Oral History Master’s Program – Columbia

Being in Columbia’s Oral History Master’s Program (OHMA), I’ve read articles for class that describe how oral historians recorded and edited audio in the past. Every time I read one of those articles, I call my mom, who used to work editing tape in the 70s and 80s. “How did you do it?” I ask. “How did you edit with a razor, with no undo button? If it was still like that, I would never have entered this field.” She always laughs, saying they didn’t have that technology and didn’t know how easy it could be.  For full story click here.

Hervey Bay History

Teenagers are involved in a project to record interviews with elderly residents of the Fraser Coast.  The interviews are all filmed and will be produced into a documentary, with the raw footage from the oral history project to become available as a reference for future historians.  For full story click here.

Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Redfern

On a blistering hot Sunday in January, a group of Aboriginal activists and allies delivered their impassioned accounts to a captivated crowd at The Block, Redfern. The banners behind them displayed powerful messages: “Justice Now! Reopen the TJ Hickey inquest”, “Black Law on Black Land”, and “You may kill our warriors, but you’ll never kill our fight for justice”.  Aunty Jenny Munro, a Wiradjuri Elder and long-term activist, who was involved with the founding of the first Tent Embassy in Canberra 40 years ago, spoke first. She was instrumental in the founding of The Block, as well as the establishment of the Redfern Tent Embassy in May last year and remains its linchpin. For full story click here.