East Gippsland Historical Society currently has a “Baby Show” exhibition on display at the museum.
It looks at the baby shows held in the local area and wider East Gippsland from the 1930s through to the 1960s. The shows were held as part of fundraising events to assist local community groups.
In 1944 Orbost Country Women’s Association held one for a new stretcher for the local ambulance, in 1953 the Bairnsdale Bonnie Bairn contest sponsored by Rotary of Bairnsdale was for raising funds towards the building of an Infant Welfare Centre in Bairnsdale which achieved the sum of £4300, and in 1966 the Bairnsdale Home and Hospital Garden Party raised $950.
At the end of each competition a Champion Baby was announced and presented with a prize or a portrait taken by the local photographer. Many others for different reasons were also held during this period.
A photographic display of entrants in the “Sun Baby’ competition covering the period 1970–1975 is also part of this exhibition.
The exhibition will be on display until the later part of this year.
The museum is open to the public Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday from 10am to 3pm and the first Sunday of the month 10am to 3pm.
