COMMUNITY members had the privilege of being able to go behind the scenes and experience local buildings and their history on Tuesday.
As part of the final day of the Big Cohuna Festival, the first ever Secret Doors Tour was popular with the community, who were keen to see what goes on behind closed doors.
District buildings and businesses that opened their doors to the public included the Gunbower Butter Factory, Cohuna and District Historical Society Museum, Cohuna’s Masonic Lodge, Shepo’s Whey in Tragowel and the old Cohuna Butter Factory.
Steeped in history, each building has played a significant role within the township, including Cohuna’s Masonic Lodge, which dates back to 1913.
It was a day where the community could immerse themselves into the past, and look towards the future.
However, for Cohuna and District Historical Society member Gwenyth Veal, the day showed a part of history that was very personal.
In the updated displays at the museum, Ms Veal’s wedding dress that she wore in the 1950s was on display for the community to see.
“My wedding dress is the short one in the middle, and I can remember the day when I was getting married quite well,” she said.
“It was a little more risky to wear a short wedding dress in the 40s, however all the rage in the 50s because the fashions changed.
“So I think it’s important to relive history sometimes to remember how things were, learn about similarities and differences and also see how far we’ve come.”
On display at the museum was also an array of old technology, china, dolls, cooking appliances, tools and farming equipment.
“It is quite amazing to see how life, especially locally here in Cohuna, was like back in the day,” Ms Veal said.
The two butter factories were the perfect example of how history has progressed to suit modern day needs and wants.
The Gunbower Butter Factory, owned by locals Jon Keetelaar and Letitia Edwards, has been transformed into a magnificent home and boutique bed and breakfast.
Located on the banks of the Gunbower Creek, Ms Edwards told the Gannawarra Times that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase the building when it went on the market roughly two years ago.
“Jon and I both love the area and we fell in love with the building immediately,” she said.
“We’ve renovated for about two years and still have a long way to go, but we try and keep the building as authentic as possible, and still have lots to do.”
Meanwhile, the Cohuna Butter Factory was transformed during the festival, into an art exhibition.
District artists Carol Dove, Lyndsey Quinlan, Danida Heitbaum-Ferres, Paul Oswin, Kerryn Finch, Amy Scott and Jenni Finn displayed their artwork as part of the exhibition, which was a huge success.
The Cohuna Masonic Lodge also opened their doors to the public as part of the festival.
It provided an opportunity to showcase the history of the building and group, which dates back to 1913.
Shepo’s Whey in Tragowel showcased their dairy farm with a twist, with welded metal sculptures and cutlery creations on display.
The tours proved very successful, with members of the public keen to take a look behind scenes, while embracing the region’s rich history.
