Exhibits
Old Train Station
"The Old Train Station museum is the home of our "Traces of the Past" interactive exhibit, detailing the early history of the town of Carbonear. This exhibit tells the story of the lives of Carbonear's earliest residents, including the origins of the name Carbonear, and the conflicts with the French, in which Carbonear Island played a pivotal role in keeping it's residents safe. Learn more about the island itself including it's significant geographical points and it's wild life. From the very early days of the town up to today the "Traces of the Past" exhibit is the perfect place for those interested in the history of the town of Carbonear.
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Rorke Stores
The Rorke Stores museum houses the Balancing the Scales exhibit, dedicated to the history of one of Carbonear's most prominent figures, the merchant John Rorke. Learn about the various aspects of being a successful merchant in Newfoundland, including the process of acquiring and maintaining fishing vessels, transporting and distributing goods, and the methods of paying workers. Within the unique architectural structure built in the manner of a ship's hull we have many artifacts, from old fishing equipment to the furniture the merchants wrote their ledgers on, all on display and with a story to tell. Telling the history of fishing, business, and architecture, the Rorke Stores provide a fantastic window into the past of Carbonear.
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Old Post Office
This exhibit provides you with some of the most interesting artifacts you may experience. The Old Post Office Museum represents and presents items donated, loaned and are part of the Heritage Society's collection. The various artifacts at The Old Post Office Museum tells the stories of Carbonear's residents, and the significance of the post office to the history of the town. The tales told within the displays include the hardships faced by the fisherman of the town throughout the years, and the achievements of Beatrice Hawker and Reverend Levi Curtis. However, the Old Post Office also has a sad history, with the story of Tryphoena Nicholl and how she came to be remembered as a heroine. The personal history of Carbonear remains today, told through the Old Post Office museum.
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The Heritage Society also contributed to several other exhibits:
- 1981 - A Travelling Exhibit of Jewelry and Clothes was hosted at the old Bank of Commerce Building.
- 1988 - May - Illustrations of Carbonear's Maritime Past. This exhibit presented paintings of old sailing vessels from the collections of Carbonear residents.
- 1989 - February - Rorke Exhibit - an exhibit of materials and documents associated with the company of John Rorke and Sons, Fish Merchants.
- 1989 Summer - The Box that Rolls - an exhibit of cooperage and the coopers of Carbonear.
- 1990 - February Slates and Primers - Early Carbonear Schools and School Records.
- 1990 Summer - Saltfish and Labrador Fishery - Exhibit. Photos and reconstructions as well as a video completed during that year's Stationers' Festival.
- 1991 May Price of Fish - an exhibit created by the Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador in conjunction with the Carbonear Heritage Society. This travelling exhibit won awards and was seen throughout North America.
- 1991 Summer - Carbonear Volunteer Fire Brigade Exhibit. A project of summer students on the history, personnel and equipment of the brigade.
- 1992 - A Part of the Price of Fish exhibit was put on permanent exhibition, together with a collection of railway memorabilia and pictures of the station agents.
- 1996-1997 The d'Iberville Legacy - a reprise of the Carbonear Island Exhibit with emphasis upon the defense of the island in the Anglo-French Wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
- 1999 Summer - Going Foreign An exhibit on Carbonear sailors and their sailing ships which carried the dried salt fish to foreign ports in the period up to and including the First World War.
- 2011 Summer - Carbonear Island Archaeological Dig - An exhibit at the Railway Station Museum.