Have a listen to this interview with filmmaker Kristine Stolakis who discovered an oral history interview in San Francisco, with a gay man in the American navy and turned it in to a short film "The Typist". Listen to how it was done – great use for an old oral history. For full story with audio and link to trailer for "The Typist" click here.
Blog
Two Holocaust Survivors Tell Their Story
Shmuel and Fredja Rothbard – both Holocaust survivors, landed in Auckland this week from Israel to begin a powerful journey sharing their remarkable survival stories to students and community groups. Like many survivors, their stories are full of hardship and suffering but also of kindness and humanity, which miraculously saved their lives during WW2. Read full story here.
Female Wollongong Steelworkers documentary
Wollongong writer John Rainford approached Melanie Barnes about an idea he had to make a documentary about Wollongong's history – from strikes in the coalmines and the Pig Iron Bob dispute, to the current battle to stop coal seam gas. He originally wanted to do an oral history project, but then saw potential for it to be turned into a film. See full story here.
Rosie the Riveter Project Continues (USA)
Football Federation Australia Museum
In May 2015, Football Federation Australia (FFA) published its Whole of Football Plan. Within that document it announced plans for the creation of a football museum within an ‘Australian home of football’. There is already discussion of how and where this establishment will be built and what its functions and scope should be. Read full story here.
Jewish Refugees and Shanghai Exhibition
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the victory of the World War against Fascism. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, in association with China Cultural Center in Sydney and the Confucius Institute of Sydney University, held “Jewish Refugees and Shanghai” exhibition in Sydney, Australia, from April 20 to May 20. For full story click here.
Dying Trades
At 84, the local cobbler Harry Cahill is as busy as ever – but now he’s the only one in town. It’s a sign of the times that there’s no apprentice to follow in his footsteps. As a cobbler, Harry mends everything from summer sandals to boots and leather bags. He even had a Scotsman’s sporran on the workbench for repair when the Advocate visited. The community is highlighting disappearing trades. See full story here.
World War I sights and sounds
Contemporary audiences will be able to experience the Sights and Sounds of the First World War period, by exploring a new website produced in partnership by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) and Ng Taonga Sound & Vision in New Zealand. Read full article here.
Laundry on show
Hung out to dry: Space, memory and domestic laundry practices, a new exhibition at The University of Queensland Art Museum, is more than a homage to the backyard rotary hoist. Part oral history project, part artistic response, the exhibition is presented in collaboration with The University of Queensland’s Centre for Architecture Theory Criticism History. Read the full article here.
Women on farms
Alana Johnson is a major supporter of the Invisible Farmers Project by Museum Victoria and University of Melbourne. Just launched,the project will record oral histories to address the "historical invisibility" of women on farms. For the full story click here.