Over the past month, for the first time, I listened to the testimony of my late great-grandmother, Mary Antekelian, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. The interview is an audio recording, but I could picture the conversation as if I were in the room – my grandma, Sirvard Antekelian, sitting by her mother-in-law’s side, interjecting throughout the oral history interview to make sure that Mary, then around 81, answered questions clearly and with historical accuracy. Read full story here.
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First Nations Recordings Preserved
Over 150 hours of First Nations oral history and songs were at risk because the recordings were stored on obsolete tapes and discs. That was until the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) stepped in to preserve the incredible Central Australia Men’s Audio Collection with $270,000 funding through our Indigenous Languages and Arts program. Read full story here.
OHA Journal Reports
We are fast approaching deadline – 30 April 2023 – for reports for the next issue of our journal Studies in Oral History. Find out more here.
Call for Papers deadlines
Australian Greeks Project
The recording of the oral history of the Greeks of Australia and the creation of an extensive archive is the subject of a Memorandum of Cooperation, which was co-signed by the Greek Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni and the Archbishop of Australia, Makarios. The memorandum provides for the systematic and methodical recording of the personal stories and adventures of the people of the Greek Diaspora in Australia, mainly from first immigrants, through the non-profit program “Our People Their Stories” of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. Read full story here.
Koori Elders interviewed
An oral history series documenting the experiences of 10 Aboriginal Elders will contribute Aboriginal voices and perspectives to primary education. Read full story and listen to interview excerpts here.
Record Family Histories
Preserving these stories, as audio and video computer files, fills in the fine grain of history that is often missed. And you and your family also have a “history” worth recording and preserving. You may have seen the popular PBS series, “Finding Your Roots,” with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and thought, “I wonder what is in my family’s history.” Your own oral history project could help fill in that story. Read more here.
Christchurch Earthquake Memories
A Christchurch Trust hopes a new earthquake oral history walk will encourage locals yet to set foot in the city centre again to come back. Twelve years ago today, the city was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake which claimed 185 lives. Our Stories Trust and Canterbury University have created the Earthquake Stories Walk, a 30-minute trail based on the anonymous experiences of about 30 people. Read full story with link to story trail here.
Small computer inventor from West Australia
West Australian inventor turned retailer, Neil Hancock, has been in business for virtually the entirety of the portable computing era. Watch an oral history interview with him about his career.
Vietnam Veteran’s New Book
Gary McKay was the first Australian solder to write an autobiography on his time serving in the Vietnam War, eventually turning his career to preserving military history. This Australia Day he is being honoured for his contribution to the nation’s veterans and our history by receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia. Read full article here.