Keilor Historical Society is poised for battle as it awaits the return of historical artifacts and cultural items removed from the old council offices last year.
Hundreds of pieces detailing Keilor’s 150+ years of settlement and painstakingly preserved by the society were sent to storage pending refurbishment of the Keilor Community Hub.
With the new hub set to open in April, the collection was due back, after being stored at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre.
But historical society president Susan Jennison is now less sure this will happen.
“Our understanding was that everything would come back,” Mrs Jennison said.
“Nowhere in our minutes or any discussion was there mention that items may not be returned to Keilor.
“Now they’re saying they will set up a committee to decide what comes back … we and others in the area are quite distressed,” the long-time resident and community advocate said.
“The bottom line is they came from Keilor … they should all be returned to Keilor,” she said.
Council’s community wellbeing director, Kath Brackett, would not guarantee all artifacts would be returned to Keilor, but stressed the historical society would have input into which items were returned.
“Decisions about which historical items will be displayed at the Keilor Community Club will be determined by a committee, which will include representation from the Keilor Historical Society and the community,” Ms Brackett told
Star Weekly.
“This committee will identify which Keilor-related items will be returned to the Keilor Community Hub, consider how items will be displayed, and raise awareness about the collection.
“Any Keilor items not on display at the Keilor Community Hub will be kept securely and safely at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre,” Ms Brackett said.
In a report to the council, the proposed committee will meet up to three times to decide which items will make up the Keilor collection, and which will not, before the new community hub opens next month.
