History of our Collection
In 1952 Pioneer Cottage was acquired from the Burnett family by Sybil Vise. In 1965 Sybil then offered the property to the Buderim Community. The Buderim Historical Society was set up in 1966.
Our collection was commenced to conserve and preserve Buderim and local pioneer history, artefacts and data, as a background resource to modern regional development and lifestyles.
Our collection continues to this day and the material evidence of Buderim’s history forms our displays and education programs.
We are responsible for the preservation, storage and accessibility of all the articles donated. Object donations are very necessary and ensure Buderim’s unique story is told.
We still receive many donations every year and these need to be assessed as to their suitability, our need and the special story they tell and we must have their history documented.
Examples of our Collection are:
Pioneer Cottage. The house that Buderim saved
From Buderim farmer to band leader
Our entire publically available Collection can be viewed here:
How to donate
Your donation could become a vital part of our collection.
If you have an object/s you wish to be included we need to know the following:
• Physical description of the object/s (type, age, size and condition)
• Historical information especially the connection with Buderim (provenance – date, associated people, places and events)
• Supporting evidence, if available (eg associated documentation, personal knowledge, oral history)
Please complete a Donation Form (see link below or contact us and we will send you a form)
then mail it to the Buderim Historical Society. Do not send the object. We will contact you.
Or you may bring your object/s to the Pioneer Cottage and we will provide you with a form to complete, then assess it/them and will let you know our decision to either accept it/them or not.
Assessment process
Unfortunately, we cannot accept all donations. Objects accepted into our collection must meet our significance criteria and themes. Before we accept an object, we need to know how much conservation work and storage will be needed. This helps us to develop a significant, well preserved and representative collection for our community.
What happens to accepted donations
Significant objects will be entered as part of our collection. They will become the property of the Buderim Historical Society. In return we will ensure the long-term preservation of your donation by:
• Creating a record of the objects, including photographs, on our database.
• Providing basic conservation treatment where required.
• If necessary having professional conservation carried out if funds are available.
• Packaging and storing the object/s according to Museum standards and maintenance thereof.
Donated objects that are part of the Historical Society’s Collection may be:
• Publicly shown in exhibitions and displays occasionally.
• Borrowed under standard borrowing procedures.
• Viewed by prior arrangement.
• Researched by museum curators and academic researchers to contribute to our understanding of our history, society, culture and environment.
The Donation Form is an official record which enables the Management Committee to:
1. Assess the object’s relevance to our collection.
2. Provide the necessary details to decide whether to accept the donation or not.
3. Inform the Committee of the procedure that the owner wishes to be followed if the item does not match our collection policy.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about donating objects to the Buderim Historical Society’s collection at Pioneer Cottage Buderim:
How do I donate an object to the Buderim Historical Society?
Please complete and submit a Donation Form or phone BHS (07 5450 1966) providing your contact details along with information about the object/s. If your object is considered suitable for our collection, we will ask you to drop it off to Pioneer Cottage (between 11am -3pm Monday – Saturday) when you will be asked to complete a Gift Agreement.
What kind of objects can I donate to the Buderim Historical Society?
Significant objects associated with the history of the people, events or places within Buderim area will be considered by us.
Will objects go on display in the Cottage?
There is no guarantee that your object will ever be on public display. However, a major role of the Historical Society is to make the collection available to the public for research and education purposes. All objects which are accepted as donations are important to the Society, whether they are on display or not.
Can I ask for my object back once I have donated it?
No, the agreement stands once the object/s have been accepted by the Society. The donated object/s may be viewed by prior arrangement with the Society.
Significance Assessment
In 2017 a Significance Assessment of the Buderim Historical Society collection was conducted by Josh Tarrant, Museum Development Officer with the Queensland Museum.
He found that “the collection is both locally and regionally significant at an historical level for its ability to materially demonstrate domestic life, regional industries, and civic life in the Buderim and Sunshine Coast district, particularly during the late nineteenth and into the mid-twentieth century. With its focus on the Buderim region, the collection subsections of domestic and rural technology clearly demonstrate patterns of settlement, ways of living and working, and the importance of home and family life. The development of the region is further demonstrated through sub collections of timber getting, farming and food processing items that reflect the development of diverse local industries that operated to support the local community.”