81 community groups across Victoria will share in $355,000 in grants from the Victorian Government to help record and preserve their local history stories and share them with future generations.

Announcing the grants, Mr Baillieu said the projects funded by the Local History Grants Program reflected the wealth of stories that chronicle the rich and diverse history of a great state.

“These grants will ensure the many amazing stories of our past are preserved and shared with the community,” Mr Baillieu said.

The Local History Grants Program is currently funded through the Victorian Government’s Community Support Fund, which provides small grants of up to $12,000 to community organisations to preserve, record, publish and present Victorian local history.

The projects included digitising newspapers and creating publications, installing signs on heritage trails, recording oral histories and training staff and volunteers in preservation techniques.

Recipients of the 2010-11 Local History Grants include:
– Benalla and District Historical Society for the development of a heritage trail
– Burraja Cultural Centre to preserve their collection and oral histories of community members
– Castlemaine Historical Society to digitise local newspapers and improve access.

The full list of the 2010-2011 grant recipients can be viewed here.