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Mallala Museum is keeping its history alive with the creation of its very own cultural heritage wiki website.
The website, www.nowandthen.net.au was launched yesterday (Tuesday) at Mallala Primary School by Member for Goyder, Steven Griffiths.
Mallala and Districts Historical Committee and its museum have been working with the collections council of Australia since March this year in preparation for the pilot use of wiki technology.
Collections Council of Australia chief executive officer, Margaret Birtley, said the Now and Then wiki was a first for the Australian collections sector.
“The museum is pioneering 21st century technology for sharing Australia’s past and promoting broad participation in recording and recounting the town’s history,” she said.
Mr Griffiths congratulated the museum, the Collections Council and the AuDA Foundation on the initiative.
“Wikipedia, the world’s most well known wiki, relies on the efforts of millions of volunteers from around the world,” he said.
“By contrast, the beginnings of this wiki have been powered by the efforts and enthusiasm of local volunteers in this community, with a population of just 500.”
The Now and Then wiki will extend the work of the Mallala Museum and other historical groups in the district by recording, preserving and sharing the town’s heritage and collections - in the online environment and for a world-wide audience.
The museum now has a wireless broadband connection and lap top computer to assist with the project.
Many of those working on the project have a long and deep knowledge of the area, and some have learned to use computers and the internet for the first time through their involvement in the project.
The website now includes 80 articles relating to the town’s buildings, people, stories, heritage items and history.
Anyone can add their own memories using the wiki and even blogs, Flickr and YouTube.
“This site will allow you to build a record of your past to share with the generations of tomorrow,” Ms Birtley said.
