#dioramadrama

So where is that pesky Diorama?

You know the one. It was a crazy kitchsy timber shed in the middle of Eureka Stockade park, near Lake Penhallurick. In it was a sculpture art work about the Eureka Rebellion, with figurines, and a painted backdrop. You had to put in a coin to start the narration.

Our kids used to play in the park and watch for tourists who entered and put a coin in. They would rush to get to the front in time for the narration to start. They could recite a lot of it!

It was opened in 1970 after a $7,000 grant by the then Premier, Sir Henry Bolte, in April 1969. $3,500 was also raised by the Rotary clubs of Ballarat with a walkathon in 1968. See the Eurekapedia entry here.

Anyway a few of us got to thinking about finding it, resurrecting it as a 70s interpretation of heritage interpretation. Or at least of stirring the possum to find out where the body was laid to rest. Its not fabulous, but I guess that was exactly its connection with Easties.

It wasn’t pretty but it was ours!

If you’d like to help start asking around, send in your pics (email us at info@ballarateast.net) and use #dioramadrama and lets see if the community can find it and bring it back to light, if not to life!

Tags:#dioramadrama, diorama