Thousands of historical photographs capturing the changing face of Box Hill over the past century will soon be preserved for future generations thanks to the Box Hill Historical Society and a grant from the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) Community Projects Fund.
The photographs and documents were nearly destroyed last year when an air-conditioning malfunction led to humidity in the archiving room at the Box Hill Town Hall – with condensation dripping down the walls. Had this not been discovered quickly, delicate original photographs could have been destroyed.
The new grant has allowed the Box Hill Historical Society to employ an archivist to digitise more than 3000 photos, using special large-format scanning equipment.
The digital archive will provide community members and future generations with access to the fascinating snapshot of this ever-changing suburb on the Victorian Collection's online catalogue.
The Box Hill Historical Society has been collecting, cataloguing and preserving historical archives of Box Hill and surrounds since the 1960s.
SRL East will deliver six new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill – improving connections cross Melbourne and attracting new jobs, housing and opportunities to the areas around the stations.
The SRL Community Projects Fund is providing grants to local initiatives, projects and events to support communities and help them prepare for changes over time that will accompany the new rail line.
Almost 80 community projects from Cheltenham to Box Hill received grants between $10,000 and $80,000 in the first round of grants, with future rounds to be offered while SRL East is built.
Read more about Box Hill Historical Society's archiving initiative.