HAYDEN and Margaret Pilgrim are thoroughly modern enthusiasts.

The couple has drawn an amicable line down the centre of their private museum, so each has the same amount of space to display their respective collections.

One half of the shed is given over to Margaret's collection of kitchenware, clothing, and furniture from the 1940s and 1950s.

The other half of the room is devoted to Hayden's petrol bowsers, tools, cars and farm equipment.

The two areas are divided by a collection of old Holdens and Monaros.

It is not quite the bespoke cottage Margaret was hoping to build, but it is a truce of sorts, nevertheless.

"I started off bugging Hayden to build me a cottage, then it became a granny flat and eventually a shed," Margaret said.

"At least I have my own area now, but, of course, he would like to get his hands on more of my space."

The Pilgrims' Watlington Museum, dubbed "the church" because of its arched roof, is as much about housing their weighty collections as it is about preserving and cataloguing history.

"When people first visited us, and we had not set up the museum, they would have to walk from shed to shed, there was so much stuff," Hayden said.

Their 200ha property at Homebush, just outside Avoca in central Victoria, was quickly becoming home to a growing collection of rare paraphernalia.

The couple decided a couple of years ago to display their wares properly and open the doors to the public for the price of a gold coin donation.

"When Hayden's parents moved on to a nursing home, we discovered of lot of valuable items in the family home that we just couldn't throw out," he said.

"There were things in the cupboard and under the bed; Hayden's mum never threw a dress out."

Margaret has transformed her side of the shed into a traditional country home from yesteryear: there is a kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms and a laundry.

Among the gems in the kitchen is a 1948 fridge, an old kitchen table and crockery that had been in the house for 50 years. There is a 1950s red gum stump chopping block, given to Margaret by the local historical society after it could not find room for it.

"I have an old washboard, an old apple peeler from 1880 that I found at a swap meet, and an original TV from 1956, when TV was first introduced," said Margaret.

Margaret has researched the history of each item, and each display includes a laminated card with as much detail as she can unearth.

"Nothing goes untagged if I can possibly help it," she says.

"Hayden and I both grew up in Melbourne, but our families were from farms, so in a sense we have returned to our roots.

"We are also in the middle of a gold rush area out here, so it is a celebration of both the family history and the interesting history of the area."

Occasionally histories intersect, and some visitors discover a close link to the area. "There was one occasion that Hayden was showing some copies of old Argus newspapers and he mentioned a particular regiment's battalion when a woman piped up that her husband was in that regiment," she says.

"And lo and behold, when he opened up the paper, there was a picture of her husband.

"I remember Hayden said to me that if we had only opened the museum for that woman, then it was worth it."

Margaret is keen to point out that the museum appeals to both sexes: women will often stop to pore over old cookery books and clothing, while car clubs will pull in to check out Hayden's side of the shed.

Of particular interest to many enthusiasts is Hayden's 1941 Indian Scout motorcycle, with a custom-made sidecar; his 1965 Chev and 1955 FJ Holden; and his Furphy water tank.

"I have been careful not to include any old rusted heap of junk on my side," said Hayden.

"An old farm plough doesn't mean very much to me. It needs to have some sort of historical back story.

Chief among Hayden's most prized memorabilia is a 1972 Holden SS four-door Monaro that was used as a press test car.

"The SS Holden is actually 40 years old in August next year, so we are organising a bit of an event in the town here to celebrate," he said.

"People have already booked in to the local hotel from across Australia, but the hotel hasn't got its calendar that far ahead so they have had to create a special whiteboard, which is a really good sign for the local area."

  • To arrange a tour of the Pilgrims' Watlington Museum call (03) 5465 3230.