Town Talk | Pioneering the success of Shepparton Heritage Centre

She is married to Richard Rudd, and they have four children. However, with Richard’s support and understanding — and with her own determination — she is doing an important full-time job for this city.

Some of her work involves entertaining visiting primary school children. It seems vitally important that we get them started early and that they find it interesting. Otherwise, when parents ask about their day, they will say, “Boring, we just walked around an old place full of old stuff.”

Kristy has activity programs suitable for all ages to keep them engaged and interested.

This she does with confidence, having worked with children of all ages and abilities in the past.

This next week, the organiser of Anzac Day tours to Gallipoli is bringing a group of adults here for three days, and they will be spending time at the museum. I’m not sure what Kristy has organised for them, but I’m willing to bet that they leave feeling informed, welcomed — and charmed.

Kristy and Richard live in Bunbartha and are both descendants of our early settlers. When she has time, Kristy works on their family history.

Richard has also substantially contributed to the heritage centre, especially to the history hub, where he has modified the wooden shelves from the first Coles warehouse in Fryers St. The shelves were donated to the organisation and now house The News archives.

The heritage plaques are going up around town, and a small celebration has been planned for next Saturday. Organised by a subcommittee of the Heritage Advisory Committee, on paper, they have nothing at all to do with Kristy — except she put her hand up to do the catering!

What does the future look like for our museum?

Kristy told me that we are now in the process of registering with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and said the organisation’s integrity was in safekeeping, with strong governance and the development of policies and procedures to ensure it remained that way. Registration with ACNC also opens doors for more funding pathway options.

“At Shepparton Heritage Centre, volunteers are the core of our organisation,” Kristy said.

“We relish a sense of community and contribute our knowledge, skills and talents. Through collaborative efforts, we aspire to foster, support and empower all volunteers to enrich the community’s heritage and uphold the museum’s integrity.”

She also said the centre was having small wins from day to day. For example, one of the boys who had been part of a school group came back with his mother. That excited me. I said, “That’s not a small win. That’s a whopper.” Perhaps he had seen something he thought his mum would be interested in. Whatever the reason, he wanted to share his trip to the museum.

Kristy was also planning more promotions for the school tours, but to meet this goal, she said the centre must increase its volunteer base.

Briefly, I thought about writing promotional material for her:

“We couldn’t help noticing that your students are missing out!”

What do you think? Perhaps not diplomatic enough? I reckon every school child would be interested in the history of our river, for example. When I swam in it, it was in a different place! Most people have rivers that stay where they are put.

And, as if Kristy isn’t busy enough, take this on board.

The buildings housing the museum itself belong to council and are in need of repairs, so there will soon be new floor coverings throughout. Plaster and cornices will be replaced in the exhibition room, and the other areas will be repaired. The museum will be fully painted.

While this takes place, the museum itself will be closed from May 16 to June 10. The history hub will continue to open on its normal days and times.

But do you see the work involved here — for someone for whom a 50-hour work week isn’t rare? As the floor is being replaced, everything on it will need to be moved. Not that Kristy is complaining; she’s looking forward to the future. But imagine packing up a whole museum — and then putting it all back again.

Speaking of which, there will be a function soon to celebrate the wonderful new signage in Monash Park. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, this has taken years of planning, doing, adjusting and revisiting — as, at almost every turn, costs skyrocketed. Everyone is welcome. Please accept the art on this page as your invitation.

The other King Charles

Now, there’s a shock for you. I have just moved a long way from our town and, as you’ll see, a considerable step back in time.

Recently, when giving thought to the King and his illness, I remembered a question he was asked decades ago. “When you are king, what name will you take?” He replied that he was unlikely to be King Charles III because he didn’t want to be associated with Charles I or Charles II — both Stuart kings in the 17th century.

On the other hand, it is recorded that when Elizabeth II became queen and was asked what name she would take, she replied, “My name is Elizabeth.”

Perhaps the mother influenced the son because we do have Charles III.

There is little wonder that he didn’t want to be associated with Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649. However, Charles II was a very different character about whom much has been written.

The national experiment with republicanism had collapsed, and it had been a grey, uninspiring period. They say that Charles II was tall and good-looking, but it is hard to tell from the paintings because they were all wearing those ridiculous shoulder-length, curly wigs. He was ‘encouraged’ to be a Protestant monarch, though he favoured religious freedom. He delayed marriage but acknowledged at least 12 illegitimate children. Immoral? Perhaps, but honest.

There were multiple countesses involved, including several singers and one young girl who sold oranges: Nell Gwynn. He was affable and friendly; he was happy to chat with anyone and didn’t use the monarchy to avoid people. He wanted Londoners to be happy.

He reopened the theatres, and women were permitted to be on stage for the first time. When the plague was playing havoc with the lives of Londoners, he was sent to Salisbury, where he lived in one of the homes on the cathedral grounds. However, he returned as soon as possible, and when the fire raged, he was in the streets of London, fighting it.

It was during his reign that the Royal Society was granted its charter, and the Royal Observatory was established. He also re-established something else that might be considered important: the monarchy.

He made promises to parliament and kept some of them. He eventually married Catherine of Braganza, but there were no legitimate offspring. Then, he dissolved parliament and ruled alone until his death in 1685.

Charles II lived life on his own terms, and perhaps when Charles III answered the journalists’ question, this was something that he thought he could never do.

I’m sure you will join me in wishing Charles III good health.

A supermarket story

The supermarkets have a real thing about ‘half-price’ specials. The law says the item must be legitimately half of the price formerly charged, but it doesn’t say it must be half of the real price. So, they make up the price they want and actually sell it at that price (if anyone is dumb enough to buy it!). Then they say ‘half’ of that pretend ‘price’.

For example: a face cream — recommended retail $39.95 at pharmacies. Then the supermarket — the one that does exactly what it wants — decided the recommended retail price was $60. And there it was, on the shelf, being purchased. The next week, ‘half price!’.

Don’t believe anything they tell you and you won’t go too wrong!

That’s all for now. Talk soon and may it be easy, my friends.

Marnie.

Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au

Letter: Town Talk. Shepparton News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.

Phone: Send a text to 0418 962 507. (Note: text only. I will call you back, if you wish.)