Everyone from school students and tourists to the general population now has pieces of the Bega Valley Shire's fascinating history at their fingertips.
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On Friday, the South Coast History Society's Bega Shire's Hidden Heritage website and free app went live.
It is connected to the society's 101 Objects project and documents items of historic significance in the area, from native flora and important sites for the traditional owners to artifacts from the more recent colonial history.
"I think what is unique about the Bega shire's history is because Bega is so far from places like Sydney a lot of what is here has been preserved, even if people don't know it is preserved," the society's president Peter Lacey said.
"There are still in existence the original plows that plowed the Jellat Flats before we had tractors.
"It was the leading technology of the time, brought out to little old Bega, and because we're so far from anything the artifacts are still here.
"There's so much heritage here; we could have done 1001 Objects!"
He said the project will give the shire's residents more of of an appreciation of what is still in the area and give tourists a better visiting experience as they can learn what is available to see.
Also, Mr Lacey said teachers have told him there are few resources to teach local history, so this would provide such a resource.
About 70 people contributed to the project, completed with the help of $95,000 from the NSW government's Heritage Near Me and it compliments a free booklet that has already been released.
The app and website were developed entirely within the Bega shire, with the content provided by several local heritage advisers and historians as well as a number of museums.
The programming was undertaken by 2pi Software, the audio was recorded by Eden Local Land Council's BJ Cruse and ABC South East's Simon Lauder and most of the photography was shot by Double Take Photography of Eden and Angi High of Merimbula.
What has surprised Mr Lacey is the level of interest in the project outside of the shire, as he has already given two talks on it in places like Yass and there has been interest in more talks as other groups want to know how the society pulled it together.
Due to the interest, the society has documented how the project was made and will send it to groups from other regions such as museums and councils.
The app and website will be officially launched by Bega Shire Mayor Kristy McBain on August 19.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
