Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC, QC, Governor of New South Wales and Mr Dennis Wilson visited Muswellbrook recently and, during the visit, her Excellency laid the foundation stone for the Donald Horne Building.
The new building will be home to the Upper Hunter Innovation Hub and a primary and secondary school ‘makerspace’ designed to excite the interest of primary and secondary school students, from all local schools, in creative or applied STEM.
The late Donald Horne, AO was raised in Muswellbrook and the town provided much of the literary backdrop for his work The Education of Young Donald (1967). Mr Horne’s family were present for the unveiling of the foundation stone to signify the commencement of construction.
The Donald Horne Building, at 140 Bridge Street in Muswellbrook, will be connected by a glass air-bridge to Loxton House and be situated next to Weidmann Cottage, both of which are State Heritage listed items.
The new building has been designed by Sydney-based architects Collins and Turner to be sensitive to the heritage importance of the adjoining buildings whilst providing a striking new space in Muswellbrook’s town centre.
