The town
of Torbay, in the province of Newfoundland
& Labrador, is located just 15 minutes from downtown St. John's. Torbay
is home to the most startling features and its declaration as a National Historic
Site, combines an interesting landscape with a rocky shoreline and rolling
meadows that make a serene setting for a friendly, family town.
Nestled among this vast scenery is the Torbay Museum. The museum was opened
on July 22, 1988 and as it celebrates its 10th anniversary - is very appreciative
of the town's spirit and support. The museum is home to over 500 artifacts,
donated mostly by residents of Torbay. The town's municipal center houses
the museum and as you enter and walk down the basement hallway you see
a full-size model of a street that has several houses, a museum and a library.
The Origin...
The museum was opened because of a group of dedicated
individuals who wanted
to preserve some of Torbay's rich history.
Under the direction of president Dr. Jim Tag and vice-president John Ryan,
the committee included - Claire Tapper, Gerald Manning, Genie Tapper, Marie
Evans, John Molloy, Frank Ryan, Judy Watts and Don Cole. This group joined
together and worked to open a museum that showed the unique heritage and traditional
culture of Torbay. The group started what is still known today as the Torbay
Heritage Committee. To carry out such a task, they needed to find a curator
- someone whose love was preservation and history. Jerri Pellegrinetti fit
this position and since then has been the curator for the past ten years.
The next step was to get some funding from the Provincial government. This
was accomplished in 1988 and then, a new era begins... The symbol of the museum
is seen above, the killick, which was used to anchor boats to the seabed.
The
setting of the museum has grown from its original one-room parlor setting
to its present day setting - fishery,
carpentry and farming
corners, a photo gallery and a parlour
room. Some artifacts came from the St.
Michael's Convent, which was closed in 1986 and helped to start this museum.
The donations from the convent were two stain glass windows, two stain glass
doors and a nine-piece chesterfield set dated 1880. Because of this the original
room was made to look like the living room of a Torbay house at about the
turn of the century.
The museum has one seasonal full time worker and usually a summer student (depending on approval of student summer employment grants). Mrs. Jerri Pellegrinetti, a former volunteer at the Newfoundland Museum on Duckworth street and Commissariat House, has always been an avid lover of history and folklore and fills the role as curator with extreme knowledge and intelligence of Torbay history. Volunteers are always welcome and have been an active part of the museum's development through the years.
There are many artifacts around the museum, including some that
have exceptional history. Probably, the best known artifact in the museum
are the skies that Captain Victor Campbell used to participate in and survive
the famous Robert Scott Expedition to the South Pole in 1911 - 1912. Under
Captain Campbell's leadership, the expedition's Northern Party, survived six
months in a crude cave and walked 230 miles over glaciers and sea ice to rejoin
the main party of the ill-fated Scott Antarctic expedition. There's a ripped
up umbrella that a Torbay family found in the rafters of a 100 year old home.
The oldest artifact in the museum is a 200 year old platter owned by the late
George White's great grandmother (a resident of Torbay). A replica of a Penny-Farthing
bicycle, built about 40 or 50 years ago, is placed in the street scene. There
is also, an Old bench from the Roman Catholic
Stone Church (1858-1919) and a 150 year old trunk, used to store garments
for services, from the Old St. Nicholas
Church, Lower Street (1827-1926).
The
Torbay Museum welcomes groups and tour buses - even on off hours. Just contact
Jerri and she will be more than glad to help you in anyway possible. The
museum is also wheelchair accessible and has wheelchair accessible washrooms
as well. Many groups who have visited the museum have
had valuable learning experiences. For example, these Brownies are learning the fine
art of hooking mats. It is a very educational event for young people since it
gives them an opportunity to learn about their ancestors activities.
The employees of the Torbay Museum are always available to give you assistance. Whether you are searching for your ancestors or just trying to learn more about the fables and folklore of Torbay or just checking out the local scenery - feel free to drop by the museum for some warm, friendly information.
The museum is located along Route 20 and is open weekdays, as well as some evenings. The hours of operation change to just two nights a week during the winter season. There is NO admittance fee but donations are welcome.
Torbay's Rich History / Heritage Committee / Fishery / Carpentry / Farming / Parlour Room / St. Michael's Convent / Staff / Location / Hours of Operation / Museum Activities / Holy Trinity Church / St. Nicholas Church / Torbay Scenery / Newfoundland & Labrador
The
Town of Torbay Homepage - visit the town that is the wonderful home to
this museum
Elizabeth
Morey Memorial Library - if you visit the museum you can visit the library
too... it's right across the hall.
The
Guide to Museums and Culture Resources in Canada
The
Newfoundland Museum - where Mrs. Pellegrinetti used to volunteer
Museum
Association of Newfoundland & Labrador
Newfoundland
& Labrador Heritage Web
Write to us at: Torbay Museum c/o Jerri Pellegrinetti, Curator P.O. Box 131 Torbay, Newfoundland A1K 1E2 (709) 437-6571 (709) 437-6532 Or Email us:torbay_museum@hotmail.com
In preparing to do this webpage I had to do quite a bit of reading and research, I would like to give credit to the following:
A Heritage
Guide to Torbay by Robin McGrath - I encourage you to purchase this book,
it is well written and very informative, and has lots of interesting tidbits
of information.
The History
of Torbay by Bob Codner - This is another book I encourage you to purchase,
it is very interesting and does an excellent job of telling the history of
our town on a factual basis.
Gary Marsh - thanks for putting up with my ENDLESS questions :)
Jeff Green
Debbie McGrath, a member of the Torbay Heritage Committee
and of course,
Mrs. Pellegrinetti - whose knowledge of our town is unbelievable!!!!!!
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Webmaster, Cara Eustace Copyright © 1999 t54cae@morgan.ucs.mun.ca Last updated April 13, 1999 This page is best viewed with Internet Explorer.