Moree Plains Shire history on show

The rich history of the Moree Plains Shire is on show as part of a commemoration of Local Government Week, marked earlier in August.

The Moree Community Library is hosting a month-long exhibition that takes a deep dive into the history of council and government in the shire.

It has been popular with community members as well as past and present councillors.

The exhibition, called ‘Moree Council Then and Now’, is the brainchild of the library’s local studies and digitisation officer Tian Harris and she said she is touched by the community’s excitement in embracing the display.

“‘Moree Council Then and Now’ is very much a celebration of the shire’s history and doesn’t just explore council’s influence on the region,” said Ms Harris.

“It also highlights council staff’s contributions and major events the Moree Plains has experienced in the last 130 years.”

Ms Harris said the exhibition’s content took her four months to research thoroughly.

“I went through old newspaper articles, archived council documents, historical material that had recently been digitised and I cross referenced everything as I went”, said Ms Harris.

“Council’s records department was beyond helpful and provided me with a treasure trove of information.”

“I also interviewed past councillors and heard their fascinating stories.

“I especially loved picking the brain of my grandfather Claude Magarry.

“His insights as a council employee of 45 years and then as a councillor were special to me.”

Moree Plains Shire Council’s community, culture and libraries manager Alisa Akins said she is proud of the exhibition, Ms Harris and the library team.

“Tian worked hard putting the exhibition together and the whole library team pitched in to help set it up”, said Ms Akins.

“Tian proposed a floor plan and the team, including Tian, and I worked together tweaking it as we went,” Ms Akins said.

“In between other projects, the exhibition took about a week to get into place, and it looks great.

“‘Moree Council Then and Now’ is just a small taste of what the Moree Community Library has in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to share more with the community.”

Ms Harris thanked everyone who contributed and made the exhibition a success.