapel, the kindergarten.
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“You can literally walk in a former resident’s footsteps, and this sort of authentic experience is what descendants and tourists are after.
“After we gained approval (for) our proposal about six months after my initial letter, the next step involved formally seeking Council assistance for the labour of installing the signs.”
Council asked the group to apply through the Benalla Rural City Small Community Grants fund.
“We did this and succeeded to gain a grant of $2500 to cover the cost of installation of the signs by council staff,” Ms Smyth said.
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“Although things were moving at a snail’s pace, at that stage we were pleased we were making progress at all.
“Work on heritage projects always seems to take a lot of time.
“Another positive was the employment of a new council staff member, Elise Woods, who has an interest in the site’s heritage and offered to support our application to Heritage Victoria.”
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However, Ms Smyth said when the committee finally gained approval from Heritage Victoria, in late July, a hurdle presented itself.
“It had been 12 months since we sought a quotation for the manufacture of the signs,” she said.
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“Due to COVID-19, the rise in steel prices, and due to a small design change, the overall price doubled.
“We did not have sufficient funds, and for the first time ever I started an online fundraising campaign through gofundme.com
“It was the most wonderful feeling of community support when we raised the required $3800 in four days.
“It showed me that we live in a very supportive community and that people love the idea of what we are doing to commemorate this site.
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“So many wonderful comments were received with the donations. Sometimes you just need that to carry you along.”
The signs have now been manufactured and paid for, and installation is on track for September.
“We are going to launch the signage in some way in November,” Ms Smyth said.
“Initially it was going to be as part of Benalla Festival, but now it will be a stand-alone event to mark the occasion.
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“It will involve the first guided site tour along the new signs, a Hut 11 Migrant Camp Exhibition Open Day and also a weekend pop-up ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ in Hut 65 - in partnership with The Bootmaker Shop.”
Benalla Mayor Danny Claridge said he was pleased council could assist with the installation.
“The land belongs to council, so council are looking forward to progressing the whole site,” Cr Claridge said.
“We felt it was important that we support the migrant camp in their signage and we're happy to be installing the signs at council's cost.”
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Cr Claridge said it was sad the Benalla Festival could not go ahead as planned this year, and he supported the Migrant Camp having a small event to mark the installation.
“Hopefully when we get to 70 or 80 per cent vaccination we can have more events,” he said.
“We know Benalla has one of the highest uptakes of the vaccine in the state, so we're leading the way there.
“And the local clinics have done a great job with that.
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“So we do hope there will be a few smaller events that can happen around the time the festival was scheduled.
“Hopefully the official opening of the migrant camp signage is one of those.”
Cr Claridge also said council had been unsuccessful in obtaining a living heritage grant to assist in the restoration of the former migrant camp site.
“They gave us some good feedback as to why we were unsuccessful, which we'll take on board.
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“So we'll try again next year, and hopefully we'll be successful.”
Benalla Migrant Camp Inc. has also produced a self-guided heritage walk brochure, which can be downloaded for free.
You can do that via , or you can pick up a physical copy from the Benalla Visitor Information Centre in Mair St.www.benallamigrantcamp.com.au
Ms Smyth encourage people to follow the Migrant camp Facebook page, @benallamigrantcampexhibition, for news on these events.
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