PaSSMusings

Parndana Soldier Settlement Museum News December 2018

We hope this will be the second newsletter on our web site which we began earlier this year but, due to Pat's lack of computer know-how, floundered before it was launched. Now site developer Greg Willson of PROBIZ has given us another chance and, helped by Ian Jamieson, we hope Pat can get her act together!

Since the very successful Reunion held in April 2018 the Museum committee has been busy. First Gary Bell edited the excellent footage he took at Anzac Day and at the Concert, and then added photos taken by Katrina Wills at the lunch and footage from the Saturday launch of the Ken McWhinnie shed and other displays. A set of three DVDs was produced that were sold and the proceeds donated to the Parndana Progress Association towards the costs of the brilliant Settlers' Memorial Walls that were opened in August.

Thanks to all the Facebook members who generously gave recipes, photos and stories to Carolyn Scrimshaw to use in her book 'A Taste of the Past' about the women of the western end of Kangaroo Island and their cooking. Carolyn launched the book at the Parndana Show and a few days later had sold out the first print run of 400. Since then she has done a reprint and the books are available from www.carolyns.biz online, or at the Museum. Carolyn generously donated one box of books to the Museum so we thank her for that boost to our finances. Our settlers, who don't usually do Facebook and internet banking, have been stocking up on the books for their descendants' Xmas presents. The layout is very attractive and most people seem to read the personal stories and historical snippets before getting to the recipes.

The community was saddened by the death of Beth Bald, an inaugural member of the museum committee, in June. A way of expressing how much Beth had contributed to both the Museum and the Parndana Show was to nominate her for the KI Council Citizen of the Year Award which will be announced at the Australia Day event in January. We certainly feel that she deserves recognition for all that she did to serve the Parndana community.

We are always distressed to lose yet another Soldier Settler and in 2018 Molly McArdle, Dorothy Hamlyn, Dorothy Bates and Norma Tremaine all left us. Their contribution to their families, their settlement farms, and to their communities was enormous. Each of those people still have family living on KI.

Thanks to those people who gave items and documents to the museum - we have a backlog of cataloguing to catch up on and will run a working bee in January to tackle it. Our volunteers are aging but we are fortunate to have a couple of younger women who have stepped in to help keep the Museum open to visitors. We can always use other people, even if you don't want to talk to the tourists, in jobs like displays, protecting vulnerable documents, entering data or maintenance. Contact us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if interested.

In general, the Museum is healthy and financially sound after a rewarding, if at times stressful, year in 2018.

Thanks to all our volunteers, local people and businesses who so willingly support it.

Regards Pat Brooksby Chairperson PSSM