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Condobolin & District Historical Museum

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Condobolin & District Historical Museum

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Condobolin & District Historical Museum, History Museum, 35 Bathurst Street (PO Box 53), Condobolin.

Condobolin & District Museum is open Friday & Saturday (next door to Post Office & old Fire Station) $2 entry and is a volunteer run attraction supported by The Lachlan Shire Council in Central Western NSW, Australia. Collection of objects and stories illustrating the historical symbiosis of rural and small town development since European settlement, preservation of the past into the future..

07/09/2026

In conjunction with CWA Awareness Week (6th September - Saturday 12th September) lets have a look at the history of CWA in our community.

Country Women's Association (Women of Lachlan booklet)
You can never underestimate the significant achievements that can be made by a collective group of women. How when women gather together and pool their enormous skills, expertise, experience and visions, so many great outcomes are the result.

For women in Lachlan they were fortunate to have the Country Women's Association (CWA). The main aim of the CWA is: "To improve conditions for women and children in country areas".

International Work, Wool Promotion, Land Cookery Contests, Handicrafts, The Arts, Agricultural issues, Education Scholarships, and Primary Product Promotion become part of the CWA calendar.

The Condobolin Branch of the CWA was established in 1926. Miss Enid Hope was the President of the Condobolin Branch and in a letter written to her featured the words: " A mighty oak from a tiny acorn grew". As a consequence, the Condobolin Group was formed on the 20th November, 1930 and Miss Hope was elected President, a position she retained for nine years.

During the brief span 1930-1936, ten branches and four younger sets were operating successfully within the group. The first four Group Conferences were held in Condobolin and the fifth was held at Trundle where there was an attendance of two hundred members. The great number of branches and the high participation levels clearly demonstrated the need for the CWA's but also showed the high levels of interest and enthusiasm of the women of Lachlan.

Through a range of fundraising activities and working bees, several Rest Rooms, Baby Health Care Centres and Libraries were soon established. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, time and energy were devoted to the war effort and needs of the armed forces, truly exemplifying four of the words in the motto of CWA, "Service to the Country".

By 1947 there were fifteen branches, four younger sets and 822 members. Today there remains six active branches of the CWA within the Lachlan Shire and these are:
Tottenham est. 1925
Condobolin est. 1926
Myamley est. 1932
Kiacatoo est. 1945
Tullibigeal est. 1949 and
Burthong est 1958.

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The below plaque celebrating 100 years of the CWA can be seen at the Condobolin Library.

30/08/2026

August is Family History Month, and in 2026 the theme is “Ancestors: Mundane to Magnificent”

This month we celebrate our ancestors and their lives and stories.

Have you heard of the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”?

A photo can tell a story in itself, jog one’s memory of times past, of everyday family life. Our ancestors’ lives are often captured in pictures, that show a face, a place or event in time, and tell a story without a single word.
Do you have a favourite family photo, or photos? Please share with your family, and with us, if you do, and ‘the story’ behind the photo.
We all have photos in various forms, in shoe boxes or in old albums, and in my case, in the thousands, on my phone or computer! I’ve been known to take ten photos of the same thing, in the hope of getting ‘a good one’, then forgetting to go back and delete the not so good ones. Sound familiar?
Do you put off organising your photos, because it all seems just too hard, or labelling them, because ‘I’ll remember’? Do you have old photos, passed down and unlabelled, with no idea who is in them? I do. Do you ever wonder how you should be caring for your family’s precious photos?
Here are a few links to help you, and me, with organising and caring for our photos:
https://mhnsw.au/guides/conserving-your-family-photos/
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/building-our-collections/caring-collections/caring-photographs/
https://au.pcmag.com/productivity/110895/3-easy-ways-to-organize-your-digital-photos/
https://yourphotosfiled.com.au/organising-my-mums-family-photos/
If you have any tips of your own, for sorting, labelling or conserving your photos, please share here. My first step is to get rid of duplicates ,duds and those photos of no personal value!

The Condobolin Library has a local and family history photograph database collection in our catalogue, which can be accessed via this link:
https://lachlan.libero.com.au/libero/WebOpac.cls?VERSION=2&ACTION=dedisearch&DATA=LSL&TOKEN=MxM1UMqXhH4106&LIMCOL=P/
Watch this space as we hope to in the near future be able to scan more photos into our database collection.

27/08/2026

Make sure you have a look at the CDHS display in the pavilion at the 130th Condobolin PAH & I Association Inc Show.

26/08/2026

IT’S SHOWTIME AGAIN!!
Some things change, while some stay the same…

The 130th Condobolin Show will be held on August 28 & 29, 2026, at the SRA grounds.
Looking back to100 years ago, the 37th Condobolin Agricultural Show was held on 17 & 18 August 2026, on the Parkes Road. This show was held as part of a very busy “Carnival Week”, along with horse races, theatres, a bazaar, dances and other entertainment.
As stated, with great enthusiasm, in the ‘Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder’ of the time, “Yes, let everything possible be done to make the 1926 Carnival Week the outstanding pinnacle in the history of Condobolin’s gayety.” See http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214118982/ for the full article.
The Show Class Prize Schedule for 1926 can be seen in the same newspaper at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214122961/ and http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214122962/
It makes for interesting reading, competitions, or class categories, for example - horse and buggy / spring cart driving; saddles & harnesses; waggon, built in Condobolin; best piano rendition; under ‘sewing and fancy work’ – items such as most original pin cushion, prettiest design bo***ir cap, knitted frock, three homemade handkerchiefs; Exercise book of school work, by a child under 16 years; plum pudding (steamed or boiled).
While many of the class categories remain the same or similar now, compared to 1926, some noticeable categories or events now include: scarecrow building, fiddle/fidget mat making, china painting, photography, lego/duplo building, ‘alternative cooking’, kindness rocks, KOORI art (and don’t forget ‘Young Woman of the Year’, and the fireworks at the end!) They are a reflection of changed times, however the heart of the shows of both 1926 and 2026 are seen in the mainstays, our farmers, the agricultural products, the animals, the produce, the cookery.
Does anyone have any photos or memorabilia from the 1926 show, they would like to share or tell us about? I’m imagining everyone dressed up in their ‘finery’, the old vintage cars, the displays and exhibits, depicting life and our community 100 years ago.
See you at the Show!

18/08/2026

WOMEN OF LACHLAN - Harriet Gavel
Harriet Gavel, a diminutive city girl, came to the bush and settled as a bride in the early 1900's. After training as a nurse she headed for the bush and in 1911 began nursing in Condobolin in a small cottage that was then the hospital.
Married in 1916 to local farmer Alf Gavel and settling on the family property, Harriet soon learned to deal with the isolation, dust, storms, floods, mouse plagues and drought.
Tragedy struck 3 months after marriage when her father in law died suddenly and, while away, their home was burnt to the ground. There was a empty cottage on the property and Harriet, being a born homemaker, set about preparing another home by making furniture from kerosene crates and chairs from oil drums covered in cretonne (a strong fabric of cotton/linen).
Harriet was approached by the Aboriginal Mission School to take in and teach domestic skills and cooking to young girls. This she did for several years earning great respect from her pupils. During this time she experienced the birth of a daughter Dorothy and the loss of an infant son.
With her nursing skills, this kindly farmers wife was called upon to attend accidents and medical problems within the district. She always had a sympathetic ear for those who came to seek advice. Her policy during the depression was "Make up, make over and make do".
From 1923 when the family acquired their first car, Harriet became more involved in community affairs and worked diligently for the many charitable organisations to which she belonged, including the war efforts.
At the age of 70, Harriet made a full recovery from breast cancer and continued to be involved in her many activities of the Country Women's Association, RSL Ladies Auxiliary and Hospital Women's Auxiliary, all of which she was a Foundation Member, plus the Red Cross and Civilian Widows.
The much loved Harriet Gavel (Aunt Hattie) passed away in 1970 at the age of 86 and is buried in the Condobolin Cemetery.

15/08/2026

August is Family History Month, and in 2026 the theme is “Ancestors: Mundane to Magnificent”

This month we celebrate our ancestors in all forms, from all walks of life.
From Mundane to Magnificent, every life tells a story and every life matters.
Have you ever wanted to start searching about the lives of your ancestors, but don’t know where to start? Maybe you have heard “stories” passed down in the family and want to discover more about a particular ancestor?
At the Condobolin Library and the Condobolin Museum, we have templates of Family Group Worksheets and Pedigree Charts available, which can be photocopied, to get your research documentation underway. Both places also have family and local history books and a growing collection of local and family history records, newspaper clippings etc.
Remember, it is always easier to work from the present to the past when tracing your family history, so it is suggested you start with yourself!
Also, to help get you going in the right direction, here are a few links to reputable websites with a variety of Family History tools and resources:

National Library of Australia
https://www.library.gov.au/research/family-history/
Museums of History New South Wales
https://mhnsw.au/guides/family-history-guide/
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
https://aiatsis.gov.au/family-history/
National Archives of Australia
https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/search-people/researching-your-family/

07/08/2026

DID YOU KNOW:
August is Family History Month, and in 2026 the theme is “Ancestors: Mundane to Magnificent”

Every family has ordinary people whose stories become extraordinary when viewed through history, whose lives have shaped the generations that followed. They may not appear in history books, but they built homes, raised families, served their communities, overcame hardships, and left lasting legacies.
This year’s Family History Month theme, celebrates the remarkable stories hidden within seemingly ordinary lives. From labourers and miners to teachers, nurses, farmers, shopkeepers, soldiers, migrants, and homemakers, every ancestor has a story worth discovering, worth telling.
Family history reminds us that greatness is not measured by fame. It is found in resilience, courage, kindness, sacrifice, and the everyday lives that helped build our communities and our nation.
This month, why not challenge yourself to learn something new about just one ancestor? Every life tells a story. Every story matters.

2026 is also the “International Year of the Woman Farmer”.
Do you have a woman farmer in your family, past or present?
We can celebrate our farmers, by sharing their stories, their photos, their struggles and achievements.

When ‘Farmer” is listed as an occupation on a birth certificate, electoral roll or census record, it can seem like a simple fact. In reality it represents an entire way of life.
Farmers worked, and still work, long hours, in all weather conditions. They have battled droughts, floods, fires, pests and uncertain markets.
They supplied food to growing towns, supported local businesses and built rural communities.
Many lived far from towns, schools and medical care.
Children often helped before and after school, learning practical skills from an early age.
Entire families depended on cooperation, resilience and determination. They persevered, adapted to change, passing down valuable knowledge from generation to generation.
So, who are you going to discover, and share the life of, from your family history? Maybe you could compare family farmers, past and present, discovering and documenting the similarities and changes of farming life between the generations, how modern farming compared to farming life, say 100 or more years ago?

31/07/2026

We drive down streets every day in our journeys to somewhere, work, shops or school. Do you ever think how or why they are called/named that? Today's street is...Craft Crescent.

In 1928 Lindsay Joseph (Len) Craft (1908-1976), a joiner, came to Coondobolin for six months to manage Selems Joinery Works, in William Street. However, he remained until his death. In 1929 he married Eileen Wyer. He served as an Alderman on the Condobolin Municipal Council in 1942, the resigned when he volunteered for the Australian Army.
After WW II he continued with his trade as a building contractor in Condobolin. He again served as an Alderman on the Condobolin Municipal Council from 1948-1950 and in 1953. Len was Mayor for two terms 1950-1951 and 1951-1952. He was a member of the Mid Lachlan County Council, a Justice of the Peace and a Housing Commission Delegate, representing the ex-service men and women.
He was President of the 60th Anniversary Committee that raised money for the construction of the Condobolin Olympic Swimming Pool. Len was a active member of the Condobolin RSL Sub-Branch, being President and Vice President and devoting much of this time to the welfare of ex-service men and women.
At the time of his death he was Vice President of the Sub-Branch. He was also President of the Condobolin RSL Club Ltd, served on the Board of Directors for many years and was honoured as the second Life Member of the RSL Club.
He was much involved with sport in the community, being the inaugural President of the Condobolin Diggers Swimming Club, President of the Condobolin Diggers Race Club and the Condobolin Cricket Association, where he umpired inter-town and district matches.
Craft Crescent was named in 1976.

Lindsay Joseph Craft is buried at the Condobolin Cemetery.

27/07/2026

Staff Nurse Elizabeth McGregor from Condobolin, commemoration plaque in Memorail Park, Condobolin.

19/05/2026

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK May 18–24, 2026.

The annual event is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering, aiming to recognize the efforts of millions of people who give their time and talents to support their communities.

The Condobolin & District Historical Society would like to thank all of our VOLUNTEER MEMBERS who help to keep the museum open and contributing to it's success.

Address

35 Bathurst Street (PO Box 53)
Condobolin, NSW
2877

Opening Hours

Friday	10:30am - 2:30pm
Saturday	10:30am - 2:30pm

Website

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