Update 13/07/2021:
Temporary closure of museum
Tamworth Regional Council has taken the difficult decision to temporarily close the Powerstation Museum from today in the interest of the health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers.
Council’s Director Art Gallery & Museums, Bridget Guthrie, said many museums across regional NSW have already closed under the current COVID-19 public health orders, including in Moonbi and Manilla.
“After much consideration we have agreed to temporarily close the museum until further notice,” she said.
“The safety and welfare of our staff and volunteers is paramount. Many of our dedicated and hard-working volunteers are older members of our community who are considered by health experts to be among those at increased risk for contracting COVID-19.”
Other museums across the region have been closed for weeks, since the public health orders were announced 26 June, 2021.
Volunteers will continue to work behind closed doors at the museum as they continue to perform various documentation and administration tasks. However, the museum will be closed to the public until further notice.
Update 29/06/2021: The Tamworth Powerstation Museum is currently open with normal operating hours. Face masks are required for all adults entering the museums. Children 12 years and under are exempt for wearing a mask under the currently enforced NSW Government rules, however Children are encouraged to wear a mask where practicable.
Any potential visitors who have been in the greater Sydney area on or from 21 June must self-isolate for 2 weeks and are not permitted to visit.
Update 10 October 2020: The Museum has returned to our normal opening hours – Wednesday to Saturday 9am-1pm.
Update 28 August 2020: The Powerstation Museum has taken steps to ensure our staff, community and visitors comply with directives from the NSW Government. To find out what we are doing to make your experience a safe one, click here. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support during these uncertain times.
Update 8 July 2020: The Powerstation Museum will continue to be closed to the public as the Museum is run by a group of fabulous volunteers who are classified as being at greater risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms due to their age. To ensure the safety of these wonderful volunteers the Powerstation Museum will not be opening their doors just yet. However, anyone is more than welcome to contact us for an appointment by calling 02 6767 5248 and we can organise a personal tour.
Initial Statement: Tamworth Powerstation Museum will be closed from Wednesday 18 March, 2020 for the foreseeable future to minimise any possible risks to its mostly elderly volunteers due to the spread of COVID-19.
It is not a decision that has been made lightly. “We are all disappointed that this has had to happen,” said volunteer Ron Greer. “A large number of the people who visit the museum are elderly and many of the volunteers are elderly. Some of our volunteers have health issues which are well managed but it makes them more vulnerable – we have to act in the best interests of everyone’s health.”
Some of the volunteers will continue to work behind closed doors in groups of three or four at a time to continue cataloguing tasks and working to maintain and update displays.
Tamworth Regional Council Director Gallery and Museums, Bridget Guthrie, said the volunteers are passionate about their work at the museum but felt they had no alternative but to step away from their roles temporarily as part of the community-wide measures needed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
