Our Projects
The society has many ongoing projects which keeps us busy. Some of the more long term ones are listed below.
Emmco/Email Ltd/Electrolux whitegoods factory.
A group of members has been cataloguing and identifying a collection of tens of thousands of photographs and documents following the closure of the Electrolux plant in 2016. The factory, and its predecessor the Small Arms Factory, were for 70 years the major employers in Orange. The whitegoods factory manufactured a range of goods including fridges, freezers, washing machines, electric fans and heaters. The workforce included highly skilled engineers, fitters and turners, boilermakers, toolmakers, electrical fitters and sheet metal workers. An apprenticeship scheme ensured there was not only a constant supply of new skilled workers but also somewhere school leavers could find meaningful employment.
A group of members has been cataloguing and identifying a collection of tens of thousands of photographs and documents following the closure of the Electrolux plant in 2016. The factory, and its predecessor the Small Arms Factory, were for 70 years the major employers in Orange. The whitegoods factory manufactured a range of goods including fridges, freezers, washing machines, electric fans and heaters. The workforce included highly skilled engineers, fitters and turners, boilermakers, toolmakers, electrical fitters and sheet metal workers. An apprenticeship scheme ensured there was not only a constant supply of new skilled workers but also somewhere school leavers could find meaningful employment.
CWD Negative Collection
Since 2010 we have been steadily working on this massive project to preserve more than one million negatives, scan them and make the images available to the public. They have been featured in two major exhibitions at the Orange Regional Museum: ‘All in a Day’s Work’ and ‘Child’s Play’, to great acclaim. Project manager Liz Edwards is currently transferring 35mm negatives into new high-quality sleeves and acid-free storage boxes. Meanwhile John Kich is putting in valuable time scanning hundreds of negatives from the 1960s depicting social occasions, using a camera with a macro lens over a light box.
Orange City Council has supported the scanning of the old-style negatives (dating from 1955 to 1970) by Sydney-based company Datacom, and the items scanned so far can be found on https://centralwest.recollect.net.au/
Since 2010 we have been steadily working on this massive project to preserve more than one million negatives, scan them and make the images available to the public. They have been featured in two major exhibitions at the Orange Regional Museum: ‘All in a Day’s Work’ and ‘Child’s Play’, to great acclaim. Project manager Liz Edwards is currently transferring 35mm negatives into new high-quality sleeves and acid-free storage boxes. Meanwhile John Kich is putting in valuable time scanning hundreds of negatives from the 1960s depicting social occasions, using a camera with a macro lens over a light box.
Orange City Council has supported the scanning of the old-style negatives (dating from 1955 to 1970) by Sydney-based company Datacom, and the items scanned so far can be found on https://centralwest.recollect.net.au/
History of the Dalton family
The society has made a special study of the Dalton family over a number of years. James Dalton Junior escaped the grinding poverty of rural Ireland in 1849 and built a hugely successful business empire, along with his brother Thomas, comprising the iconic Dalton’s Store in Orange, a vast pastoral enterprise in western NSW, and a hugely successful import-export business based in Orange and Sydney.
In November 2019 society member and author Elisabeth Edwards launched her book ‘Wearing the Green: The Daltons and the Irish Cause’, under the auspices of the society. The book relates the story of this remarkable family and highlights their support for the Catholic Church in Orange and Sydney as well as their championing the causes for land rights and Home Rule in Ireland. The book is available at Collins Books in Orange as well as directly from the society at $60.
The society has made a special study of the Dalton family over a number of years. James Dalton Junior escaped the grinding poverty of rural Ireland in 1849 and built a hugely successful business empire, along with his brother Thomas, comprising the iconic Dalton’s Store in Orange, a vast pastoral enterprise in western NSW, and a hugely successful import-export business based in Orange and Sydney.
In November 2019 society member and author Elisabeth Edwards launched her book ‘Wearing the Green: The Daltons and the Irish Cause’, under the auspices of the society. The book relates the story of this remarkable family and highlights their support for the Catholic Church in Orange and Sydney as well as their championing the causes for land rights and Home Rule in Ireland. The book is available at Collins Books in Orange as well as directly from the society at $60.
Maps
In early 2024 a group of volunteers embarked on an ambitious project to research the explorers, surveyors and cartographers who worked in the Orange district.
We hope to answer some questions about the routes the explorers and surveyors took, the naming of the various features they encountered, and how the original village of Orange developed from a vacant one square mile village reserve marked on an early map.
Those directly involved are: Jim Coffey, Bob Curran, Liz Edwards, Kate Gadsby, Euan Greer, Phil Stevenson and Julie Sykes, with keen interest also being taken by Rob Bartlett and John Kich.
One aspect we will be researching in detail is the thorny issue of the naming of Mount Canobolas, which goes back to the earliest days of exploration of the district. There have been many theories about this over the years but we are hoping that a detailed examination of early maps, combined with letters, notebooks, diaries and linguistics will allow us to come to a conclusion.
Our aim is to write an illustrated book detailing the results of our research.
Fruit growing history
The district fruit growing history was once central to the district’s economy. It was the subject of a series of History Alive meetings held by our society. The society now has a large database of orcharding history.
Mining history
The society hosted a series of History Alive meetings covering all aspects of the mining industry in the district and now has a significant database of information about gold, copper and marble mining in the district.
Accessioning and updating existing databases
A team of volunteers meets weekly to accession items into our collection and update information on existing items.
Database of Orange people and places
Member Ross Maroney has built up a huge database of information about people who lived and worked in the Orange district, as well as streets, houses and businesses.
The district fruit growing history was once central to the district’s economy. It was the subject of a series of History Alive meetings held by our society. The society now has a large database of orcharding history.
Mining history
The society hosted a series of History Alive meetings covering all aspects of the mining industry in the district and now has a significant database of information about gold, copper and marble mining in the district.
Accessioning and updating existing databases
A team of volunteers meets weekly to accession items into our collection and update information on existing items.
Database of Orange people and places
Member Ross Maroney has built up a huge database of information about people who lived and worked in the Orange district, as well as streets, houses and businesses.