ABOUT THEBELLARINE HISTORY SOCIETY

The Old Courthouse building located at 11 High Street Drysdale was opened in October 1888. Originally known as the Shire Hall, it was a joint project between the Shire of Bellarine and the Crown Law Office. The building was designed by architect Andrew McWilliams and constructed by J. Baxter and Sons. It cost one thousand pounds, shared by the Shire and the government. Declared ‘an ornament to the township’, it consisted of a large public hall, magistrates room, a committee room and two offices fronted by a porch held up by four Doric columns. The Shire held meetings in the building until 1965 when it moved to new premises on Collins Street. The local Court of Petty Sessions continued to meet in the Hall until 1971. It was then used for a variety of community purposes for the next five years.

The Bellarine Historical Society was formed on 11 June 1976 and took possession of the building. Since then, successive committees have worked diligently to transform it into a community-based Museum which showcases the history of the Bellarine Peninsula. The main hall holds a number of semi-permanent exhibitions and a series of posters outlining the history of Bellarine. It is also used for monthly talks on aspects of local history. The magistrates’ room has been turned into a research resource room. The Shire Committee room was left as a monument to the old Council for many years but now hosts an exhibition, Life in the Bellarine. There is a display of old farming machinery around the Hall, and the old shed is currently being transformed into a new exhibition space. The Museum is open to the public on Sunday mornings.

2026 marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Historical Society. This milestone will be marked by a series of special events, all of which will be open to the Public. The first tranche of events includes a display at the Bellarine Agricultural Show, a talk on the 26 April on picnicking in the early days of motoring and a documentary film recording the life of local identities Howard and Mavis Willey, Australia’s oldest living couple to be held at the Springdale Neighbourhood Centre on the 6^th May. A display of old photographs of schools, hotels and trains will be held in the Boronggook library in May. There will also be a ‘Songs and Scones’ event in July. Two picture books are being prepared. One features photos showing the history of the Bellarine to complement the poster display. The other features sketches of some of the lovely old cottages in Bellarine towns.

The Society Historical Society is a fully volunteer run organisation. It is keen to expand its profile in the Bellarine community and welcomes all residents and visitors to the museum. It has a vast collection of historical material which is used to answer local and family research questions. A new Facebook page provides regular updates on the history of the region.

History is not about great deeds and famous people. it is about all the people and their striving for a better life. The early settlers came and established their lives, earned their living they way they new best. In small communities they worked together and helped one another.