POSTER - PETER ROWSTHORN MUSEUM TOUR, SIGNED

Peter Rowsthorn is an Australian comedian who was born in Melbourne and in the 2000's moved to Western Australia with his family. His wife was born in Western Australia and still had family here.
Peter started doing stand-up comedy in the early 1980s before becoming a writer and performer on the popular comedy television show The Comedy Companyin 1989. Since then he has appeared in numerous television shows and films including Kath & Kim(2002-2007), Can We Help?(2006-2011) and Paper Planes(2014) which was partially shot in Roleystone.
In 2015 History House received a grant from the Department of Culture and the Arts to engage a comedian to conduct tours of the museum as a different was to interpret the collection and draw in new Audiences. Part of the program included a workshop run my Peter on public speaking and performing in front of crowds based on his experiences as a comedian, public speaker and actor. Peter also performed four sold out tours of the museum providing a very unique and original take on the collection and the history of the district.
History House was opened on 25 April 1976 by the Armadale Kelmscott Historical Society (AKHS). The society was formed in 1967 following a Pioneer's Re-union Cyril Rushton (MLA for Dale) urged Shire councillors to establish a repository for documents, photographs and objects important to the history of the district and that they be stored in the new Council offices. Within a year the Armadale - Kelmscott branch of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society was established with 100 members. On 8 November 1973 The AKHS launched a fund raising appeal at a public meeting held in the Armadale Hall to raise money to build a new museum, called History House, near the site of the former home of Martin and Roberta Jull 'Brookside' on land owned by the council in the heart of Armadale. The Shire Council pledged to donate $2 for every dollar raised. A number of local organisations agreed to donate their services to design the building and oversee the project. Not all residents were in favour of the History House proposal, being opposed to the Council taking out a loan of $20,000. Despite the opposition from the Ratepayers Association the funds were raised . The Historical society raised $10,000 the remainder being donated Apex, Rotary and local school children. The Museum ended up costing $30,050. Just $50 over budget. The Museum was a community initiative from its design by Phil Pritchard, to its construction by builder Gerrit (Harry) Bosveld. Approximately 1000 people attended the museum opening. Margaret Bettenay was appointed the inaugural curator, a role she held to 2002. History House Museum became only the second purpose built community museum in the metropolitan area.
The AKHS ran the museum successfully for many years building the collection and putting on a wide variety of displays and public and school programs. By the early 2000's rising costs and an aging and declining membership meant the AKHS was struggling to manage the museum and requested that the City of Armadale take over the management and ownership of the museum and the collections. Since then the Council has continued the mission of the AKHS to collect, share, promote and exhibit the history of the local district.