Warning: This post contains references to Aboriginal people who are now deceased. The Lone Protestor is the story of a remarkable Aboriginal man who lived in Europe during the interwar years. Anthony Martin Fernando’s protest about the terrible treatment of Aborigines in Australia was featured on the front page of the highly regarded Der Bund newspaper in Switzerland in … [Read more...] about Glimpses of an Extraordinary Life
Archives
GLAMming it Up – Two Days in Melbourne
Galleries, libraries, archives and museums are known as the GLAM institutions. I spend a lot of time in these places doing research, but I also enjoy visiting exhibitions and taking behind the scenes tours. When I travel I try to squeeze in an exhibition or two. Unfortunately I find that I often don't have much time to do this so I either miss out or I have to cram as much as … [Read more...] about GLAMming it Up – Two Days in Melbourne
Book Review – The Paper War by Anna Johnston
Sydney Town was young and rambunctious when the ship carrying an ambitious missionary docked in 1824. Into this colonial outpost stepped Lancelot Edward Threlkeld, determined to make his mark in the world, eager to convert Aboriginal people to Christianity and confident that his way was the right way. He went on to establish an Aboriginal mission at Lake Macquarie which … [Read more...] about Book Review – The Paper War by Anna Johnston
Women and Archival Silences
Archives are not neutral. We can't keep everything so choices have to be made and those choices reflect the values of the people making the decisions about what to keep and what to discard. In the past people such as women, non-Europeans, Aborigines, the poor etc were not considered important contributors to our history so their stories are often not portrayed in archival … [Read more...] about Women and Archival Silences
Of Recalcitrant Staples, Paper Clips and Mould Mould Mould!
While the goals of a historian and those working on family history at times are quite different there is a considerable overlap. I have found family historians very helpful while I have been researching the history of teaching reading. Over the last few days I was reminded again about how complementary the two pursuits are. I'm sorting through the archives of a local … [Read more...] about Of Recalcitrant Staples, Paper Clips and Mould Mould Mould!