THE Merbein community will celebrate the century-old town's past on Sunday with the official opening of the Merbein District Historical Society's new rooms.

The society has invited everyone to attend an afternoon tea at the site, which is next to the library on Main Avenue.

Running between 2pm and 4pm, the event will include a range of local history books for sale, and various displays will be on show.

The society's next general meeting on Tuesday evening will feature Merbein-raised winemaker Gavin Hogg, a winner of Australia's most prestigious wine award, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, as guest speaker.