The re-opening of the Kandos Museum was met with more than a little fanfare on Saturday, when the new NSW Governor, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AS DSC (Retd), opened the doors as part of the Kandos Centenary celebrations.
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The event was even more significant as Governor Hurley was undertaking his first official public appointment since he was sworn in on October 2.
“This is our first official function in the role, other than being sworn in,” Governor Hurley said.
“This is an important day as it marks the history of the town and this region, and more importantly the history of the people who have carved out what has become a quite significant community, and we’re very honoured to be here. “
Governor Hurley spoke about the history of the museum and the “eclectic” collection held within its walls, adding he now had a personal connection he hadn’t known about before his trip to the region.
“My new office, which I’ve only sat in for a day, has a window where I can look out and see the Sydney Harbour Bridge on my left and the Opera House on my right,” he said.
“I didn’t know before now that those pylons I will look at every day for the next few years were built by the people who lived here in Kandos.
“The community certainly had a hand in building what is probably the most iconic image of Australia, and you should be very proud of that and what people are trying to capture in the museum.”
Kandos Museum Chairperson Dr Buzz Sanderson said the re-opening of the museum was something each member of the Kandos community could be proud of.
“The museum has been closed in recent months, and fortunately we have been able to reopen in the past couple of weeks,” Dr Sanderson said.
“It’s been a joint effort between Mid-Western Regional Council and volunteers from the community.
“It’s really fantastic that it has come to a culmination now.”
After the official ceremony, Governor Hurley and his wife Linda toured the museum where they spoke to volunteers about their personal connections to the exhibits.