Local History Local Hearts brought the expertise and resources of Griffith University, the State Library of Queensland and Logan West Public Library to Park Ridge High School and its local communities. The project was funded by Q150 with in-kind support from these institutions.

Report in the Jimboomba Times

History students from years 11 and 12 recorded local histories and heritage and worked with their community to build a sense of local awareness and understanding and to create a valuable website resource of digital stories. The project provided students with experiences of working with university and library professionals, developing historical research and digital story production skills and gaining insights into tertiary study, knowledge-production and the experience of life-long learning.

Students followed a program developed by their teachers in consultation with the historian. This included an introduction to oral history research, the local library, a tour of local history sites and visits to the State Library to learn about  its collections and to attend digital story-telling workshops.

The students’ digital stories and related essays will be assessed as part of their curriculum assessment requirements. Several will be selected to go on the State Library Q150 digital stories site.

The project was directed by historian Professor Anna Haebich with inspirational teachers Sandra Malmstedt and Theo Christensen and digit story telling experts Gavin Bannerman and David Crane.

Other schools interested in the project should write in to this blog.
 

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The State Library has commissioned a series of digital stories to profile the lives of four leading Queensland businesswomen. These women tell stories about the challenges they faced to establish their businesses, how the support of family members helped them achieve their success and how they have contributed to Queensland’s economic and social development. The four businesswomen are: Ann Garms, Betty Byrne Henderson, Cheryl Macnaught and Rhonda White.

  Rhonda White, co-founder of the Terry White Chemists Group

Learn more about these inspiring women here: http://qldstories.slq.qld.gov.au/home/digital_stories/businesswomen.

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On Friday 24 April 2009 staff from John Oxley Library had the opportunity to watch Maxine Mellor’s “Mystery Project”. This play was presented in The Studio at the State Library by Queensland Theatre Company in conjunction with State Library of Queensland.

 Maxine Mellor

Maxine Mellor was playwright in residence at the John Oxley Library in November and December 2008. Throughout her residence she searched through books, old diaries, art, photos, magazines, newspapers, films and music to gather ideas for the play. 

In this exciting murder mystery, Agatha, an aspiring detective, meets Elspeth, a girl from the nineteenth century. Elspeth explains that she was murdered and she wants Agatha to use her detective skills to work out who murdered her. As the play progresses, various murder suspects and their motives are considered in a fun and playful way, with plenty of laughs from the audience along the journey.

The setting for the play was a miniature library, and the focus for the story was Elspeth’s half-written diary.  The actors, Nelle Lee (Agatha) and Kathryn Marquet (Elspeth) used voice and physical theatre action to portray a variety of different characters and tell stories in playful and creative ways.

An outstanding performance by Nelle and Kathryn with splashes of humour throughout the production. It was thoughtfully scripted by Maxine, well directed by Joseph Mitchell and a pleasure to watch.

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After six thoroughly enjoyable sessions the first of the Discovering Queensland courses have now come to an end.

Professor Raymond Evans (left) discusses items in the collection with participants from the Wednesday evening group.

Raymond distributes certificates and congratulates participants in the Friday group.

After the last session Raymond signs books.

Course leader Professor Raymond Evans and facilitator Dr Leanne Day.

Acclaimed historian and author, Professor Raymond Evans, led the course and attributes its success to its unique blend of Book Club, Meet the Author and Tutorial. It delivered a slightly modified version of the 3 Rs:
• Reading (participants were required to read the relevant chapters of A History of Queensland prior to the meetings)
• Writing (the author was present to discuss his book with the participants)
• Raw Material (participants had the opportunity to peruse items from the John Oxley Library’s collections that were displayed each week to complement discussion on the focal chapters)

Participants comprised staff from various Indigenous and other cultural organizations, high school and primary school teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, a sculptor; family historians and other members of the general public. The binding element was an interest in Queensland history and the diversity of the group meant that discussions were always lively and informative. The gathering together of people with this common interest in Queensland history also provided great network opportunities for participants to catch up with one another before and after each of the sessions while viewing the displayed items from the Library’s collection.

After the final session all participants were awarded a Certificate signed by Raymond.

Due to the sell out success of the first two sessions, the course will now be repeated in October, so if you missed out last time, here are the details:

DISCOVERING QUEENSLAND
LEARNING PROGRAM
Professor Raymond Evans will lead further Queensland history courses for the public. His fascinating book, A History of Queensland, will be the focal text of the course and will inform the course outline. State Library’s Queensland Authors Librarian, Dr Leanne Day, will assist Raymond by acting as facilitator and together they will spend time during each session to reveal some of the State Library’s treasures that link into the themes of the chapters being discussed. Participants are asked to read the relevant chapters of Raymond’s book prior to their examination across the six weeks of the course.

WHEN SIX WEEK COURSE
EVERY MON FROM MON 5 OCT TO MON 9 NOV, 6PM – 7:30PM

OR

EVERY WED FROM WED 7 OCT TO WED 11 NOV, 6PM – 7:30PM

WHERE JOHN OXLEY LIBRARY READING ROOM, LEVEL 4
TICKETS $280 on sale Mon 3 Aug (PRICE INCLUDES COPY OF PROFESSOR. EVANS’ CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK & COURSE MANUAL).
BOOKINGS 3842 9293 FROM MON 3 AUG
ENQUIRIES: LEARNING@SLQ.QLD.GOV.AU

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In March 2009, staff from the John Oxley Library visited Mount Isa to record Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s responses to the 2008 Apology.

One year on from Kevin Rudd’s official Apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, the stories that have been created reflect the experiences, emotion and concerns about Indigenous reconciliation and the future.

Seven people in total shared their stories, ranging from Robyrta Felton a Mornington Island elder with extensive experience in local government and Indigenous issues, to Soraya Johnston a Grade 11 student at Spinifex High School, Mount Isa.

. Robyrta Felton at the Mount Isa workshop.

The seven stories can be viewed here: http://qldstories.slq.qld.gov.au/home/digital_stories/mt-isa_response. 

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On Tuesday 21st April students from Brisbane Boys Grammar School attended the State Library of Queensland’s Fox Family White Gloves Room for a talk and display on the subject of military collections held in the John Oxley Library.

Heritage C0llections’ Librarian Simon Farley speaks to students from the middle school at Brisbane Boys Grammar.

This talk is part of a series of “Queensland at War” workshops being held over the next fortnight as part of the State Library of Queensland’s Schools Program. Attending upcoming sessions will be the Anglican Church Grammar School, Nundah State School, and Albany Creek State School.

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Continuing our series on the history of the John Oxley Library, in this, our 75th year. 

The nature of the Library’s establishment as well as its role and responsibilities were to put it into conflict and competition with the Royal Historical Society of Queensland (the Society) as well as others, particularly in regard to the following:

• Were records and other material to be collected in cooperation with or in competition to the Society?
• What was the intent of the proposed Queensland Historical Society and Museum, detailed in the Oxley Memorial Library’s objects?
• Why was the Oxley Memorial Library to be associated with the Brisbane Municipal Library and not the State Library as was the situation in other states?

As a consequence, over the next few years there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the Oxley Memorial Library and opinions differed regarding the use of the funds in the Oxley Memorial Fund.  This resulted in disagreement and tension between the parties involved. 

The collection slowly developed, firstly in a room at the University of Queensland in George Street and, for two years from 1931, at the City Hall. 

Brisbane City Hall, 1930.  Image No: 31184

Part 4 will be posted next month.

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On Sunday 19th April, in the lead up to Anzac Day, members of the public enjoyed an “Uncovered” joint presentation by librarians Ken Taylor and Simon Farley on the subject of military related collection items held in the Heritage and State Reference Collections of the State Library of Queensland.

 Heritage Collections’ Librarian Simon Farley speaks about the range of military collections to be found on level 4 of the State Library of Queensland.

 Ken Taylor from Reference Services discusses the rich array of resources of use to researchers interested in military matters.

Materials on dispay in the Fox Family White Gloves Room included books from the State Reference Library and materials from the Heritage Collections including posters, regimental histories, ration coupons, artworks, cuttings books and photographs.

Of the archival collections available for people to see the 2nd Light Horse Association Records were of particular interest. 

The 2nd/14th Australian Light Horse had its origins in the Queensland Volunteer Defence Forces and saw service in the Boer War and in World War 1 at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern campaigns, including Jerusalem and Beersheba.

Records on display included rare photograph albums, regimental war diaries, diaries and journals of the Reverand George Green, casualty lists and nominal rolls. 

Contact the State Library for more information on its military holdings and keep in touch with upcoming Uncovered talks through the State Library of Queensland’s What’s On webpages at  http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/talks 

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The Australian Society of Archivists’ Loris Williams Scholarship winners for 2009 are State Library of Queensland’s Tania Schafer and Sue Newman from the State Records Office of NSW.

 Tania Schafer with the State Librarian Lea Giles-Peters and the State Archivist Janet Prowse

The scholarship is named in memory of Loris Williams (1949-2005) who after completing her fieldwork at the State Library of Queensland became the first Aboriginal person from Queensland to gain professional archival qualifications, and only the second in Australia to do so.

Loris was a well respected colleague and a tireless advocate for the rights of Indigenous people to access archival collections and for the importance of educating Indigenous professionals.

In Queensland an award presentation was held for Tania Schafer in the State Library of Queensland’s Loris Williams Room on 8 April.

Tania is a qualified librarian and has worked at the State Library of Queensland for 15 years. She is now the Indigenous Resource Officer with responsibility for providing access to the resources of the Heritage Collections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders researching their family history.

Tania is a friend of the Williams family and remembers Loris with great affection as a mentor who encouraged her to become an advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their quest to gain equality of access to archives.

Tania is studying for her Masters of Information Management and Systems at Monash University. She will use the ASA Loris Williams Scholarship to purchase books and a computer and hopes to complete the remaining units of her course by 2010.

Sue Newman works at the State Records Office of NSW as Project Officer - Aboriginal Liaison. Like Tania she is passionate about assisting Indigenous people to access records and re-establish links with families and communities. She is studying for the Graduate Diploma in Science (Information Services) at Edith Cowan University.

Congratulations to Tania and Sue as very deserving ASA Loris Williams Scholarship holders for 2009.

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John Oxley Library staff members visited Charters Towers to continue the Library’s 75th anniversary tour of historical treasures to regional areas of Queensland. 

 The John Oxley Library’s Brian Randall talking to participants at the Charters Towers tour venue (Charters Towers Library)

Two presentations were held on Monday 6 April at the Charters Towers library.  Participants had the opportunity to closely examine some early Charters Towers related historical items from John Oxley Library, including an early album of photographs and an 1890s minute book of the Charters Towers Literary and Debating Society.

Feedback was positive with participants taking full advantage of this personal interaction with some of the John Oxley Library’s most significant collection items.

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