History enthusiast Kerry Neaylon has received two of Forbes’ highest accolades during the Forbes Heritage Week Presentation Evening on Tuesday night.
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Ms Neaylon was named the 2013 Heritage Week Volunteers Award recipient and joint recipient of the 2013 Forbes Medal with the Forbes and District Historical Society.
Mayor of Forbes Shire, Councillor Ron Penny, described the volunteers award as recognition for individual contribution to the development and promotion of heritage within the Forbes shire and demonstrated excellent in a particular field of interest.
Amongst her achievements Cr Penny listed Ms Neaylon’s involvement with council’s Heritage Advisory Committee, The Forbes and District Historical Society and the Forbes Family History Group.
Ms Neaylon has also been involved with the Ben Hall Festival and Forbes Sesquicentenary celebrations, Cr Penny said.
“The majority of Kerry’s volunteering has been focused around graphic design, research and promotion,” Cr Penny said.
Projects instigated and led by Ms Neaylon include The Kate Kelly Trail, Kate Kelly Interpretive Panel (on Bedgerabong Road) and brochure, grave restoration project at the Forbes Cemetery, Ben Hall Myths Behind the Legend Exhibition at the Forbes Museum, The Forbes ‘Our Town’ DVD, Forbes Cemetery historic graves self-guided tour brochure and Ben Hall Shooting Site improvements.
In accepting the Forbes Medal President of the Forbes and District Historical Society Susan Stewart confirmed copies of the DVD have been sold Australia-wide and even been sent overseas.
“We are all beneficiaries of the outcome of this DVD,” she said.
Ms Neaylon described the Forbes ‘Our Town’ DVD as being the product of “six months of my life” and extended her thanks to members of the historical society and fellow community history enthusiasts for their help with the project.
The Forbes ‘Our Town’ DVD was one of five local projects nominated for this year’s medal.
Other projects included the adaptive reuse of Northside Chapel (formerly the Guide Hall), restoration of the Uniting Church, adaptive reuse of the Scout Hall, restoration of the Forbes Town Hall and administration building, and reproduction of historical writings in the Forbes Advocate’s 100 Years of Publication feature.
Forbes Shire Council Heritage Advisor Graham Hall said it was the DVD’s professional quality and diligence with the photographs selected which made it a stand out to the judging panel.
“I’m not a historian but it’s a good piece of historical work - in a way that it explains history to all people,” he said.
“History is studying the past to understand the present and this is an excellent way of studying the past to understand the present.
“[The DVD] explains why Forbes is the way it is and the physical and social and economic aspects of Forbes, and it’s done in a professional way,” he said.
The Forbes ‘Our Town’ DVD was made using photographs held by the Forbes and District Historical Society as part of their Pictorial Forbes collection. Other images were sourced from various government departments.
The DVD is shown at the museum as part of their collection. Copies are also available for purchase at the Cross Street premises, Railway Arts and Tourist Information Centre and Forbes Shire Council.
Funds raised from the sale of the DVD are used to support the Forbes Museum’s projects.
