Canberra Tracks sign arrives
6 May 2022
Canberra Tracks sign in situ in Palmer Street
In January 2021 the Morris tanning pit was relocated from the original Dellwood Homestead site to our campus. The pit has been displayed in Palmer Street since that time. We were successful with an ACT Heritage Grant to develop and install a Canberra Tracks information sign which tells a simplified story of leather making in Hall.
The sign arrived on Friday 5th May and it features a photograph of the Morris family at Dellwood c. 1902 where they had their tanning and boot-making business before setting up a shop in the village in 1907. A photograph of several of the leather and boot-making tools used by the Morris family is also featured on the sign. Those tools are still in the Morris family with Tony Morris being the custodian.
Over the next few weeks an augmented reality link will be placed on the sign which, when activated, will feature more photographs and Tony Morris expanding the narrative about his family and their leather businesses.
The pit itself is a concrete construction built in 1930 by Billy Morris' youngest son Oliver (OJM) and nephew Henry Ebenezer Denny (HED) whose initials are etched into the pit. The pit enabled Billy to continue his business, making the tanning process easier for him.