Australian Generations oral history theme issue of Australian Historical Studies

The latest theme issue of Australian Historical Studies (AHS), edited by Katie Holmes and Alistair Thomson, features seven articles by members of the Australian Generations team in which we use the project’s oral history interviews to illuminate a range of topics in Australian social history, and to discuss innovations and issues in oral history. The open access online editorial on ‘Oral History and Australian Generations’ by Katie and Al introduces the project and the articles. Katie and Al also discuss the articles in this video clip on the AHS Facebook site. Use this link to access all the articles. To view individual articles click on any of the following links (note that if you are not an AHS subscriber you will need to view through a local, state or education library, or pay for access):

Class, Social Equity and Higher Education in Postwar Australia (Christina Twomey and Jodie Boyd);

Talking about Mental Illness: Life Histories and Mental Health in Modern Australia (Katie Holmes);

Australian Generations? Memory, Oral History and Generational Identity in Postwar Australia (Alistair Thomson);

Telling Families and Locating Identity: Narratives of Late Modern Life (Kerreen Reiger);

Creating an Oral History Archive: Digital Opportunities and Ethical Issues (Kevin Bradley and Anisa Puri)

Oral History in the Digital Age: Beyond the Raw and the Cooked (Michael Frisch)

The Radio Documentary and Oral History: Challenges and Opportunities (Michelle Rayner)

This journal theme issue is the major academic outcome from the ARC-funded Australian Generations Oral History Project, a collaboration between historians at Monash University and La Trobe University and colleagues at the National Library of Australia and ABC Radio National which produced 300 life history interviews with Australians born between 1920 and 1989.

Later in 2016, Monash University Publishing will publish Australian Lives: An Aural History by Anisa Puri and Alistair Thomson. This book uses interview extracts to illuminate the lived experience of Australian history across the 20th century, arranged in chapters on Ancestry, Childhood, Faith, Youth, Migrations, Midlife, Activism, Later Life and Reflections. The book will be published as a paperback and e-book, and e-book users will be able to listen to each interview extract as they read – an ‘aural history’ first!.

You can also listen to ten Australian Generations radio programs produced by ABC Radio National, or access the interviews via the Australian Generations website.

ahs march 2016 cover 47-1 (2)

Sharon Huebner Talk

Writer, visual artist and co-winner of the 2015 inaugural OHV Education Innovation Award, Dr Sharon Huebner  spoke to a full house at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria on 11 February. Illustrated with documents and photographs Sharon spoke about her most recent publication Bessy, Minang Woman, co-authored with Ezzard Flowers and Phyllis Andy. The story begins with a studio photograph of a young Bessie, dressed in the fashion of the Victorian 1860s, standing by her seated ‘house-mother’ in Western Australia. From this haunting image Sharon unravels a remarkable journey of dislocation and connection to family, drawing on the tradition of Australian Indigenous storytelling to recover and reclaim histories displaced by colonialism.  Five young Noongar girls, including Bessy Flowers, were sent from their Albany homeland to visit Lake Tyers mission in 1867. They never returned. Bessy marries, becomes a mother and struggles for the freedoms colonialists take for granted. Insights into Bessy’s life are revealed through her letters to government authorities, archived in various state libraries. Sharon sensitivity melds together a pictorial narrative using these, and contemporary life stories and photographs of Bessy’s surviving descendant family, who knew little of her existence. This was a fascinating talk and instigated much discussion afterwards over wine and nibbles as shown below.

Sharon Heubner audience 2   Sharon Heubner talk audience 1

Rewind – March 2016

Victorian Oral History Practitioners

In response to a number of enquiries, Oral History Victoria is assembling a register of members available for employment on oral history projects. Members wishing to be included on this Register of Oral Historians, to be posted on the OHV website, are reminded to fill out and return the form emailed to all members on 20 February. Completed forms can be returned either by email: contact.oralhistoryvictoria@gmail.com or post: Secretary, OHV c/- RHSV, 239 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne 3000.

Public Lecture  –  Review by Ann Scally

Writer, visual artist and co-winner of the 2015 inaugural OHV Education Innovation Award, Sharon Huebner, spoke to a full house at the OHV’s first public event for 2016, held at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria lecture theatre on 11 February. Using documents and photographs to illustrate, Sharon spoke about her most recent publication Bessie, Minang Woman, co-authored with Ezzard Flowers and Phyllis Andy. The story begins with a studio photograph of a young Bessie, dressed in the sumptuous fashion of the Victorian 1860s, standing by her seated housemother in Western Australia. From this haunting image, Sharon unravels a remarkable journey of connection to family drawing on the tradition of Australian Indigenous storytelling to recover and reclaim histories displaced by colonialism.  Five young Noongar girls, including Bessie Flowers, are sent from their Albany homeland to visit Lake Tyers mission in 1867. They never returned. They married, became mothers, and struggled for the freedoms the colonialists took for granted. Insights into Bessie’s life are revealed through letters she wrote, primarily to government authorities and archived in various state libraries. Sharon sensitively melds together a pictorial narrative using these and contemporary life stories and photographs of Bessie’s surviving descendant family who know little of her existence. This was a fascinating talk and instigated much discussion afterwards over wine and nibbles.

Next event – Introductory Workshop

Sarah Rood, professional historian from Way Back When Consulting Historians, will present this workshop on March 19 (10am – 4pm) at the Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne. It will provide an introduction to oral history practice, focusing on research, ethics, equipment, interviewing techniques and transcribing. Suitable for students, volunteers, or anyone with an interest in recording oral histories, you with gain valuable insights into the work of doing oral history. Learn how to prepare questions; about the forms, the ethics and permissions involved; and the top tips to a good interview. Sarah uses real examples to illustrate some of the pitfalls and some of the gems from actual interviews. Further information and booking details can be found on the OHV website: https://oralhistoryvictoria.org.au/event/introductory-workshop-1/

Call for Papers – OHV 2016 Symposium

This year’s Symposium is titled ‘Culture, Community and Oral History: Stories of Diversity, Conflict and Resilience’. It aims to explore opportunities and challenges for oral history and the use of interview across the cultural, arts, literary, and academic sectors. Oral History Victoria invites proposals for papers that will allow us to showcase approaches to the documentation and communication of culture and communities. We’re looking for presenters of all varieties – community and professional historians, students, academics – and at all stages of their careers. More information is available on the OHV website: https://oralhistoryvictoria.org.au/ohv-2016-symposium-culture-community-and-oral-history-stories-of-diversity-conflict-and-resilience/

Please send submissions by 10 May 2016 to contact@oralhistoryvictoria.org.au

Recent – new 3rd edition of The Oral History Reader

Rob Perks and Alistair Thomson have just published the new, third edition of The Oral History Reader, a comprehensive, international anthology combining major, ‘classic’ articles with cutting-edge pieces on the theory, method and use of oral history. Details at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com/books/details/9780415707336/

2016 International Oral  History Conference

Accredited Oral History training will be provided at the Winter School in Broome, 14 – 16 June 2016. The winter school comprises three consecutive workshops and upon successful completion participants are awarded with a nationally recognised statement of attainment: AHCILM404A Record and Document Community History, issued by Goolarri RTO no: 51278. The training will be delivered by Dr Elaine Rabbitt who has developed the course. Course inquiries contact Elaine on mob. no. 0439985229 or email: elaine.rabbitt@gme.org.au

Call for Papers  –  2016 Oral History Australia Journal

The Editor of the Journal welcomes offers of material for possible publication in future issues. Contributors are not required to be members of Oral History Australia. Closing date for submission of papers is 1 April 2016. Enquiries: Dr Sue Anderson, General Editor, Oral History Australia Journal

Email:   Sue.Anderson@unisa.edu.au

This is also a call for reviews of books and other publications from Australia and elsewhere that may be of interest to the Oral History community. Reviews may include static or internet available exhibitions, or any projects presented for a public audience (limit 1,500 words). Deadline for submissions: 1 April 2016.
Forward to: Dr Jayne Persian, Reviews Editor, Oral History Australia Journal, email: jpersian@sydney.edu.au.

NLA Funding and cuts to Trove

Cuts in Federal Government funding to the National Library has implications for the future of Trove and all its users. Concerned OHV members may like to consider signing a petition in this regard – see link below:

https://www.change.org/p/malcolm-turnbull-mp-stop-cuts-to-national-library-of-australia-save

Members Mailbag

Reminder also that if OHV members have specific oral history-related queries or news items that they would like to canvass or share with others, these can be sent to: contact@oralhistoryvictoria.org.au for inclusion in future editions of  REWIND.

This edition of our e-newsletter, Rewind, is now available for download here.