The Local Weekly The heart and soul of our communities with news and information about the Sunshine Coast
As the regional heritage museum of the lower Sunshine Coast, we are accountable to each and every one of you, from Port Mellon to Egmont. We are here for you because that is our job: to tell your story and reflect your life in our collections and exhibits.
There is another important aspect of your role in the work we do. We receive a large percentage of our operational funding from the Sunshine Coast Regional District to preserve and present the histories of the Coast. These funds are collected under the museum function, a portion of which comes from your property taxes. This means that quite literally, you have a tangible stake in the museum – so we want to hear from you!
Contact us anytime with historical questions, personal input, and recommendations on how we can do a better job as your museum and archives. Is there a specific exhibit you would like to see at the museum? Are there certain histories you think could be better represented in our programming? Give us a call. We want your input.
History-making is a dynamic process that demands the inclusion of multiple voices to capture a more accurate picture of the past. It is also an evolving process that often reveals our own biases, and we remain dedicated to developing a critical curatorial practice to analyze and contextualize the histories we present.
Museum luminary and Smithsonian Institute’s Lonnie Bunch III states that it is a museum’s job to make people “feel comfortable with [the] nuance and complexity” of challenging histories. This work can be tough, as exploring negative aspects of history brings to light our propensity to solely focus on positive, celebratory histories. You can help in this process by telling us about your life and experiences on the Sunshine Coast: the good, the bad, and the nuanced. In the end, we want you to feel as if this is your museum, and that your stories are well represented here, whatever they may be.
Thanks to all residents of the Sunshine Coast and SCRD staff and directors for their ongoing support.
