This week the Kimberley Heritage Museum celebrates 30 years of preserving Kimberley's archives and heritage.

The collection at the museum now contains 8,843 artifacts and 9,424 archival photographs. More than 200,000 visitors have been welcomed over the years.

Museum curator Marie Stang says that while the idea of a museum in Kimberley had been tossed around since the days Cliff Swan was Mayor in the 1950's, it took until 1980 for it to actually happen.

Funds were raised through various grant and event, and space in the new museum library college building was made available, Stang says. Official dedication of the new building took place in May 1980 and the Kimberley Heritage Museum opened to the public.

“There have been many tireless volunteers over the past 30 years, not to mention heritage professionals like Derryll White, who provided assistance in the many initial tasks such as a constitution and a collections policy,” Stand said. Without these dedicated volunteer the museum wold not be what it is today.”

From the beginning the goals was that the museum would not be a “junky collection of artifacts” but a well thought out representation of Kimberley's history, with exhibits changed throughout the year to reflect special events and the seasons.

Projects over the years include restoration of old mining equipment from the North Star and Stemwinder mines, restoration and relocation of the North Star schoolhouse and the erection of a replica tram tower, all of which have been donated to the Sullivan Mine and Railway Historical Society The museum also erected a cairn, adjacent to the entrance to Trickle Creek Golf Course, to mark an original portion of the North Star Wagon Road/McGinty Trail and the relocation ad restoration of the old Marysville Schoolhouse, which celebrates its one hundredth anniversary next month.

The museum has also partnered with the Columbia Basin Image Bank, a website where all the archival photos at the museum will be available online.

“We at the Kimberley Heritage Museum truly believe in the operation of our community's heritage for future generations and will continue to work to that en with the support and input of the community, Stang said.