The Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum, formerly the Highercombe Hotel is a

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small ...

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

located in

Tea Tree Gully The City of Tea Tree Gully is a local council in the Australian state of South Australia, in the outer north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide. The major business district in the city is at Modbury, where Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, the Civic Centre ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. It is one of the three museums operated by the History Trust of South Australia. It deals with the history of the Tea Tree Gully (Steventon) area of South Australia. It was formed as the Highercombe Hotel in 1854, then served as the Tea Tree Gully Post Office and Telegraph Station in May 1880 and was made into a museum in 1965 to save the building. The museum offers regular Heritage on Sunday events with varying themes throughout the year. Ghost tours occasionally operate at night. The museum is accredited in the Community Museums Program of the History Trust of SA.

History

Highercombe Hotel

The Highercombe Hotel was built in 1854. Its first licensee was

William Haines Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer. Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...

, who served as District Clerk of Tea Tree Gully Council for 37 years and Member of Parliament for 6 years. The State Government purchased the building in 1879 and it was used from 1880 to 1963 as a post and telegraph office. During this period part of the building was used as a school classroom and accommodation for Headmasters' and the Postmasters' families. From 1963 to 1967 the Tea Tree Gully Council used it as an office and library.

Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum

At the request of citizens, the National Trust took over the building in 1967. Volunteers formed the National Trust of South Australia (NTSA) Tea Tree Gully Branch and museum contents were donated by local residents. The Tea Tree Gully Branch restored it and converted it to a heritage museum. It was initially known as the Old Highercombe Hotel Folk Museum and later the Old Highercombe Hotel Museum

References

{{Authority control Museums in Adelaide History museums in Australia 1854 establishments in Australia