Member for Kalkallo Ros Spence MP has called on local groups in her community to apply for grants of up to $15,000 to fund projects to preserve and celebrate the rich history of Melbourne’s outer north.

The Andrews Labor Government’s latest round of the Local History Grants Program provides a total of $350,000 to foster the preserving, recording and sharing of the state’s fascinating history.

The program funds community-based organisations to tell their stories, preserve significant historical collections and increase opportunities for public engagement with the past.

The most recent round of grants saw 40 projects across the state funded, making local history more accessible.

Recipients included the Nagambie Historical Society for important upgrades to its museum, the ILBIJERRI Theatre Company to archive its 30-year history and the Australian Queer Archives to digitise its collection of press clippings.

Other projects previously funded include websites, oral histories and podcasts, interpretative signage, collection cataloguing and Auslan translations.

Applications for grants close on Monday, 30 January 2023. For more information and to apply for funding go to prov.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Member for Kalkallo Ros Spence:

“These grants will help ensure that the heritage of Melbourne’s outer north can be preserved for future generations.”

“It’s not just for historical societies and museums, these grants are open to schools, sporting clubs and a wide range of community organisations. I encourage local groups in our community to go online and consider lodging an application.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Government Services Danny Pearson:

“Local history is an important part of Victoria’s memory, and we’re proud to support projects that showcase and preserve the diverse voices that make up the state’s past.”

“Whether it is for the digitisation of records, the publication of local history stories or an upgrade to a museum, the Local History Grants Program ensures that the stories of our past are available for future generations.”