Led by museum consultant Margot Jolly, the group has been painstakingly recording the equipment and items placed in the Bloomfield Museum since it was opened 40 years ago.

Although the museum has rarely been opened to the public the scores of items stacked on shelves, which include everything from dental instruments to equipment to deliver electric shock therapy to patients, are being recorded for posterity.

Ms Jolly is working with the volunteers through a program facilitated by Orange City Council with funding provided by Arts NSW.

“With the building of a regional museum in Orange it is an opportunity to gather information and tell the stories of Bloomfield that have been so much a part of this community since 1925,” Ms Jolly said.

“We are very fortunate we have a group of dedicated volunteers who come out to Bloomfield every Monday to help with the cataloguing process.”

Director of integrated mental health, drug and alcohol services Jason Crisp said the Western NSW Local Health District valued the volunteers’ contribution in helping to ensure Bloomfield’s history is preserved.

“Our whole site out here at Bloomfield is now heritage listed and we plan to retain the building used as the museum to store these items,” he said.

Mr Crisp said since he first entered the mental health field 22 years ago there had been enormous advances in drugs that can aid the stabilising and recovery of patients.

He said although many of the drugs used years ago were now outdated, there was still a place for electric shock therapy delivered by state-of-the-art equipment that has come a long way since the old machines that have been kept and stored in the Bloomfield Museum.

“It has always been an effective means of treatment in certain situations,” he said.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au