Four-day online course, 2-3 May and 16-17 May 2025, offered by Oral History Victoria.

Taught by Carla Pascoe Leahy, Sarah Rood and Alistair Thomson (for trainer profiles – see https://events.humanitix.com/ohv-training-graduate-oral-history-intensive)

Are you a PhD, Masters or Honours student, or a post-doc, about to start a research project using oral history – and need training to get you on the right track? Perhaps you’ve
already started a graduate oral history project and want advice and support? You may be a historian, or you work in another social science or humanities discipline that uses life story interviews. This four-day, online training course could be just what you need.

In May 2025, three of Australia’s leading oral historians, in partnership with Oral History Victoria, are teaching this popular oral history intensive course aimed at university
research students. We will teach you how to plan an oral history project and apply for ethics approval. You’ll learn how to create excellent interviews and document the
recordings for use in research. We’ll explore approaches to analysing interviews and interpreting memories. And we’ll consider how to write a thesis using oral history and to
create other types of oral history productions.

You will be active participants in the teaching and learning: reading a selection of key texts, bringing examples and issues from you own research, workshopping issues with the group, conducting practice interviews, discussing interview extracts from each participant, and developing a peer support group of graduate oral history researchers from around Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Each day school will be taught online via Zoom, from 9.30am-4pm Australian Eastern Standard time. The course will be limited to 18 participants.

Feedback from participants in this course in 2024:

“Many thanks for a terrific 4 days from the three of you from OHV … so valuable in redirecting and redrafting my research project. Initially I had doubts about the full value of a
4 day zoom meet with 14 or 17 post grads, but it exceeded all expectations.”

“It was terrific to have access to such skilled teachers/facilitators and to come together with other graduate students and to receive such a vast array of helpful resources.”

“I was very happy with the course – expert presenters who were very respectful of/responsive to the participants, great management with everything running on time, different formats to maintain interest, relevant/engaging activities especially listening to everyone’s interview extracts.”

“Al, Carla and Sarah, you made such a warm and welcoming environment! You were all engaging, and passionate and held space for everyone’s opinions and thoughts. Thank you!”

Course outline

Day 1 Friday 2 May – Planning Your Oral History Project & Seeking Ethics Approval

Day 2 Saturday 3 May – Creating & Documenting Oral History Interviews

(fortnight break while participants conduct practice interviews)

Day 3 Friday 16 May – Interpreting Oral Histories

Day 4 Saturday 17 May – Making (Oral) Histories in Writing and other Media

Course fees:
$500 for Oral History Victoria and Oral History Australia members
$750 non-members

We anticipate participants will draw on funds from their own or departmental graduate research budgets. For students without access to research funds, bursaries might be
available from state and territory oral history associations.

Registration via https://events.humanitix.com/ohv-training-graduate-oral-history-intensive

OHV is offering up to four bursaries to assist with the cost of registering for this training for students unable to source support from their academic institution. For further details of the terms and conditions and the application form, please see the Graduate Training Programme Student Bursary Policy and Selection Criteria. Bursary Applications must be submitted by midnight on the 13th April, 2025.

Download the form here.

Contact: for further information and to discuss the course, please contact: Alistair.Thomson@monash.edu

Oral History Victoria online training workshop.

Saturday 8 November 2025, 9.30-1pm, via Zoom

About the workshop:

This workshop is aimed at oral historians who are beginners in photography, aiming to improve their portraiture skills within the context of oral history collection. We will start with an overview of my working principles, how I manage my relationship with the subject, as well as basic technical considerations (backgrounds, lighting, composition, exposure etc). A small selection of my work will be shown as examples, and participants can also share their own photographs for discussion. Everything covered can be applied to both digital cameras and mobile phones. 

Facilitator Anna Zhu:

I’ve been a professional photographer, producer and video director since 2008, commissioned mainly by public sector and not-for-profit clients. I work across a wide variety of industries but always focused on telling stories about real people. The National Library of Australia acquired some of my photography in 2021, which also started my highly rewarding journey as an oral historian. I’ve been lucky enough to win some national and international photography awards, the most prominent prize being sent to shoot in Antarctica with National Geographic. Unfortunately, I still didn’t develop an affinity for wildlife or landscapes. www.annazhu.com

Registration details to come soon.