Land, River, People

18 May 2005 - present

The central and permanent exhibition space at the museum is designed around the core themes of river, land and people with the purpose of communicating the history and stories of the region through display, arrangement and interpretation of objects from the collection of the Hawkesbury Historical Society.

These main themes focus specifically on the establishment of the Hawkesbury as a community and incorporates where possible, the history of the indigenous people who lived in the region prior to European settlement. Focusing on the river, its uses and the vital part it played in providing fertile and arable land for growing food crops, this exhibition tells of the importance of the region, not only to the lives of local inhabitants but of those living in settlements further afield. Through the establishment of towns, and the subsequent creation of communities within those towns, people are brought together, be it in the town square, market place, at school or in church. As such, we see evidence of the contribution that people make to the building of a community.

It is the people of the Hawkesbury, those who participated in its transition from an early outpost of the colony to what it is today - a thriving and prosperous region of Sydney - that we also acknowledge, through collection objects, interpretation panels and audio visual displays. Together these demonstrate how the story of the river, land and people of the Hawkesbury is integral to the purpose of the Hawkesbury Regional Museum.

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