For nearly four years the Society has been occupied with restoring the Old Schoolhouse at the Rye Primary School.  This is the office and museum of our Society, the schoolroom built in 1923.  The iron in the lintels had rusted and expanded pushing out the concrete which had caused large gaps and pieces were falling out.  A structural engineer inspected the building and made recommendations which included cutting out the damaged areas and replacing the lintels, repairing windows where wood had decayed, fixing various cracks, replacing some guttering then re-painting the building.  This amounted to well over $50,000 which had to be sought through grants and donations as the Education Department could not help.  These came from Rye Primary School, Rye Bendigo Bank, Southern Peninsula Community Fund, Lions Club of Rye, Mornington Peninsula Shire Grants, Rotary Club of Rosebud/Rye and we as a Society contributed a large amount for which we had been saving.
A number of members with Prue Found who led the organising of the project, contributed in many ways to the project's success.  After two years of having hoardings around one end of the most dangerous part, the school community is now able to use the thoroughfare again.  The painting has been finished in heritage colours and everyone is pleased with the result.  The  project was entered in the category of 'Restoration of a Heritage Building' (it is on the Shire's Heritage Overlay).  The Mayor Councillor Graham Pittock announced the award and it was presented by Kristen Stegley OAM Chairman of the National Trust Board.  Judy Walsh, of the Trust's Peninsula branch chaired the evening saying all the recipients had been outstanding in their attention to detail and sensitivity to conservation requirements at the core of heritage. Rye Historical Society is proud to have been presented again with an award - we are committed to preserving Rye's history in every way possible.