By Oscar Parry
From rabbits to film history – a Sunbury resident is calling for a museum dedicated to stories from the suburb’s past.
Lifelong Sunbury resident and musician Chris Galea said he would like to see a “decent-sized” museum covering a range of topics from the suburb’s history.
“There are so many things about Sunbury over the years, from industry to pop festivals … shows that were filmed at Emu Bottom [and] very much in the Australian psyche … like Tandarra and Cash and Company,” Mr Galea said.
“So many people are interested … we’ve got a dedicated history [Facebook] page, and it’s been added by so many Sunburnians that there is a wealth of old history on that page.
“That could be transferred into a building where people could actually go and feel and see it and smell things.”
Mr Galea said one aspect of Sunbury’s history that could be covered is the former Rupertswood Rabbit Cannery that was owned by Rupert Clarke.
He said the cannery employed a large team who would skin and process rabbits in solder-sealed cans, ready to be exported.
“It was a great source of cheap protein but it also helped with the rabbit population, because Sunbury’s had a massive rabbit population since forever,” he said.
“During the depression, people would come up on the trains … and they would line the Sunbury Railway Station all holding rifles and shotguns … could you imagine that happening today?”
Mr Galea said on Saturday mornings in Sunbury during the ‘60s and ‘70s, you could “almost guarantee a knock on the door” from two children or teenagers selling pairs of rabbits.
“All that history that belonged just to the rabbits in Sunbury … it’s got generations of history just about rabbits,” he said.
Mr Galea suggested a museum of this type would “ideally” be located on Jacksons Hill and include a café – giving visitors the opportunity to “spend a lot of time, be comfortable, have a break, [and] look around.”
