What is the link between Tuckett's Tomahawk and Mullumbimby Rotary Club?
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Stewart’s Menswear is part of the fabric of Mullumbimby. When we bought the store in 2004, we decided to offer one of our windows to the Brunswick Valley Historical Society. The display is changed regularly by Mullumbimby Museum volunteers and it creates a lot of interest and comments.
The current display promotes their new exhibition, Rotary Australia celebrating 100 years. The exhibition contains a display of photos, banners, clothing etc from members of Mullumbimby District Rotary.
We were fortunate enough to be invited to view the exhibition at the museum last week with the current members of Mullumbimby Rotary Club where we enjoyed a tour of the museum and a presentation by one of its volunteers, Susan Tsicalis. The exhibition itself is a valuable resource of memorabilia and photos which brought back fond memories of Rotarians past and of the many projects which Rotary have undertaken for the benefit of our Community.
The major source of funding for the Museum are the monthly markets which are held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. At each Market, the Museum feature a special object which is accompanied by a booklet with its history/story. In conjunction with their current exhibition, the Object of the Month for April 2021 was Tuckett's Tomahawk.
But what is the link between Tuckett's Tomahawk and Rotary, you might ask?
Tuckett’s Tomahawk is the original “Biggest Little Town in Australia” sign. The museum’s booklet tells us the slogan was first proposed in 1964. About a year later Mullumbimby Rotary took up the slogan for the promotion of Mullumbimby. The President of Rotary at the time was Stan Tuckett, who owned a pharmacy in town.
The then Headmaster of Mullumbimby High School, Rotarian John Pearce donated the use of 3/5 acre of land owned by the school. As a fundraiser for the project, the Rotary Club grew and harvested a crop of potatoes on the land which were sold for $10 per bag.
The sign was erected in 1965 near Uncle Tom’s, which at the time was on the highway, to entice passing traffic to visit Mullumbimby. The sign, which became known as Tuckett’s Tomahawk remained until 1990 when it had to be removed and was relocated to its new home in the grounds of the Mullumbimby Museum.
The shady grounds of the Mullumbimby Museum are also home to the Mullumbimby Markets. If you’re looking for a vibrant, chilled-out local craft market with a family atmosphere, this is the place to be. The markets feature live music, kid’s activities, great food and artisan stalls. The Museum is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00am till 12:00pm and on Market Saturday from 9:00am till 1:00pm.
The Brunswick Valley Historical Society, the caretaker of the Museum, is run by volunteers who work tirelessly to provide a permanent record of our interesting and unique local history.
Their display in our shop window gives the Mullumbimby Museum a presence in our main street, reminding both locals and visitors of what a great place the Museum is to visit.
1 comment
Sue
How can I post your article onto our Rotary Facebook page.