Council & Business
21 July, 2026
Relics returned to Maryborough
A new addition has landed at Central Goldfields Art Gallery, with relics of Maryborough’s recent history back and on display for good.
The historic City of Maryborough mayoral chains and document case have made their way home, sitting beside the very case that was used regularly during the 1900s.
Commissioned in 1954, the chains were created by Blashki and Sons, a renowned Australian manufacturer of ceremonial regalia established in 1858.
The chains consist of a central medallion and 36 individual links, all representing successive mayors of the City of Maryborough.
Each link is engraved with the name of a mayor and their period of service, a visual record of their local civic leadership.
Following local government amalgamations in 1994, the former City of Maryborough chains ceased to be used.
During this time, they were stored in a bank vault before they were kept at Sovereign Hill Ballarat.
After years in storage, they were returned to Maryborough in June.
Kay Branton was employed by council not long after the City of Maryborough was declared. The case on display is the very one she carried during this time.
“When I left high school, I got a job working at the town hall, working for the town clerk, the city engineer and health inspector, all of the guys working at the town hall. That was in 1963,” she said.
“Because I was a junior secretary to the town clerk, I had to help with all the meetings and do all of the hard work, the senior secretary didn’t do a lot.
“So, I used to carry that [case] at times, up the stairs into the town hall, to the council chambers, along with all of the paperwork, morning teas, afternoon teas, all of that. We had the premier at the time Henry Bolte come for morning tea. I remember that.”
The return of these items provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to reconnect with an important piece of Maryborough’s civic and cultural heritage.
“[The case] doesn’t look any different,” Ms Branton said.
“What would have been in the case, I wouldn’t have been told.”
The chains were only worn on formal occasions and served as a symbol of the mayor’s office and authority within the community.
“I probably saw [the chains] a couple of times. I do remember thinking it was beautiful. If there was any event of importance, it was worn,” she said.
“I had a look at the photos last time I was volunteering here and its amazing how many of the previous mayors I remember.
“I think it’s wonderful they are on display. Its a beautiful piece of work.”
Central Goldfields Shire mayor Ben Green was pleased to see the artefacts on display in the town they were used in for many years.
“I think it is fantastic they are here, they haven’t been here for about 30 years. It’s always good to have things home,” he said.
“As they are made of gold, they clearly represent the huge influence the gold boom had here, we can see that through our fantastic buildings and infrastructure. So, to have them come home is marvelous.
“To have history and heritage displayed is magnificent. We were the centre of the world for a while.”