The Rochester Historical Society is continuing its mission to preserve the town's past for future generations.

Visitors to the Rochester Historical Society can now learn even more about the town's rich history, thanks to a new interpretive sign funded through community grants.

The project was supported by Bendigo Bank after the society successfully secured funding to reprint its The Living Prosper history book.

President Kaye Speers said the society had already planned to install the sign when the opportunity for additional funding arose.

“We had a phone call from the Bendigo Bank, who had a $1000 grant available for any project we had, and we suggested this, which is what we were going to do anyway,” she said.

“We were lucky enough to get that grant as well, so the Bendigo Bank has supported us well.”

Mrs Speers said the new sign was another way of sharing Rochester's history with both locals and visitors.

“For the historical interest and knowledge of the community, we want to collect and preserve items of historic interest, and we want to have our museum complex available for educational purposes,” she said.

“We want to compile and keep historical records of Rochester and the district.”

The museum regularly welcomes visitors of all ages, including students from Prep to Year 11 and 12 classes, as well as bus tours from across Australia.

“We have primary school students coming through, and we also have Year 11 and 12 students,” Mrs Speers said.

“To give them knowledge of what previous generations have gone through is really important, and they are genuinely interested in it.”

Many visitors also travel to Rochester to learn more about their family history.

“We have bus tours come through with people from all over Australia who have ancestors that lived in Rochester or the surrounding areas,” she said.

The historical society continues to catalogue new donations and expand its collection, with Mrs Speers saying the 2022 floods unexpectedly encouraged more residents to donate treasured items.

“If there's any good thing to come out of the flood, it's that people are still bringing in their memorabilia or things their families no longer want,” she said.

For Mrs Speers, preserving local history is about more than protecting old buildings and artefacts.

“We learn by history,” she said.

“To go ahead, you need to look back and see what has happened.”

The Rochester Historical Society is based within the town's historic museum precinct, which includes the 150-year-old former school building, the oldest surviving building in Rochester, and the Salvation Army building, which this year celebrates its centenary.

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Sunday, 26th September 2032

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