For Chiltern’s longtime resident Eunice De Piazza, the preservation of the town’s Athenaeum building had been vital in retaining the valuable space for the town’s history collection.

The Chiltern-born 96-year-old said she had been interested in the Athenaeum most of her life.

“I was a volunteer here for a long time,” she said.

“It’s great to have a place like this with so much history in it.”

The Chiltern Athenaeum officially re-opened with a jam-packed crowd on Sunday.

It had been closed for five years following the Covid outbreak and restoration works undertaken by Indigo Shire Council.

Athenaeum volunteer Christine Hay delivered an informative talk, taking the audience back in time as she recounted Chiltern township, Athenaeum and Town Hall history from 1852 until present day.

Ms Hay said historian and author Robert Ashley with family ties to Chiltern had played an integral part in saving the Athenaeum in the late 1960s.

She said in 1967 an architect employed by the then Chiltern Council to report on the building’s condition doubted its historical value with a recommendation not to undertake repairs.

Mr Ashley requested the then Chiltern Council to approach the National Trust about the building’s worthiness and the Trust deemed the building preservation worthy.

The building was classified by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) as essential to Australia’s heritage.

The historian who travelled from Ballarat for the special event, said he was delighted to see the Athenaeum re-open.

“I was responsible for having the National Trust classify the building with my efforts starting in 1967,” he said.

“I then set up the first historical display in 1971 with the late well-known Clarrie Moon after the library was relocated.”

The display remained until after the 1974 Chiltern Shire centenary celebrations.

“We used the display to initially raise funds, then applied to the state government through the council," he said.

Mr Ashley said grants were received from the state government and Australian Heritage Commission.

“Chiltern history is important and is a great resource for the town, and there is a lot of pride taken in its history,” he said.

“The Chiltern Athenaeum has recognised Clarrie Moon’s contribution in preserving the stories of our past as well.”

Ms Hay said from the 1970s, Chiltern’s late Rex Fuge had devoted his life to the Athenaeum.

“Rex along with a dedicated group of volunteers developed the museum until his untimely death in 2014 with volunteers continuing to care for the collection and research local history,” she said.

Ms Hay said the restoration project has given the museum a new lease on life.

Athenaeum committee co-chair Vivienne Burnett said the opening had been a culmination of hard and fabulous work by many volunteers.

Committee co-chair Maureen Everett said the completed restoration had been the end of a long, hard road but now an exciting one ahead.

“We’re now open to help people with their research and family history and bring people back to Chiltern,” she said.

The official opening was attended by Indigo Shire Mayor Sophie Price, deputy mayor Jane Dowsley, CEO Trevor Ierino and councillor Scott Landells.

The restoration budget of $474,612 comprised Indigo Shire Council’s contribution of $186,782, funds of $54,000 raised by the Chiltern community with the balance funded by government grants.