History's Highways

History’s Highways Project 2011

Photographic panels were produced by Liam Uppill of Clare Signs and displayed in the History Collection.

LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY'S HIGHWAYS

After hundreds of hours of work, research, conversations, computer searches and following up leads, Clare Regional History Group's major photographic project, “History's Highways” was completed and ready for the big unveiling.

This happened on November 24, 2011 at the Clare Town Hall, almost a year after the group decided to undertake this massive project.

The project has been partly funded by a History SA grant of $3,000 as part of the celebrations of 175 years of settlement.
It explores the way that transport has affected the development of Clare - an all-encompassing topic that reaches into every aspect of life.

Looking Back at History's Hiqhways

Vertical Photoboards

This theme was chosen deliberately to reach out to the wider community, getting everyone involved in the project - either as sponsors, or more importantly, searching through their own photograph albums to find photos that could be included in the exhibition.

Group curator Helen Perry and member Sue Wurst were the movers and shakers behind the project, which was supported by other group members employing their own areas of expertise to bring the project to its magnificent completion.

Initially, Helen and Sue planned to divide the past 175 years into 30 year blocks, allocating five or six photos to each block.
However, heartened by the overwhelming support of sponsors who contributed more than $5,000 to the project,
they were able to broaden the scope of the project to explore practically every aspect of transport.
This ranged from World War One ambulances purchased by the community to the recently developed Clare Valley aerodrome,
farm machinery to kids in billy carts - if it had wheels, it was considered!

The resulting collection of more than 40 large scale photoboards provides a fascinating glimpse not only into the past, but also the present, which is tomorrow's history.

Although some photoboards feature just one large scale picture, others explore a particular theme and might include up to eight photographs.

Each of the nine gold sponsors were encouraged to compile their own photoboard covering how transport was important to their business,
resulting in a montage of pictorial histories of some key industries,
- including quarries,
- earthmoving contractors,
- rural enterprises and
- tractor and motorbike dealerships.
Liam Uppill of Clare Signs produced the photoboards.
Each gold sponsor was presented with a copy of their own photoboard as a memento of their involvement with the project.