Historic Motor Vehicles

The Atherton Men's Shed were the facilitators of a recent Cruise-in car evening which saw car enthusiasts from across the Tablelands, along with some car loves from the coast, travelling up to Atherton to gather and show off their pride and joys.  More that seventy historic cars and twenty motor cycles were brought in by their owners for the display which attached hundreds of interested people, many of whom once owned similar vehicles in their younger days.  Most of the cars were from the period of the Sixties and Seventies although they ranged from much newer specialist vehicles back to the oldest car which was a 1926 Chevrolet.  The Men's Shed has now organized several of these car shows and it is good to see this event developing for those involved in our motoring heritage but who don't really fit into the vintage car movement.

Eacham Historical Society

The Eacham Historical Society has experienced a very slow start to this new year, both at the museum in Millaa Millaa and at the history centre in Malanda.  The museum Curator reported that only a handful of visitors entered the museum on some weeks although this was the slow season and tends to be usual for the early months of the year.  Work at the history centre is now picking up with new inquiries coming in from the public, once again mostly involving family history issues.  Some input has been given to local projects to mark the centenary of the ANZAC campaign including assisting with the 'Anzac Treasures of the Tablelands' project.  The Society is now well into the badly needed upgrade of the photograhic database and it is hoped to have this new system completed with the entire collection up-loaded and revised before the end of the year.  Two new members who have an interest in technology have greatly assisted in the re-organizing of the group's computer systems.  The Society's Facebook site is still showing its worth but the, 'you know you grew up on the Atherton Tablelands when' site has been the real success story with almost three thousand followers signed-up.  This site has brought many historic photos out of people's albums and has started numerous online discussions about local history.  The program of fieldtrips and other outings has been continued with a recent successful tour of the district to view sites connected to the memory of the First World War.

El Arish History Station Museum

The El Alish History Station Museum houses a collection of the town's documentary history in the original railway station which operates under the auspices of the El Arish Community Sports and Recreational Association.  The town of El Arish was originally established as a soldier settlement community after World War One and six of the streets were named for that war's Generals.  Monash, Chauvel, Royston, Ryrie, Wilson and Glasgow.  As a part of the First World War commemorations, the group received a grant which has enabled them to have constructed some street signs along with interpretive panels giving biographical information and lamp posts designed to commemorate these men.  The unveiling of the signs occurred with a public event held on Saturday 18 April.  Sadly, the group also reported that the museum building had been broken-in to on one evening in February but fortunately, besides some graffiti and the theft of the donation box, very little damage occurred much to the relief of the group's members.