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Last modified: 29 Jul 2020 10:30am

A faded black and white photograph of a child on a bicycle and three men in suits standing in front of a wooden building labeled Lincoln Store. A large white dog with a brown haired head lies on the ground at one of the men's feet

Lincoln has been turned into a giant museum where anyone with a smartphone can glimpse the history of the world around them.

A trail through Lincoln is the first for the new Township Trails Selwyn smartphone app showcasing the town’s past. The app, used internationally by museums and historical societies, contains a map with 31 highlighted destinations and a suggested walking tour through the town.

At each location the app gives the history of the site including pictures, letters and other details gathered by the Lincoln and Districts Historical Society, Council’s district arts coordinator Becca Bouffandeau says. “You can stand on a spot and see glimpses of life as it was there.”

The app got its first outing at the Selwyn Heritage Network pop-up museum at the Ellesmere A&P show last week. The museum proved extremely popular at the show with its interactive and informative displays. The Township Trails app was a particular highlight with many people keen to get exploring in their area.

The project is a partnership between Council and the Selwyn Heritage Network - a network of the district’s historical societies and museums, which have generously provided access to their archives, Ms Bouffandeau says. More trails are planned across the district starting with a Dunsandel trail due to be available from later this year.

“It’s taking these incredible collections from our historical societies and turning the district into the world’s biggest museum by making this information available everywhere. You don’t have to go to a building — you can see it anywhere.”

You can download the Township Trails app from the Google Play Store or the iTunes AppStore.