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Our Collection

Coal Creek was initially set up as a place for the Korumburra Historical Society to keep their historical objects and records. The original Korumburra Court House was moved to the Coal Creek for their use and over time, more buildings were relocated to the site. These included a wattle and daub cottage, a church, three school buildings, a hall, two club rooms and several private dwellings. Some of the buildings were converted to other uses; one school building in now the Masonic Lodge and another became the café. 

Other buildings were recreated on the site to provide a glimpse of mining and country town life in the period of 1870-1920. The General Store and O. Gilpin’s were constructed at Coal Creek and fitted out with fixtures from original buildings. On 4 March 1974 Coal Creek officially opened to the public.

Due to the kind donation of the Korumburra Community, Coal Creek now has over 20,000 heritage items on display throughout the park; with those in the General Store being a  major feature of the collection. Many hours of volunteer time has gone into recording details of the items. We are currently transferring that information to computer. There is still a large portion of the collection not catalogued. Ongoing support from volunteers is vital to completing this huge project and we welcome any assistance offered. 

Coal Creek curatorial staff  are committed to adopting current Museum best practise whenever possible to ensure the ongoing preservation and communication of Gippsland's cultural heritage.  Coal Creek has membership of Museum's Australia, South Gippsland Historical Network and is an active participant in the Federal Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Policy Statement

Coal Creek exists to promote awareness and understanding of the natural, industrial and social history of South Gippsland from european settlement through to 1920, through the collection, preservation and communication of relevant material culture.

Policy Rationale

The Coal Creek Collection Policy underpins the development of the collection. It defines the range of objects the museum chooses to collect or not collect. It ensures that a high standard of care of the current collection is maintained and that future acquisitions or disposals are made in a structured and considered manner.

In line with the current Mission Statement, it is the aim of Coal Creek that all future acquisitions meet recommended significance criteria through their relevance to the stated time period (1870-1920) and to the planned themes of the site - themes developed in order to interpret the following areas of Gippsland regional history: Coal Mining, Farming and Dairying, Forestry and Saw Milling, Transport Industry and the development of the town.

From the Collection Articles

Fabric Doll      Sugar Nippers     Bills Horse Trough       Ericsson Wall Phone 

Stock & Dies    Gramophone     Chain Saw Sculpture      Bronze Relief