$350,000 To Preserve Local History Across Victoria

Date: 31 March 2009

Eighty-seven Victorian community groups will share in $350,000 of Brumby Government funding to help preserve and share their local stories.

Arts Minister Lynne Kosky said the latest round of projects supported by the Local History Grants program would allow Victorian community organisations to engage with, commemorate and learn from, the past.

"These projects tell some fantastic stories that show the diversity of Victoria and reflect our everyday life, our triumphs and our struggles," Ms Kosky said.

"The Brumby Government is taking action to grow liveable communities and recording and preserving our history helps reconnect our past with the future."

Ms Kosky said the recipients represent a wide range of community groups, from scout clubs to local historical societies, landcare groups to churches.

"These local history groups are largely volunteer-based, and I commend all the volunteers who give their time, energy and hard work to preserving, promoting and sharing the stories of their communities," she said.

This round will provide support to the Kinglake and Marysville historical societies.

"The recent bushfires have devastated these areas and many items of cultural or historical importance have been damaged or lost," Ms Kosky said.

"These grants will assist the societies to maintain and reconstitute collections that show their history and preserve it for future generations."

Funding recipients in this round include:

• The Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad for a documentary about Melbourne's Turkish Cypriot community;
• The Friends of Wyperfeld for a series of short web videos and a DVD that explores the history of the Wyperfeld National Park;
• The Nullawil Historical Society to investigate and compile a history of sheep farming in the district;
• The Raymond Island Community Association Inc for a pictorial history of the Raymond Island ferry service;
• The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives - for the preservation of scrapbooks that document aspects of gay and lesbian life in Victoria from the 1920s to today;
• The Textile Clothing Footwear Union of Australia (Victorian Branch) - to record oral histories of workers from the now-closed Brinton's carpet factory in Geelong; and
• Talbot Arts and Historical Museum Inc. - to publish a World War One soldier's diary, tracing his enlistment to his service during the Egypt and Gallipoli campaigns

The Local History Grants Program is managed by Public Record Office Victoria.

2009 Local History Grants Recipients

3CR (Melbourne City): $5,197
For four audio tours of Melbourne's social, activist and cultural local history by four different tour guides: Jenny Lee, Irine Vela, Iain McIntrye and Tom Civil. The tours are a twist on a typical "walking tour" - as well as being fact-based, they also offer personal insights and stories around local history.

Acheron Mechanics Institute (Murrindindi Shire): $5,000
The Acheron Mechanics Institute will celebrate its centenary in 2014. In the lead-up the Institute will commission a short history of Acheron to be published in both book and digital form.

Alphington Primary School Centenary Committee (Yarra City): $3,000
To publish a book that captures historical information and oral histories from past students, teachers, principals and community members.

Anglesea and District Historical Society (Surf Coast Shire): $2,798
Purchase a computer and projector to enable volunteers to inventory all holdings and to promote the society and region at various functions.

Army History Unit Bandiana (Wodonga City): $4,480
For a public display of the history of the army apprentices school at Balcombe 1948-82 and Bonegilla 1983-1995.

Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad (Brimbank City): $3,200
To produce a documentary that will describe the migration experience of the Turkish Cypriots from Cyprus to Melbourne from the 1950s to today.

Australian Boys Choral Institute (Boroondara City): $2,782
For the annotation and archiving of the extensive records (including documents, audio and visual recordings) of The Australian Boys Choral Institute (ABCI) dating back to 1939.

Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives (Stonnington City): $3,200
To preserve and share 5 unique scrapbooks showing aspects of gay and lesbian life in Victoria from the 1920s to today as well as to conserve and digitise a small collection of photographs in danger of serious degradation.

Australian Red Cross Geelong Barwon Region (Greater Geelong City): $6,000
To record and publish the stories of older Red Cross volunteers with particular reference to their experiences during bushfires such as those on Ash Wednesday that swept through southern Victoria on 16 February 1983.

Barengi Gadjin Land Council (Horsham Rural City): $6,000
To develop and produce booklets of the Creation Stories of the Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wotjobaluk, Wergaia and Jupagalk people.

Barham-Koondrook Historical Society Inc. (Swan Hill Rural City): $1,399
For the purchase of permanent display equipment.

Beaufort Historical Society (Pyrenees Shire): $5,000
To transfer a copy of the Riponshire Newspaper from film to CD.

Benalla And District Historical Society Inc (Benalla Rural City): $4,243
Purchase a custom built display case and drawers to display the society's most valuable books, manuscripts and photographs and for an upgrade to their cataloguing system.

Bendigo Art Gallery (Greater Bendigo City): $5,000
For a project that will bring together local heritage groups and schools to collect oral history material from Bendigo residents relating to Bendigo's history. This material will be integrated into a 'memory bank' which will be permanently displayed at the Bendigo Post Office Gallery.

Bendoc Progress Association Inc. (East Gippsland Shire): $4,000
To preserve the existing written records of the North Bendoc Public School, to record interviews with ex-students and to commemorate the site of the former school with a tree on one side of the Bendoc River and a large stone plaque on the other side.

Bengworden Country Women's Association (East Gippsland Shire): $5,000
To produce a book detailing the history of Bengworden.

Birchip Historical Society (Buloke Shire): $1,980
To copy important local historical events from Birchip newspapers to prevent further deterioration.

Buda Historic Home & Garden Incorporated (Mount Alexander Shire): $4,000
To revise and expand the social history booklet relating to the Leviny family and 'Buda', the historic home and garden where the family resided from 1863 -1981.

Casey Grammar School (Casey City): $2,140
To identify the men and women from the Casey region who enlisted in the Armed Services in World War One, research their military service and their lives following their return from war. The information will become an ipod resource which will lead people on a walking tour incorporating War memorials, Avenues of Honour and the cemeteries in the City of Casey.

Chetwynd Community Centre (West Wimmera Shire): $3,400
To publish a book documenting the history of Chetwynd through stories and recollections of older residents.

Coonara Community House Inc (Knox City): $2,000
To collect another volume of Upper Gully Memories which will document oral histories from the older members of our community. This will result in a book as well as regular columns in the local newspaper.

Council of Single Mothers and their Children, Inc (Melbourne City): $6,735
To produce and distribute a history of the Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) during the organisation's 40th anniversary year

Creswick District Development Association Inc. (Hepburn Shire): $6,000
For collecting and recording a history of the Lindsay family as seen through the eyes of local Creswick families who knew them.

Dandenong and District Historical Society (Greater Dandenong City): $655
To obtain a lockable storage cupboard to preserve and protect their collection.

Darebin Libraries (Darebin City): $1,200
A pilot project interviewing older Darebin residents to capture their memories of living in Northcote and Preston in the 1930s and 40s.

Darebin Parklands Association (Darebin City): $6,000
To produce a history that explores and celebrates all aspects of the Darebin Parklands, from its physical and natural history to its indigenous and industrial heritage and its rebirth as a community-created park.

Donald History & Natural History Group as part of the Donald MLA Society (Buloke Shire): $2,672
To create an in-house database which will be made available to the public as a searchable website.

East Keilor Sustainability Street Inc (Moonee Valley City): $2,100
To research the early history of Milleara Estate, East Keilor, recording oral histories from local residents and to publish a book.

East Loddon Historical Society Inc. (Loddon Shire): $2,566
To collect oral histories, photographs and other information from senior members of the community.

Flinders District Historical Society (Mornington Peninsula Shire): $4,000
To publish Bush Ballads of a Peninsula Pioneer; the poems of Henry Tuck. Born in 1846, Tuck was a member of a well-known pioneer family on the Mornington Peninsula.

Foster & District Historical Society Inc. (South Gippsland Shire): $3,000
Local historian Neil Everitt will research and write the history of Port Franklin.

Friends of Coolart Inc. (Mornington Peninsula Shire): $800
Conservation and appropriate storage of original records relating to Coolart Wetlands and Homestead.

Friends of Wilson Botanic Park (Casey City): $2,000
To preserve the history of the Berwick Quarry which commenced operation 150 years ago (1859-2009) by interviewing past owners, operators, employees of the quarry, family of employees of the quarry, and any person who has memories and memorabilia of the quarry.

Friends of Wyperfeld (Yarriambiack Shire): $8,500
To create a collection of oral histories and visuals from and inspired by the Wyperfeld National Park and the Friends of Wyperfeld. To be produced as a DVD and several 10 minute episodes for release on the web.

Geelong Scout Heritage Centre (Greater Geelong City): $2,500
To produce an exhibition that celebrates 100 years of scouting in Geelong.

Genoa Town Committee Inc (East Gippsland Shire): $4,725
For a reprint of the historical book Border Tales to ensure that it is available and accessible to the wider community.

Gipsy Point Cemetery Trust Inc (East Gippsland Shire): $1,500
To research and identify nine unmarked graves in a remote rural cemetery and publish a booklet.

Glastonbury Child & Family Services (Greater Geelong City): $5,500
To preserve the early client records of the Glastonbury Child and Family Services (formerly the Geelong Orphan Asylum).

Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection (Glenelg Shire Council): $4,550
To renew displays relating to the wreck of the S.S. Admella, and Portland lifeboat, at Portland's Maritime Discovery Centre for the 150th anniversary of the wreck (August 2009).

Harcourt Valley Heritage and Tourist Centre Inc (Mount Alexander Shire): $1,000
To purchase proper archive quality storage boxes for the society's historical collection.

Hastings - Western Port Historical Society (Mornington Peninsula Shire): $5,000
To collect and record personal memories and factual data relating to the maritime history of Hastings and Western Port.

Heidelberg Historical Society Inc (Banyule City): $5,032
To digitise the Heidelberg Historical Society's extensive microform collection which contains local newspapers from 1882-1920 and local rate books from 1863-1920.

Inglewood Development and Tourism Committee (Loddon Shire): $5,860
To produce a fully illustrated account Inglewood's eucalyptus oil industry.

Kariwara District Association (Maribyrnong City): $3,500
To provide a written and pictorial history of First Footscray Scouting Group, one of the first scout groups in Victoria.

Kerang and District Band Inc (Gannawarra Shire): $3,754
To publish the history of the local band since 1884.

Kerang and District Family History Group (Gannawarra Shire): $3,139
To republish three books that historically encompass the past 165 years of the Kerang district: Souvenir Back to Kerang 1922, It's history from 1843-1927, Kerang the First 100 Years 1848-1948 and A Souvenir for 1906. The Kerang District, its descriptions and resources.

Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House - Kinglake Historical Society (Murrindindi Shire): $4,150
To organise archival storage for collection of historical photographs, documents and maps.

Kongwak Public Hall Inc (South Gippsland Shire): $3,000
To reprint the 1983 book Kongwak - Valley of Peace.

Koroit & District Historical Society Inc. (Moyne Shire): $1,000
To purchase a range of storage material for the society.

Lancefield Football/Netball Club Inc (Macedon Ranges Shire): $800
Restore, record, frame and display ten historical photographs depicting the history of the club from 1888 - 1958.

Leongatha and District Historical Society (South Gippsland Shire): $5,000
To purchase a new computer for cataloguing and storage of digitised material and another to allow the general public to conduct community research.

Marysville and District Historical Society (Murrindindi Shire): $10,000
To assist with reconstituting the collection destroyed in the recent fires.

Melbourne Athenaeum Incorporated (Melbourne City): $8,000
To celebrate 170 years of continuous operation the Athenaeum will publish a social history which will track its development in the context of Melbourne's development from a colony to a thriving cultural centre.

Meredith Community House Inc. (Golden Plains Shire): $4,550
The project will provide training to members of the local history group so they can record oral histories and preserve and catalogue historical documents, photos and other significant historical objects. The project will culminate in the publication of a book that reflects the achievements of men of the Meredith District.

Meriba Service Club of Colac (Colac Otway Shire): $975
To research and compile a book relating to the people from the Colac Otway area who signed the 1891 Monster Petition which called for women's voting rights.

Merino Progress Association (Glenelg Shire Council): $2,657
To erect interpretive and informative signs at historic sites around Merino.

Minyip and District Historical Society (Yarriambiack Shire): $2,800
To publish a book that gives detail about the 94 historical points along the Minyip Heritage Walk.

Nhill and District Historical Society inc (Hindmarsh Shire): $5,000
To convert to digital format the Nhill Free Press which was published from 1882 - 1941 and again in1969.

North Yarra Community Health (Yarra City): $8,000
To research, write and publish the history of North Yarra Community Health Centre.

Nullawil Historical Society (Buloke Shire): $7,132
To document the history of the sheep industry in the Nullawil District.

Old Gippstown (Latrobe City): $3,000
To publish a book on Gippsland's history using examples (written and photographic) of the buildings and objects held at Old Gippstown.

Orbost & District Historical Society Inc (East Gippsland Shire): $5,850
To produce a digital copy, DVD and index of a privately-owned series of diaries and ledgers from 1878-1934 so they can be made available to the public.

Paynesville Fire Brigade, Country Fire Authority (East Gippsland Shire): $2,600
To interview and record an oral history of Brigade members as part of the Brigade's 70th anniversary in June 2010.

Peppers Plain Historical Sites Committee (Hindmarsh Shire): $2,300
To erect signs identifying local sites of historical significance.

Pyramid Hill and District Historical Society (Loddon Shire): $4,000
To research and photograph headstones and print the records of Pyramid Hill, Durham Ox and Mitiamo Cemeteries.

Raymond Island Community Association Inc. (East Gippsland Shire): $7,514
To research, compile and print a pictorial history of the Raymond Island Ferry Service to preserve the history for future generations.

Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society Inc (Macedon Ranges Shire): $3,000
To collect all obituaries in the Lancefield Examiner and Lancefield Mercury from 1872-79 and reproduce them in book form.

Rupanyup Historical Society (Yarriambiack Shire): $2,000
To erect four school signs on land which once housed the local state schools.

Seymour and District Historical Society (Mitchell Shire): $3,768
To publish a book of historical events that have occurred in Seymour's history.

Skipton and District Historical Society (Corangamite Shire): $1,500
To provide proper storage for a display of military uniforms, decorations and memorabilia which have been presented to the society.

Snake Valley and District Historical Society (Pyrenees Shire): $5,138
For the preservation of the society's photographic and archival collection by digitising and cataloguing into a database.

St Arnaud Historical Society (Northern Grampians Shire): $5,000
The project entitled "Giving our past a future" will train volunteers, provide equipment and software to identify and catalogue material in the local museum collection and will undertake activities to make museum material available for public access.

St Kilda Historical Society (Port Phillip City): $2,500
The project is a continuation of the provision of an on-line version of The History of St Kilda, originally written by J.B. Cooper in 1931.

Strathdale (Bendigo) Quilters Inc (Greater Bendigo City): $4,800
To document the history and significance of a heritage signature quilt (dated 1895) which contains 264 embroidered signatures of local men and women of the day.

Strathmerton Community Coordinators (Moira Shire): $5,000
To compile and publish a book that recounts the history of the families in Strathmerton.

Sunbury and District Heritage Association Inc (Hume City): $2,850
To enhance and develop community awareness of local history through the Sunbury and District Heritage Association's collection.

Sunday Creek Dry Creek Landcare Group (Mitchell Shire): $2,800
This project aims to collate information using local knowledge of areas such as Luke's Flat, Fryen's Hill or 'the White Elephant' and create a map and appendix plotting the sites and explaining how they got their colloquial name.

Talbot Arts and Historical Museum Inc (Central Goldfields Shire): $3,300
To publish a World War 1 soldier's diary that begins with his enlistment as a bandsman and tells of his army experiences in Melbourne, on the troop transport to Fremantle and Egypt and the Gallipoli campaign.

Tallangatta and District Heritage Group (Towong Shire): $5,000
To catalogue and document objects of the Tallangatta Heritage Collection.

Terang & District Historical Society Inc. (Corangamite Shire): $4,950
To publish a pictorial history of Terang and district in a series of books, showing Terang past and present.

Textile Clothing Footwear Union of Australia - Victorian Branch (Geelong City): $11,529
To record the oral histories of textile workers from the Brintons Carpet Factory in Geelong which shut its doors In July 2008. These will be included in an exhibition at the National Wool Museum.

The Anglican Parish of Footscray (Maribyrnong City): $7,000
To tell the local history of the hundreds of Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Victoria since the early 1990s and made Footscray their new home.

Themla Ross Memorial Uniting Church, Parwan South (Moorabool Shire): $5,000
To produce an illustrated book on the history of the Parwan district, its development through farming, schools, church and other community organisations in readiness for the 70th anniversary of the Themla Ross Memorial Church in May 2010.

Wangaratta Historical Society (Wangaratta Rural City): $8,000
To write and publish a history of Wangaratta from pre-settlement to present day.

Woady Yaloak Historical Society Incorporated (Golden Plains Shire): $3,067
To publish a book containing the histories of some of the women who were born and lived in the area over the past 154 years.

Wodonga Family Historical Society Incorporated (Wodonga City): $300
To transfer the records from the Wodonga Cemetery Trust register (1861-2004) to CDs for public access.

Yarram and District Historical Society (Wellington Shire): $1,725
To purchase archival containers to house collections and to repair and stabilise items some of the older items in the collection.