Everyone likes to have a lot of friends and the Orange Regional Museum is starting a group to meet new people.
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Since it’s opened the museum has hosted 13,193 people, during the month of February, there was 95 people on average visiting each day.
To capitalise on the popularity, a Friends of the Museum group will give the community an opportunity to have input into the museum.
The Friends of the Museum has been modeled off the successful Friends of the Gallery.
“More than anything, we want the community to have a sense of ownership and make it more tangible,” member Elizabeth Griffin said.
Ms Griffin said the friends wanted to ignite the imagination of the city’s younger people with the history of Orange.
Member Marie Hammond said the group was about helping the museum which had filled a vital gap in the city’s cultural credentials.
“We are friends and as friends, we’ll do our best which includes raising funds and holding social events,” Mrs Hammond said.
“We’re well catered for with sporting fields and facilities.
“The museum really adds to the cultural precinct which includes the theatre, gallery, library and hopefully the conservatorium and planetarium as well.”
In the long run, member Phil Stevenson said he would like to see the museum raise substantial funds through its activities, which could be used to support the museum.
Orange’s Regional Museum director Brad Hammond said the friends group would support the museum, from helping promote exhibitions to raising money to grow the collection.
“Many people have a passion for the history of our region and a deep knowledge of our region’s history,” Mr Hammond said.
“It’s a way of connecting directly to the community.”
Mr Hammond said from the members who have joined, a committee will be elected to lead the group.
“So much of what we do is social history, and to do that effectively we rely on our connections with the community to tell the history of our region,” he said.
“The community help us join those pieces of the puzzle so we can put together a complete picture of our collective past.”
Councillor Neil Jones said getting the friends group up and running was another milestone for the regional museum.
“Together the friends will support the ongoing activities of the museum.”
People interested in becoming a friend of Orange’s Regional Museum can visit the the museum for a membership form.
A public launch for the group will be held on Wednesday, April 5 from 5.30pm at the museum.