With his family rooted in the community for seven generations, local Chiltern identity Andrew Gilmour recently made an extraordinary find in his family records; an original 1864 Chiltern Athenaeum minute book.

Mr Gilmour, who is also an Athenaeum committee member, presented the book to the museum where it is now treasured by its volunteers.

“It's marvellous what turns up," he said.

"My family was always interested in the athenaeum, particularly when it was a library for many years."

Mr Gilmour also recently cut the ribbon for the re-opening of the Athenaeum from its closure after a five-year restoration for its building preservation.

A proud Mr Gilmour said when he cut the ribbon he thought about the unbelievable volunteer work.

“I just felt a whole wave of appreciation for the volunteers and what the generations to come owe to them,” he said.

The 99-year-old also said the original building space divided in half by three columns had one side used as council chambers, and the other serving as the library.

“My grandfather and my father were both presidents of the committees over the years, and I started off my early reading days there,” he said.

Mr Gilmour said the restoration had been unbelievable with its internal space.

“It looks bright and airy, beautifully labelled and intelligently laid out,” he said.

Mr Gilmour said the layout had all been at the hands of the volunteer committee and volunteers with their enthusiasm and hard work.

“Before work could start on the building, everything had to be cleared out, packed up in boxes in appropriate materials, and carried to the McEwen annex store room,” he said.

“That was a huge job, but then they had to do the reverse.”

Mr Gilmour said the Athenaeum is about Chilton history with intimate town connections.

“The thing that I like most about the Athenaeum is it is about Chiltern,” he said.

“It’s the way it should be and such a wonderful idea because people who come to Chiltern want to know about the town.”

Athenaeum volunteer Christine Hay said the minute book had been a brilliant discovery.

Ms Hay said the book recorded minutes from the Athenaeum - originally a timber construction singed by fire from the nearby hotel - rebuilt as a brick building for the town hall and athenaeum.

“The minute book also goes up to when talks were held about the establishment of the town hall,” she said.

“It even gets better, because when the record is turned over, in the back it's a minute book of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Society.

“In 1864 the society and the Chiltern Literary Institute amalgamated to form a new literary society and called it the Chiltern Athenaeum.

“This is about the first group and a minute book before becoming an Athenaeum.”

Mr Gilmour had an acting career spanning more than three decades.

The former actor is known for his roles in a string of television series among them A Thousand Skies, All the Rivers Run II, Blue Heelers, Neighbours and The Sullivans.

Movies included Walt Disney’s ‘Ride a Wild Pony’ filmed in Chiltern, Australian dystopian thriller Mad Max, Crackerjack and Smitten.