The negatives are the work of two photographic studios which operated in Wangaratta from 1860 through to 1960.

They tell the story of the people who lived in, worked, played and passed through the region.

There is everything from formal family portraits to news events, weddings, social events and the occasional colourful character.

Committee member Helen Al Helwani said the glass plate negatives were a priceless addition to the 20,000 images the museum held from various other sources.

She said while many museums had a collection of images, it was rare to have such an extensive representation of all levels of a community.

“The big difference is we have all the glass plate negatives scanned and catalogued so we can access them all,’’ Mrs Al Helwani said

“Scanning and cataloguing them was a huge task which took years, so most other museums haven’t done that and are not able to access the images as we can.

“We were very fortunate to get them, so many of these types of items used to be simply thrown in the tip.

“Most of the images were taken in the studio but there are some fantastic pictures out in the community.

“The detail is fantastic.

“There are pictures of the main street which looks enormously wide because none of the trees had grown.

“And there are pictures of some of the first wooden buildings in the main street.’’

In many instances there are generations of families who have posed for the photographers’ lens.

And local characters such as one who lived near Tarrawingee.

His mode of transport was a three-wheeled buggy pulled by his dogs.

“My mother still remembers seeing him riding around in his cart,” she said.

“He used to come into town to get his supplies.

“He had two dogs, one of them would pull him into town and the other would pull him home.”

She said by digitising the images, museum visitors were able to see photographs that had not been seen for decades.

“We have had a lot of people come in who have found pictures of their family they haven’t seen for years and in some cases the family didn’t know the pictures existed at all,” she said.

“They are a great source of when things happened in town.”

THE Wangaratta Historical Society and Museum is a big part of secretary, Val Gleeson’s life but don’t think it means she’s one to dwell in the past.

Having lived within a block of today’s museum all her life, as well as having served as a councillor with the Wangaratta shire, there’s not much about her dear old Wangaratta that has escaped her attention.

While her work with the museum has focused on recording the past for future generations, she assures people it has nothing to do with nostalgia.

“People say they were the good old days but I think they were only good because they have gone,” Mrs Gleeson said.

“People have selective memories — they forget about the tank out the back where you had to get your water which was full of wrigglers.

“And they ignore the fact the people had big families at a time when there was no penicillin or modern drugs. People died of things that could be prevented easily today.

“Your butter melted because the ice only came three times a week and the butcher used to come around in his cart and cut up the meat in front of you.

“And then what about the swaggies who used to walk the roads — you would have to find them a feed.

“People say I could write a book about the old times but why would I — I’ve lived it.”

These days the 85-year-old is well-versed in the latest technology, having bought the most up-to-date tablet in the past few weeks.

And she is happy to sit at the computer to catalogue or research items of interest for the museum.

Not short of a story or shy of a chat, Mrs Gleeson has been involved with the museum for many years and is keen to relay stories of the city’s past.

She has seen the collection expand to the point where it takes up all available space in what was the town fire station.

The building, built in 1859, has been the town’s museum since 1962.

It’s the connection to visitors and the community that keeps Mrs Gleeson involved.

“I came to my first meeting of the society and went home as the president which I don’t really think was fair,” she said with a chuckle.

“But I get a lot of pleasure out of doing things for other people.

“I love it when visitors come in and you see the joy on their faces when they find out something about their family.

“We can often tell them things about history they have never heard before.”

HOW do you light a candle without a match or a lighter?

It’s a riddle which has dogged Wangaratta resident, Bill Barfield, 78, for decades.

He has the tool to solve the problem but not the knowledge of how to work it.

The tool is a tinderbox which was brought to Australia by his family when they emigrated in the early 1900s.

The small round tin contains a steel with a handle and flint, some charred pieces of cloth, a round plate with a handle and a candleholder, presumably for the lit candle.

“I remember seeing my grandfather demonstrate it when I was about five,’’ Mr Barfield said.

“But I haven’t been able to work it since.

“I think you soak the cloth with some paraffin or kerosene and then use the steel and flint to make a spark which lights the cloth.

“Then you could light the candle from that flame.

“Finally you would snuff out the fire in the box with the round disk.’’

Mr Barfield has donated the tinderbox to the Wangaratta Museum to ensure the item is on display for future generations.

“I hadn’t taken it out of the cupboard for years,’’ he said.

“In the museum people get to see it and it is a real talking piece.

“I think it is better to have it here for everyone to see.’’