OUT & ABOUT
Museum celebrates 15 years
This month marks 15 years since the Hawkesbury Regional Museum opened its doors to the public back in May 2008 . Over a staggering 250,000 people have visited during this time . They have enjoyed the exhibitions featuring some of the 20,000 objects and images in the collection and being immersed in the history of the Hawkesbury area .
To celebrate , the museum will be holding a special open day on Sunday 21 May . Come along for a free sausage sizzle , a tour of historic Howe House , kids ’ activities and much more .
It will also be the launch of the newest museum venture Starry Night - an online digital experience about renowned local astronomer , John Tebbutt F . R . A . S .
After discovering the Great Comet of 1861 at the age of 26 , he quickly achieved international recognition and was widely considered the foremost astronomer in Australia .
He carried out an impressive range of astronomical observations and authored almost 400 publications , all from his observatories located in Windsor , NSW . This new online exhibition will contain a history of John Tebbutt and his work through objects and images , interviews with family members and experts ( find out why he turned down the offer to become Government Astronomer ) and a virtual tour through his observatories .
The launch of this online exhibition ( with accompanying museum display )
John Tebbutt demonstrating celestial globe . c . 1900 - 1915 . Photographer unknown . Courtesy Tebbutt family .
will take place at 11am on Sunday 21st May in conjunction with the Museum Open Day .
So come along and help us celebrate Hawkesbury Regional Museum ’ s 15th birthday with a family fun day !
Free family fun day with a historical twist
Activities for children , music , tours , food and lots more !
Hawkesbury Regional Museum is open to the public every day ( except Tuesdays ) 10-4pm . All welcome .
For more information on the museum open day , tours or programs go to hawkesburymuseum . eventbrite . com
For more information on exhibitions , explore the collection or to become a volunteer go to www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / museum
24 ISSUE 156 // MAY 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT