Manjimup power museum switched on

People got the first look inside the PowerUp Energy Museum during the first walk through on Friday.

The museum, which houses the State’s heritage energy items, officially opened to the public on Saturday and is also the new location for the Manjimup Visitor Centre.

Special guests at the event on Friday included Warren-Blackwood MLA Terry Redman who opened the facility, O’Connor MHR Rick Wilson, Bunbury MLA Don Punch and Manjimup resident Lyn Neal, who won the competition to name the museum.

Mr Redman said the museum was attached to the then-named SuperTowns project, funded through Royalties for Regions.

“One of the jewels in the crown of the funding for Manjimup was this heritage precinct here,” he said.

“You see the evidence looking out the window: the Sound Shell, the park, the slide and the upgrade to all the buildings, showing a lot of the history of this particular area of the region.

“We now, of course, have something that’s been sitting in sea containers for a long time being now mobilised for the community to show that electricity history and how that’s part of the South West.

For 70 years, electricity was pretty darn boring in the South West, but now it’s actually coming alive again.

Mr Wilson said the museum would be another wonderful asset for the Southern Forests region and spoke about the importance the Federal funding input had on the building.

“That’s what the Building Better Regions fund is about, it’s about building bigger, better, stronger regions for economic development,” he said.

“Very, very proud and pleased to have been a part of this project by contributing $2.6 million.”

Mr Punch said the museum was recognition of the role energy and industry had on the social and economic development of the State.