In the year of its 90th birthday, Eden Killer Whale Museum is set to undergo major extensions, including two new galleries and the addition of a much-needed lift to service three different levels.
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Jack Dickenson, president of the the Friends of Eden Killer Whale Museum said the works will commence towards the end of May and are planned to be completed at the end of November.
The extension plans became official last Friday, with Leser Build signing a contract to undertake the project, which the museum has been working towards for five years.
"They have assured us they will only employ local tradies, which we are very pleased about," Jack said.
"The impact will be enormous for those who don't have good mobility. Parents with strollers or those with mobility scooters can get in the new lift and go up."
He said most importantly, the skeleton of Old Tom near the entrance will be moved, easing what often becomes a "traffic block"as patrons gather to gaze at the legendary orca's bones and to hear floor talks.
"It can be most uncomfortable for people trying to get through - there will be more open space so people can go in and disperse comfortably," Jack said.
The museum has housed some of its permanent displays since 1993 and has hosted a multitude of touring exhibitions over the years.
"We have got to project ahead into the future and try to imagine - we will accommodate anything we can with the available space we have got," Jack said.
"It's the people who own the museum and those yet to come, we manage it," he said.
Plans include extending from the eastern aspect of the museum, and that end of the museum will be partitioned off with dust control barriers installed for that purpose.
A new collection storage area is also proposed, which will future proof the ability of the museum to continue to safely house the collection, currently containing nearly 30,000 items, consisting of natural history specimens, artworks, textiles, objects, books, photographs and audio-visual material.
The museum hopes to have a continuum with usual opening hours throughout the building works.
Additional funding is being sought for development of the exhibition program.
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Leah Szanto
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
