The history of ‘History House’

Up until 2012, the KHS had been housed in various temporary locations. It wasn’t until the Macedon Ranges Shire Council committed to undertake much-needed renovations to a modest weatherboard house at 75 Piper Street, now known as ‘History House’, that KHS found its permanent ‘home’, which is shared with the Friends of the Kyneton Museum and Museum staff.

Nestled alongside the Kyneton Museum, History House was built in 1909 by Alexander Shearman, who was a builder by trade. Alexander and his wife resided there with their two children Jim (Alexander Theodore) and Mavis. Mavis married Jim Brady and they lived at 85 Piper Street in a house that Jim helped to build.

Jim Shearman married Jessie Neilsen and together they had two children, Lawrence (Laurie) and John. Sadly, in 1937, Jessie, aged just 25, died and Jim, Laurie and John moved back to History House at 75 Piper Street.

Around 1944, Jim’s father (Alexander) was riding his pushbike home when he was hit by a car and killed in the gutter outside the house. The driver was a soldier on leave who was reportedly drunk. No charges were laid. Jim was 50 years old. 

Alexander, Jim and Laurie were all involved with the Kyneton Football Club. Jim and his mother, Laurie & John lived in the house until Jim died in 1972, aged 63. His mother was in the Kyneton Hospital nursing home until she died two years later, in 1974. 

As there was no Will, the house was jointly-owned by John, Laurie and Mavis. John lived in the house until the mid 1990s and later went into care. The house was done up with extensive works carried out to make it more presentable. The kitchen was renovated and the bathroom and all rooms were painted. The house was sold to the Macedon Ranges Shire Council for $65,000. After which, the house was rented out for several years and later used as a storage area for the Shire’s Tourism Unit and as a meeting place for the Friends of Kyneton Museum (FoKM).

Council then decided to modify the building to create a more usable space to house the Kyneton Historical Society and FoKM.

History House remains very much a part of the heritage precinct of Piper Street.