Twenty-eight years of service to the town’s Historical Society qualifies her to take the lead on bringing the population of today up to speed with the background of their town.
Twenty-three of those years were spent working in the Historical Library with Mavis Knight.
The Lost Kyabram photographs gain constant attention, as does the Looking Back segment of the Free Press — another concept brought to the community by Eileen.
She goes to extreme lengths to ensure the link between the posts and the news of the day is maintained.
“I think it is important to link the past with what is happening in society today. That’s what I try to do through Looking Back and the Lost Kyabram page,” she said.
Eileen arrived in Kyabram as a school teacher in 1966, spending three years at Haslem St (now the primary section of Kyabram P-12 College) and later doing emergency teaching in various schools in the district and part-time work at St Augustine’s Primary School and Unwin St Kindergarten.
During that time she married her husband of the past 53 years, Brian, and the couple had three children: Narelle, a graphic designer from Malvern, who has worked mainly from a small property in Neerim North the past two years; Jeremy, who works in the Department of Neurology at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA; and Tamara, who works from home in Barwon Heads as a diamond leadership manager for Tupperware.
Tamara has two sons — Eileen and Brian’s only grandchildren.
Eileen’s commitment to her historical role borders on obsessive, but the beneficiaries of her work are too numerous to mention.
“I get a lot of requests from people to assist them with research and finding information about their family,” she said.
“Wherever I can help, I do.”
The 77-year-old is one of about 15 members who are the keepers of the town’s historical records, though few spend three hours almost every weekday with their nose buried in the books.
“I’m here from 2pm until 5pm most weekdays,” Eileen said.
“Mavis Knight and I worked together for 23 years, but I’ve been pretty much by myself for the last five years. We really worked well together and I do miss her.
“The Historical Society members manage the cottage at the fauna park, which is something the society has put a lot of work into.”
A recent bequest from a generous lover of history has allowed Eileen to update her record-keeping equipment, which is kept in a room at the town’s library and community service centre on Lake Rd.
“We are fortunate that the shire allows us to work from this complex,” Eileen said.
“The new laptop, which was bought through funds from this generous person, has made life much easier. I can now access the internet.”
Eileen started the Looking Back column with the Free Press in April 2004 and since 2009 has been afforded the luxury of her own operational base in the town’s library.
“I just love photographs, particularly the old ones. And they constantly create interest, through the Facebook posts and in the Free Press,” she said.
Eileen is in her element at the moment, with several organisations in the sporting and community fields moving into their centenary years.
“My husband has a really good memory and is such a good resource for my research, as he has lived in Kyabram all his life,” she said.
“Since we have moved off the farm (’Kettering’, which the couple sold in 2003) we have had more time for history.”
Eileen said she had access to 141 years of newspaper records from which people could pluck out pieces of the history of the town.
“We have the indexes of the Tatura Herald from 1880 to 1892 and the Kyabram Free Press from 1892 to 2021,” she said.
“Collections – photographs, minute books from many associations. Family histories, schools, sports, businesses, maps – too many resources to name.“
There is a charge for research, to help with the running cost of the Historical Library and Hazelman’s Cottage.
Eileen explained that family trees continued to be a constant source of interest with Kyabram people and wherever possible she would add her experience to their search for answers.
“We’ve been lucky that many donations have been made to the society,” she said.
“Little things that hold a special place in history. Davydd Shaw has been very generous with the society’s donations; things like a simple little handmade soap holder from many years ago bring a smile to my face.
“We have the original bell from the Kyabram Saleyards and an umbrella owned by Major Bartrop from the late 1880s, which belonged to the father-in-law of Dr Wight, a very early and popular doctor in Kyabram.”
While Eileen is on watch, Kyabram residents can be certain that not much will get by — and they can be assured of their place in the history books.
