Museum team hard at work to create more exhibition space

The volunteers at the Forbes Museum are hard at work to renovate the historic Cross Street building in this quieter season.

When their work is done, there will be more room to display the many pieces that tell our community's story and give insight into life in years gone by.

Bruce and Margaret Adams from the Forbes and District Historical Society explain the upstairs area, previously used for storage, is being transformed: with old walls removed and new ones built.

It's taken many hours of volunteer labour to remove the ceilings and linoleum floor coverings, and then the "tar paper" stuck to the floor.

But it is worth it: their work has revealed beautiful timber floors and ceilings.

They haven't been too highly polished, rather left so you can still see where the original walls and rooms were in the historic Osborne Hall.

Windows with special glass to reduce UV damage of exhibits have replaced the louvres.

Mrs Adams says many people have donated items from their homes and businesses to the Museum for safekeeping of local history.

The second big task for the volunteers is to work to best display these in their beautiful new space.

Upstairs is now accessible by lift, and when work is complete it will expand the exhibition space enormously.

The Museum is once again open to visitors 2 to 4pm daily.