Historical society

An eclectic mix of displays: various historical vehicles especially early Cars (ford, Buick, and others) a range of engines and trucks (including interesting makes and owners) and galleries with historical extracts, displays and many great vehicle models - and that's just the first building. Also there is an old Ghan train, impressive kitchen carriage and more, plus a Cafe. Well worth a visit - allow 2 hours or more.

A little known gem on the Central Coast. Just fantastic. Highly recommended.

Woodend & District Heritage Society started 41 years ago as a small group with no permanent home.1977 – Woodend & District Historical Society is formed. Meetings are held in the Mechanics Institute.1985 – Computer indexing begins and the Society develops its own software, Heritage I. The first edition of Heritage News, the Society’s newsletter, is published.1987 – Designs are put forward for a Local and Family History Resource Centre, a permanent home for the Society.1988 – The Society holds its first meeting in the Court House. The building is primitive and unsuitable for records.1989 – The Court House is officially handed over to the Society.1993 – The Society’s collection moves into the Court House.1994 – The Society is asked to take over the Visitor Information Centre and a pool of 40 volunteers runs it for the next 3½ years.1995 – Woodend & District Heritage Society is named Group of the Year.1997 – After a fundraising campaign, and with a grant from Heritage Victoria, an extension to the Court House is built to house the growing archive.1998 – The Society’s indexing software – now Heritage III – is widely used by historical societies across Victoria/Australia.2001 – The Heritage Walk, commemorating people and businesses with links to the district, is inaugurated. The first plaque honours Janet Hawkins for her tireless work on behalf of the Society.Built in 1870, the court house in Forest St was the second court building in Woodend.It was used for criminal cases until 1964 and for coroner’s court hearings until the 1970s. Now it’s home to the Woodend & District Heritage Society.

Such an interesting place, developed over time with contributions covering a vast span of time & areas of life. The staff there were extremely friendly & knowledgeable.

Lovely little museum. Well organised & kept. Well done.

Brilliant service and amazing resource in York. Recommend you come here for any Historical information on the area.

A fun visit. Good to see the history of the place and a good source on info for worthwhile walks around the old town

We found it very interesting and enjoyed it. The two lady volunteers were very knowledgable and added greatly to the visit. There was no entrance fee but you could make a donation. Definitely worth going.

Felt so welcome, great hosts here and some great exhibits. I loved the Scout den and the garage. Took a million photos because it was so much to soak up!

Very interesting. Some interesting facts about Mansfield surrounds and of course the railway.Council could afford to supply a cost of paint to improve the look and secure their longevity!