Hunter Living Histories

University of Newcastle’s Hunter Living Histories

ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Our Mission: To achieve recognition for Newcastle and the Hunter Region’s contribution in the making of the Australian nation.

GOAL 1. (G1) To have Newcastle and the Hunter Region’s important historic sites nationally recognised

GOAL 2. (G2) To ensure our legislative frameworks are working effectively for our heritage

GOAL 3. (G3) To locate, protect and physically (or digitally) repatriate archival records of historical research importance to the Hunter Region

GOAL 4. (G4) To research, investigate and verify historical evidence

GOAL 5. (G5) To inspire, and share knowledge and expertise to promote the importance of heritage to communities

 

Background

The University of Newcastle established The Coal River Working Party (CRWP) under the leadership of Dr Erik Eklund in 2003 to support a local community organization, The Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc., in their endeavours to have an historically significant area of Newcastle East, the “Coal River Heritage Precinct” nationally recognised. The CRWP gained a new Chair in 2008, Mr Gionni Di Gravio, University Archivist, and operations came under the support of the University’ Cultural Collections (Archives) within the Auchmuty Library. In 2016, the CRWP changed its name to the Hunter (Living) Histories Initiative to better reflect its work across the Region.

 

2017 in Review

The HHi blog has achieved over 67,289 hits through 2017 and currently has over 1405 FB followers and 667 twitter followers across its HHi/CRWP HHi/CRWP pages. The UON flickr site has had 46.6M hits to date. UONCC Youtube for 2017 has had 50,435 views, with 171,109 minutes watched. UONCC Soundcloud for 2017 has had 17,000 hits, and over 2000 downloads.

The year has marked by the rollout of the Living Histories @ UON digital platform as Cultural Collections’ new digital catalogue, and a new GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab to advance Aboriginal cadetships, Work integrated Learning and Internship opportunities for students and young people in the wider community with Dr Ann Hardy as its “Historian, Living Histories Co-ordinator” which allows the HHi to fully support all the new emerging digital creative & humanities and student work integrated learning (WIL) areas as part of our University’s community outreach support.

We sincerely thank VERA DEACON, and her FELLOW DONORS to the VERA DEACON REGIONAL HISTORY FUND that have enabled our volunteers to obtain paid employment in our projects. To help, please click here: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/vera-deacon-fund/

 

Sincere Thanks to Our Volunteers

From January to December 2017, our volunteers have provided us with over 4435.37 hrs of unpaid work valued at $187,706.88 [This is calculated at 4435.37 hrs @HEW4 Step 1 ($41.46 per hour) $183,890.44 and 73 hours @ HEW6 Step 1 ($52.28 per hour) $3816.44]

Eleven (11) meetings have been held thus far throughout the year to December. Approx 80 blog postings have been prepared for the Hunter Living Histories Blog so far this year.

Hunter Living Histories Initiative has been incorporated into GLAMx WIL professional initiative providing students with access to wider community in safe and secure environment to enable collaborations with community groups, including digitisation, curatorial projects, etc, preparing reports of their work in blog postings, as well as public speaking engagements reporting directly to community members. They have also been able to find mentors in their chosen research areas, and which has broadened their business networks across the region.

HUNTER (Living) HISTORIES INITIATIVE

2017 GLAMx PROJECTS involving staff, WIL student placements, and student and community volunteers have included:

• GLAMx Deep Time Project (G4 G5)
  Dr Ann Hardy/Dr Amir Mogadam/Dr Greg Blyton/Gionni Di Gravio/FEDUA/Innovation Team began the 3D DEEP TIME project pilot of the 3D digitisation Palais Royale Aboriginal Artefacts dating back 6,500 years. These sample 3D digitised objects are being incorporated into Living Histories @ UON digital platform, with metadata, and then exported to a Virtual Reality Simulation of the dig prepared by the UON Innovation Team (Auchmuty Library). The Deep Time Project received a four page cover feature in Newcastle Herald Weekender 18 November 2017 by renown National media personality Scott Bevan featuring comprehensive overview of the project involving work of WIL, volunteers, Aboriginal community and Innovation Team. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/17/deep-time-project/
  
  Emma Heath (Natural History Illustration student) Has drawn over 300 Aboriginal artefacts from Former Palais site. Under Supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/12/04/aboriginal-artefacts/We greatly appreciate the help currently being provided by our students and volunteers including Beth Anastasiou, Jason Connor, Simone Cox, Ann Kay, Rebecca Simpson, Rosie Heritage, Victoria Havice and Emma Heath on this project and hope that this information assists in clarifying the challenges of this Project.

 

• GLAMx Historic Sites Documentation Team
  Natural History Illustration Field Studies & Culture Class NHIL3004 have collaborated with GLAMx Historic Sites documentation team with infographics being prepared and uploaded to HHI blog postings on Newcastle and Hunter Region, Baiame Cave and Wollombi Northern Map Site. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/10/16/baiame-cave-2016/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/15/nhil3004-newcastle/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/08/09/nhil3004/
  
• Team Belfield – Hunter Valley Data Sets
  Ken Thornton (Volunteer) – Digitised the complete data sets of Hunter Valley Climate Records dating from 1843-1907 for the Belfield Climate Data Project. Under supervision of Gionni Di Gravio. For more info on the Project: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/lindenashcroft/
• Godfrey Tanner Papers
  Peter Langton (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Digitised the complete papers of Professor Godfrey Tanner (over 667 pages) and created a blog post of his work and work utilising archival sources and interviews conducted with his colleagues. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/17/godfrey-tanner/
• Children’s Home Records
  Joshua Curley and Chris Bourne (Volunteers/Casuals employed Vera Deacon Regional History Fund) – Digitised 5000 pages of confidential Children’s Homes Records. Under Supervision of Dr Edward Bridle.
• Medical Communication Unit Videos
  Joshua Curley (Volunteer) sorted and digitised hundreds of videos of the UON’s Medical Communication Unit. Under Supervision of Gionni Di Gravio.
• Newcastle Earthquake (1989) and Margaret Henry Oral Histories
  Kaye Fisher (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Undertook a research project in the archives of the Newcastle Earthquake (1989) See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/15/earthquake/ Digitisation additional oral histories donated to the Margaret Henry Oral History Archive including the Aboriginal Education Conference held in 1986 at the UON. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/04/13/aboriginal-education-conference-1986-uon/
• Aboriginal Names Project
  Dana Silayi (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – through the Aboriginal Names Project has been conducting research into the original people of the Newcastle Aboriginal Tribes, recorded in Threlkeld’s Blanket Lists from the 1820s-1840s. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/22/indigenous-names-research-making-connections/ Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy, Gionni Di Gravio and Dr Greg Blyton.
• UON Convocation Lectures & 2NURFM Archive
  Angelique Carr (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Undertaken the Digitisation of the UON’s Convocation lectures 1980-1990. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/04/24/convocation-lectures-1980-1999/ ; The 2NURFM Archive 1979-1983 See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/03/29/2nur-fm/
• TINA Festival 20th Anniversary
  Freya Montefiore (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Worked with Octopod to prepare and digitise archives to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the This Is Not Art (TINA) festival research. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/albums/72157680579716923
• Museology Student Placements
  Alexander Barnes- Keoghan – (Museology Wil Placement GLAMx lab) Conservation preparation of negatives under supervision of Dr Amir Mogadam. Natasha Schroder – (Museology Wil Placement GLAMx lab and now Casual Employed through AITB Grant) Conservation preparation of negatives, and now rehousing thousands of University Photographs. Under supervision of Dr Edward Bridle, Dr Amir Mogadam, Dr Ann Hardy and Gionni Di Gravio.
• Geology of the Hunter Region & Professor Beryl Nashar
  Brook Sargent (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Undertook research into the Geology of the Hunter Region across 7000 years, See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/14/geology-newcastle/ and prepared a piece on Professor Beryl Nashar for International Women’s Day. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/03/08/international-womens-day-8-march-2017-professor-beryl-nashar/
• Scott Sisters of Ash island
  Jodi Vial (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab) – Undertook research into the Scott Sisters of Ash Island. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/03/27/the-scott-sisters-of-ash-island/
• Engineering Australia Oral History Archive
  Patrick Lindus (HUMA3003 WIL Placement GLAMx Lab and Volunteer) – Digitised the Engineering Australia Oral History Archive. Uploaded 62 hours+ to UONCC Soundcloud site here: https://soundcloud.com/uoncc/sets/engineers-australia-oral Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy.
• Honeysuckle Project Report (1991)
  Matthew Carr-Kirwan (Volunteer) – Digitised the entire Honeysuckle Project Historical and Industrial Archaeological Survey (1991) 440p. Under supervision of Gionni Di Gravio. see: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/04/06/honeysuckle/
• Herculaneum and Pompeii
  Madeleine Giles (Volunteer, GLAMx Lab) – Digitised 16 Volumes of Plates of Herculaneum and Pompeii from a 18th French Work in the Tanner Collection, and is now translating it into English. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy.
• Oral Histories Digitisation
  Victoria Grey (Volunteer, GLAMx Lab) – Editing and uploading UON oral histories. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy.
• Aerial Photographs Hunter Valley
  Casey Ryan and Jessica Waugh (Volunteers, GLAMx Lab) – Digitised, edited and GIS located over 500 UON Geology Dept. aerial photographs of the Hunter Region. These sets are being uploaded to UONCC Flickr site here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/albums/72157662645114118 Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy.
• Parks & Playgrounds Movement Archives
  Jessica Grey (Volunteer, GLAMx Lab) – Heritage project – Digitising reports from the Parks & Playgrounds Movement Archives. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/landcare-1982/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/birdwood-park/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/newcastle-bight/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/save-blackbutt/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/hunter-2000-no-2-1974/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/hunter-2000-no-1-1974/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/hunter-2000-report-1972/ ; https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/05/04/hunter-2000/
• Williamtown (NSW) Contamination
  Sarah Zanos (Sociology SOCA3033 Placement student) completed project on tracking Williamtown contamination. Under Supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See:  https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/08/30/environmental-impacts-of-raaf-williamtown/
• NEWYHistory APP
  Jarred Casley (Volunteer, GLAMx Lab) – Programmer who remastered the NEWYhistory App was launched at November meeting of Hunter Living Histories Initiative at NewSpace. Accessed by over 11,000 people via Facebook. Under supervision of Dr Ann Hardy. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/03/app-launched/
• NBN Television Archive
  Tom Sinclair (COMM 3500) NBN Television Archive – digitising various forms of material from 1988, including BVU tapes, Index cards and listing items as they are appeared in the ‘Newsnight’ series footage. In total 28 taped stories and cued sheets were digitised and scanned. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/10/10/nbn-1988-project/ and https://hunterlivinghistories.com/category/nbn-television-digital-archives/ Under Supervision of Dr Ann Hardy, Mr Phillip Lloyd and Barry Nancarrow.
• NBN Television Archive Index Cards
  Justin Guion (HUMA3303) and Michael Sheriff have digitized the NBN Television Archive News Index Cards and uploaded into Living Histories@UON https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/07/20/nbn-television-cards/ Under Supervision of Dr Ann Hardy.
• 2017 Inaugural Industry Awards
  Peter Langton, Faculty of Education and Arts student in the GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab, Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library won the 2017 Work Integrated Learning Student of the Year and Dr Ann Hardy, his GLAMx co-ordinator was awarded the 2017 Work Integrated Learning Staff Member of the Year, at the University of Newcastle’s inaugural Industry and Employability Awards in the University Gallery. https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/16/2017-industry-awards/

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  Advocacy, Public Lectures & Presentations (G4, G5)
  Providing research support and guidance for community driven efforts to protect heritage sites, celebrate commemorative events, public exhibitions or establish new infrastructure.

• Public Advocacy – Supercars 24 January 2017 We prepared a historical backgrounder linking all the important features along the track. Two meetings were also held to discuss future collaborations and WIL opportunities for student. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/01/24/supercars-newcastle-500/
• Public Advocacy – Waratah Gas Works Timeline. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/06/waratah-gas-works/
• Public Presentation – Coast Australia Series 3 Newcastle Episode Screening at Foghorn Brewhouse Newcastle. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/01/10/coast-australia-newcastle-stockton/ and https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2016/04/15/convict-mines/
• Public Advocacy – Historical Societies 17 February 2017 Interview with Rob Virtue (ABC1233) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-21/community-heritage-groups-at-risk-of-becoming-history/8289296
• Public Advocacy – Dungog Chronicle 2 March 2017 Interview with Rob Virtue (ABC1233) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-13/rare-newspaper-collection-from-rural-nsw-town-saved/8349652
• Public Presentation – (Dr Ann Hardy) 3 March 2017 – Guest speaker at International Women’s Day, invited by the Newcastle Branch of the Union of Australian Women at Charlestown Bowling Club. See https://governmenthousebarracks1804.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/empower-a-women-empower-a-nation-international-womens-day-2017/
• Public Presentation – (Gionni Di Gravio) Guest Speaker at East Maitland Family History Group (Saturday 4th March 2017)
• Public Presentation – (Dr Ann Hardy) 4 March 2017 – Guest speaker at Tomaree Historical Society, Port Stephens at Tomaree Community Centre 9.30- 11.30am
• Public Presentation – (Dr Ann Hardy) Friday 7 April 10.00 – 11.00am – Hosting Newcastle Writers Festival session with author Marilla North, her new book ‘Yarn Spinners’.
• Public Lecture – (Gionni Di Gravio) Guest Speaker at U3A Newcastle 23 March 2017.
• Public Presentation – (Gionni Di Gravio) Launched new book on WW1 by Greg and Sylvia Ray at the Newcastle RSL Club
• Supporting Researchers: Promoted and Filmed the History@ Newcastle Event “Sexual Violence and Medicine: Police Surgeons, Forensic Medical Examiners, and ‘Cultures of Care’ in Twentieth Century Britain” By Professor Joanna Bourke, UoN Global Innovation Chair.  Recorded Friday 7 April at 10am in Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library, University of Newcastle (Australia). Info: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/joanna-bourke/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiqeMw4kdQg
• Supporting Researchers: Met with Team Belfield on the 6th and 26th April re updates to digitising climate records.
• Supporting Researchers: Met with Paul Walsh on the 10th April regarding Yirannali Project for Newcastle City.
• Supporting Researchers: Met with Radical Newcastle RAD exhibition organisers and contributors on 12th and 28th April.
• Public Advocacy – Attended book launch on 11 April 2017 of ‘Coalmining Deaths’ book published by Newcastle Family History Society, and accepted donation of mining related archives.
• Public Exhibition – (With Paige Wright) Co-ordinated and promoted Windows into Wartime Exhibition Launch 3 April 2017.
• UQ Architecture ‘Digital Heritage Conference’– (Abstract accepted: Paper written & submitted) – Newcastle Time Machine – A collaborative approach to digital cultural heritage. Brisbane 19-21 April 2017. Authors: Gionni Di Gravio, Dr Ann Hardy, Charles Martin, Russell Rigby and Tim Davidson Conference link http://www.architecture.uq.edu.au/uq-architecture-conference-digital-cultural-heritage-future-visions
• ASA National Conference Melbourne – Joint presentation Abstract submitted –  Di Gravio, Hardy, Wood (UoM) & Tredinnick (Deakin), Engaging Tertiary Students with University Archival Collections.
• Book Chapter (Dr Ann Hardy) – Writing book chapter ‘Healthy Cultures: Healthy Communities’ Publisher Colorado Press. A collaboration with others in the History/Digital Heritage fields in Australia. This came out Heritage and Well-being conference held at Griffith University Nov 2016.
• Public Presentation. ‘Healthcare in Newcastle 1817-1860’ Presented at The Hunter Postgraduate Medical Institute one-day seminar at HMRI on 11 November, 2017. Dr Ann Hardy see https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/12/01/healthcare-in-newcastle-1817-1860/
• Public Advocacy – Stroud Historical Society 10 July 2017 Dr Ann Hardy, Gionni Di Gravio and Karen Moller (UON) Visit to Stroud Historical Society to advise on site condition and discuss future WIL digitization projects with students.
• Public Lecture – 24 April 2016 – Gionni Di Gravio was Keynote speaker at the U3A State Conference at Belmont. Staying Connected Past Present Future: What can 50,000 years of Hunter Region History teach us about human connections?
• Radical Newcastle Exhibition – (Dr Ann Hardy) The RAD Exhibition was opened and officially launched on Tuesday 4th July 2017. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/06/16/rad-newcastle-exhibition/
  

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  WW1 Commemorations – Birdwood Flag Conservation (G1,G3,G4,G5)
  The Birdwood Flag was the first Australian flag that WW1 troops fought and died under. It was manufactured with funds raised in the Hunter Region, and officially sanctioned. Under the professional guidance of our University Conservator, we are assisting the Christ Church Cathedral’s  Birdwood Heritage Committee in securing grants and expertise to assist in documenting the process of conservation by International Conservation Services (ICS) in Sydney. The Birdwood Flag Restoration Project re-hallowing ceremony was held on Sunday, 30 July 2017, a nationally significant cultural initiative, more info: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/birdwood-2017/

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  Coal River Working Party (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5)
  The original Coal River Working Party was formed to support the work of the Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc to have Newcastle’s East End nationally recognised by the Commonwealth of Australia as a place of important historic significance to Australia. We continue to promote and prepare National Nominations for Newcastle. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/08/crp-nomination-revised-2017/ and https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/20/crp-seeks/ which was, unfortunately yet again rejected by the Commonwealth of Australia.

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  Coal River ePress (G3, G4, G5)
  We provide a portal for the online publishing of scholarly works through our online sites as well as better access (‘user-friendly’) to online resources held at other institutions.

  This year we published:

  Historical Resources

• John R. Bingle’s personal copy of the Past and Present Records of Newcastle New South Wales. https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/09/08/bingle-1873/
• The Store : a co-operative phenomenon [an exhibition organised by] Newcastle Regional Museum. Newcastle, [N.S.W.] : Newcastle Printmakers Workshop, 1988 (70MB PDF File) See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/08/11/the-store-1988/
• U3A Newcastle Stories https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/13/newcastle-stories-u3a/
• The Southon Family of Builders https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/02/02/southon/
  Royal Newcastle Hospital 1817-1915 – Vol.1-5, thanks to Karen Moller (Auchmuty Library) who scanned and digitized them all. Available here: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/12/01/healthcare-in-newcastle-1817-1860/
• BHP Geology Plans: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/10/30/bhp-geology-plans/
• A View of Kings Town (1828) https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/04/05/kings-town-newcastle/ 
• The Lycett Album (ca.1820) https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/04/05/lycett-album/
• The Wallis Album (ca.1817-1818) https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/03/21/wallis-album-1817/
• Indexes to the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Historical Society https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/09/08/index-rahs/
• DIY Newcastle East Women’s History Walk https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/07/19/diy-newcastle/
• Stockton Colliery No. 3 Shaft by Russell Rigby https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/07/19/diy-newcastle/
• Illustrated Sydney News – High Resolution Scans https://hunterlivinghistories.com/category/creative-industries/illustrated-sydney-news/Creative Non-Fiction Writing
• Published three Coal River True Crime stories by Dr David Murray: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/03/27/five-of-a-kind/ https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/10/04/collins-donovan/ https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2017/11/14/not-a-reserved-girl/
  

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  Digitisation (G3, G5)

• Hunter Valley Data Sets (Team Belfield) – Thanks to the assistance of volunteer Ken Thornton, all the Hunter Valley Data Sets have been completely digitised at 600dpi to PDF format.  See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2018/01/10/hv-climate-data/  In March 2017 Dr Linden Ashcroft gave a public seminar on the work of the group “Uncovering Australia’s climate history since European settlement” which we filmed, and provided research data resources through the UONCC blog: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/lindenashcroft/  The group is still working on the second data set: The Maryland data set before it begins the scientific digitisation (transcription into excel spreadsheets) of the Hunter Valley Valley sets, probably in 2018.
• Film Digitisation – We have begun negotiations with NBN Television regarding the future of their audio visual archives and have been supporting the work of Mr Phillip Lloyd in backing up the digitisation process. The design and establishment of a GLAMx Living Histories Digitsation Lab which will provide space for a film digitization lab incorporating equipment that Mr Lloyd is currently using at NBN. Our digitsed film is available through our UONCC youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/UoNCC/videos
• Oral Histories (G5) – See our UONCC Soundcloud Page: https://soundcloud.com/uoncc
• Transcriptions (G3, G4, G5) Karen Moller (Auchmuty Library) has transcribed the 1826 Ebsworth Diary and 1845 NSW Condition of the Aborigines documents.Gionni Di Gravio
  Chair, HHI
  December 2017