Another backflip by the Andrews Labor Government, under pressure from The Nationals, has resulted in the return of the Victorian Community History Awards and Local History Grants Program.
The recent announcement is music to the ears of local Historical Societies and local history groups who play a significant role in preserving and sharing Latrobe Valley history for future generations.
The Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said historical societies were an essential part of our regional communities.
“The volunteer-led organisations keep detailed archives of their region, maintaining extensive collections of local artefacts and information,” Mr Cameron said.
“The funding allocation was critical to the ongoing growth and digitisation of the State’s archives and supported countless community volunteer historical societies, who contribute thousands of hours for the benefit of their local towns.”
The Local History Grants Program has been running for 21 years and supports community organisations with grants of up to $15,000 for projects that preserve and share the materials and memories that make up Victoria’s history.
A successful petition tabled by The Nationals Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, and supported by fellow Nationals MPs, was a major driving force in forcing the Andrew Labor Government to backflip on their proposed funding cuts.
The Victorian Community History Awards are run by Public Record Office Victoria in partnership with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
A call for entries for the 2023 awards will be made soon.
