Camden Haven Museum

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Camden Haven Museum The Camden Haven Museum showcases and preserves the history and heritage of the Camden Haven through displays, research and collections. New members welcome.

Proudly run by the dedicated volunteers of the Camden Haven Historical Society.

👒 A little surprise awaits you at the Camden Haven Museum! ☕️😂You never know who, or what, might greet you when you visi...
12/10/2026

👒 A little surprise awaits you at the Camden Haven Museum! ☕️😂

You never know who, or what, might greet you when you visit!

Our visitors might be surprised to find one of our lovely volunteers, Cheryl, dressed in period costume, stepping back in time and bringing a little history to life.

And what is she holding? A GIANT coffee cup? ☕️ Look again… it’s actually a chamber pot! 🤣

We can’t promise you a cuppa, but we can promise a few surprises, some fascinating stories and plenty of local history to discover.

Pop in and see what you might find, just don’t ask us to fill the giant cup! 😂

Find us at the 👇
School of Arts Building
58 Bold St
Laurieton
Monday to Saturday
10am - 2pm

🎓 Camden Haven Historical Society AwardLast Thursday, at the Camden Haven High School graduation, we were honoured to pr...
30/09/2026

🎓 Camden Haven Historical Society Award

Last Thursday, at the Camden Haven High School graduation, we were honoured to present the Camden Haven Historical Society Award to Year 12 graduate Tilly. 🌟

The Society established this award to encourage and celebrate the study of history among young people in our community, and to recognise the importance of historical inquiry, critical thinking and an appreciation of our shared past.

We are delighted to be able to support and recognise the achievements of local students and to encourage their continued interest in history. It is wonderful to see young people engaging with the past and developing an understanding of the people, events and stories that have shaped our community and our wider world.

Congratulations, Tilly, on this well-deserved recognition! We wish you every success for the future and hope your passion for history continues to grow. 👏📚

🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that the Camden Haven Historical Society was recently awarded the Cynthia Foley Encourageme...
30/09/2026

🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that the Camden Haven Historical Society was recently awarded the Cynthia Foley Encouragement Award at the 2026 Annual Conference - NSW & ACT Family History formal dinner!

On hand to receive the award from Gail Hanger of Picton District Historical & Family History Society was our CHHS Secretary, Stephen Smith.

It was wonderful to take part in the conference and to be the recipient of this special award. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone involved in making it such a fantastic weekend! 😃

Fantastic day down at the Riverside Markets, today. We met a lot of locals plus plenty of visitors. Some great conversat...
20/09/2026

Fantastic day down at the Riverside Markets, today. We met a lot of locals plus plenty of visitors.
Some great conversations today!

If you missed us at the markets, pop in to the museum.

Not sure where the museum is? 🫤
📍58 Bold Street Laurieton.

Visit the museum to view our collection and hear about the history of the Camden Haven 😃

What a great day at the 2026 Annual NSW & ACT Family History Conference in Port Macquarie! 😃We were only able to attend ...
18/09/2026

What a great day at the 2026 Annual NSW & ACT Family History Conference in Port Macquarie! 😃

We were only able to attend today, but the conference continues over the weekend, with speaker sessions sold out.

The Camden Haven Historical Society/Museum attracted lots of interest, with some attendees sharing fascinating stories about their connections to our area.

A big thank you to the Port Macquarie & District Family History Society for all the wonderful work that has gone into organising this weekend’s conference. 🙂

115 years ago today 8th September 1911, our School of Arts officially opened. 🥳Built by the community, for the community...
08/09/2026

115 years ago today 8th September 1911, our School of Arts officially opened. 🥳

Built by the community, for the community, this grand old building has been part of Laurieton life for generations and holds many special memories for local families.

Today, it is also home to the Camden Haven Museum, where our volunteers are always happy to share their knowledge of the School of Arts, its history, and the wider Camden Haven area.

The link below 👇 will take you to a brief history of the School of Arts, along with an article from the Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate reporting on its opening day 115 years ago.

We hope you enjoy taking a look back at this wonderful piece of Laurieton's history. ❤️

https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/AGtu6jwhRCfFp

🎉 115 YEARS AGO TODAY…The grand old lady of Bold Street opened her doors for the very first time.And for 115 years, the ...
08/09/2026

🎉 115 YEARS AGO TODAY…

The grand old lady of Bold Street opened her doors for the very first time.
And for 115 years, the School of Arts has been much more than just a building — it has been part of the story of Laurieton.

💃 There were balls and dances, where friendships were made and, sometimes, marriages began.

🥂 Wedding receptions continued into the early hours of the morning.

🎭 Concerts and performances brought people together, including a performance by famous American entertainer Bob Hope.

📚 The library provided a place to read, learn and discover.

🎬 Before the Plaza Theatre was built, movies were shown here.

💪 And in the 1980s, you could even find locals keeping fit with aerobic classes!

For generations, there has always been something happening at the School of Arts.

So we're wondering…

What is YOUR School of Arts memory? ❤️

Were you there for a dance?
Did you use the library?
See a movie?
Attend a concert?
Or perhaps you met someone special there?

📸 Share your memories and photographs with us in the comments.

Let's celebrate 115 years of the building that has been part of so many Laurieton stories.
What is your story of our School of Arts?

Add your photos and comments! 👇

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our 'Timber Tales' afternoon. It was fantastic to see such a wonderful tu...
19/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our 'Timber Tales' afternoon. It was fantastic to see such a wonderful turnout and so much interest in the history of our region’s timber industry. 😃

A special thank you to Daphne and Joanne from the Wauchope District Historical Society for their wonderful presentation and for sharing their extensive knowledge and research with us.

We would also like to thank Daphne for bringing along her incredible handcrafted timber haulage miniatures. Each model is carefully made using historical photographs as references, making them a fascinating glimpse into the machinery and working life of the timber industry.

Thank you to the Laurieton United Services Club for hosting us, and to the Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce for their generous support.

It was a wonderful afternoon of learning about the region’s timber industry, from its early beginnings through to the stories and experiences of those who lived and worked within it. There were plenty of memories and stories shared, and it was lovely to see people reconnecting, catching up and enjoying the afternoon together.

We were also delighted to welcome Sarah Smith, author of The Sawmiller’s Daughter, who spoke about her recently released book and read a passage for us, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
We are especially grateful to Sarah for her generous donation to the museum of a photograph of a local resident, which was recently auctioned through Timbertown. It is wonderful contributions like this that help us preserve and share the stories of our local community.

Thank you again to everyone who came along and helped make Timber Tales such a memorable afternoon.🙂

Address

58 Bold Street
Laurieton, NSW

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 2pm
Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Thursday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+61255018100

Website

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