Oxley Museum, Wellington is likely to have a new address by 2020

The Wellington Historical Society have given a verbal agreement to the DRC to move the museum to a new address at the old Police Station in Maughan Street by February 2020.

If the agreement goes ahead Dubbo Regional Council will renovate the new site, with works to include general maintenance to the building thanks to a $250,000 grant provided by former Dubbo MP Troy Grant.

Wellington Historical Society curator Dorothy Blake said after many years of talks first with Wellington Council and then Dubbo Regional Council after the merge, she was excited the move is likely to come to fruition.

If the move goes ahead it would be under the guidance of Museums and Galleries Australia.

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Keeping the historical items in Wellington was important, especially for locals whose ancestors may have donated heirlooms to the Wellington Historical Society, Mrs Blake said.

"Our collection relates to Wellington and it's district and we'd hate to see it go out of town," she said.

If everything goes ahead, the Stage 1 move will focus on relocating the smaller items and Stage 2 the larger works.

"It's going to be a huge process because everything has got to be conserved and packed to archive quality and heritage standards," she said.

"We're going to have several working bees.. we'll need some volunteers."

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Mrs Blake said the Wellington Historical Society have catalogued more than 5000 items, including 55,000 photographs, in the museum which ranges from furniture, artefacts, clothing plus agricultural equipment.

"We're in the process of assessing and packing the items, we have to do a stocktake," she said.

"People can be assured that the items that won't be in the museum will be disposed of in the museum guidelines which are firstly handing the items back to the family that donated it, if the family's don't want the items we'll offer it to another museum and only then will we have a heritage auction under the heritage guidelines."

While all of the exhibits and historical items featured in the museum are owned by the Historical Society, the current building and the new location are under council ownership.

DRC Councillor David Grant said it has been a long process to find a possible new location for the museum.

"It's great to see that it's finally coming to an end. Along the way there's certainly been some misunderstandings both ways which has probably cause upset at times but I'm stoked that it's finally happening," he said.

"Overall I think it's just a good win for the community that the museum is likely going to be in a predominant spot.

"I think we've got to a conclusion everyone is comfortable with."

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The museum's possible new location would help further showcase the old Wellington Police station, Mr Grant said.

Although the museum's possible new site will be smaller than it's current location at the corner of Warne and Percy Street, Mrs Blake said it is on one level which will allow for an easy flow of visitors.

"But the possible new site is all on one level, which is good because the present building has got a steep staircase and a lot of people can't get up there," she said.

Last year nearly 500 people visited the Oxley Museum and Mrs Blake hopes the likely new premises would attract even more people because it being more visible on the highway.

Mrs Blake said the Wellington Historical Society has a dedicated group of volunteers and they hope more young people can come on board and help out with the likely move.