Hunter Living Histories

We congratulate Gionni di Gravio UON Archivist on receiving an OAM on Australia Day 2020, it is a wonderful recognition of the years of hard work and dedication towards preserving the region’s history.  We are very proud of his achievements.

Gionni has been committed to preserving the region’s cultural heritage and making archives and cultural sources accessible to global audiences and is a strong advocate for regional communities and institutions. He has also been a strong advocate supporting Aboriginal history.

Initially trained as a Metallurgist working at the Newcastle steelworks before joining the University of Newcastle Archives in 1996 and completing a B.A. (Classics), and Grad Dip. Info Science (Archives and Records). He has pioneered low cost useful methods and technologies to make archival treasures freely accessible to the wider world.

Gionni is a visionary who wants to see the next generation of creative ‘workers’ in new industries associated with the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, archives and Museums). He founded the UON’s GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab in 2017. He sees the intrinsic value of archives and cultural sources to better understand the world we live.

In his role at the university he has inspired and supported many students, academics and many of his colleagues.

 

 

MEMBERSHIPS

• Chair, Hunter Living Histories Initiative (2006- PRESENT)
• Councillor, Australian Society of Archivists (ASA)
• Australian Society of Archivists Accredited Professional (ASAAP)
• Member of the National GLAM Peak group

Gionni is an exceptional networker and very generous in sharing his knowledge and expertise as an archivist with the wider community.

Again we congratulate Gionni on receiving this very prestigious award.

NEWS

2020, January 25 – Gionni Di Gravio recognised for work with Hunter’s first-hand records. Newcastle Herald. By Nick Bielby.

2020, January 26 – Australian Society of Archivists – ‘Congratulations to Gionni di Gravio’ 

The following are a few examples of Gionni’s COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ADVOCACY :-

2000 – Story of Shelley Beach

2006 – 2015 – Monthly guest on ABC1233 Radio – Local Treasures

2007 June – Floods in Newcastle  ABC RADIO 1233 BROADCAST

2012 – Public Meeting –  “The Origins of King Edward Park Recreation Reserve Newcastle”

2013 March – Aboriginal burial ground on Parry Street. ABC1233 Radio – Local Treasures

2013 –  Morpeth’s Mysterious Map ABC1233 Radio – Local Treasures

2013 April – Professional Historian Association- CPD excursion to Newcastle

2014, January – Wickham Aboriginal corroboree site 

2014, February – Virtual Newcastle 1818 – 1830

2014, May – Local Treasures – Birdwood Flag ABC1233 Radio – Local Treasures

2014 –  ‘Local Treasures – The Rodoni Photos’ ABC1233 Radio – Local Treasures

2014, September – In Conversation with Gionni di Gravio, Vanessa Finney, Belinda Howden, Cherie Cherie Johnson, Emma van Leest.

2014 – Save the Art Gallery Redevelopment Proposal

2015, May – Historian offers to clean up derelict Post Office himself.

2015, December – “Newcastle, you need to celebrate your convict riches more”

2016 August – Fire shows historic Newcastle post office can’t be ‘left to rot’ 

2016 – U3A guest speaker

2015 December – Key Note speaker Engineers Australia- National Conference.

2016, June – Archivist comes forward with details about boys’ home records thought to be missing.

2017, September – King Edward Park recommended for addition to NSW heritage register by state Heritage

2017 August – Vera Deacon and donors thanked for contributing to preservation of the University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections

2017, February – Community heritage groups at risk of becoming history due to changes in technology.

2017 April – ‘Labour of love’: Hunter Living Histories video turns back the clock on early Newcastle

2017, 20 Aug – Fire shows historic Newcastle post office can’t be ‘left to rot’

2017, May 9 – Gionni Di Gravio at the Newcastle Hunter Studies Symposium

2017, March –  Rare Dungog Chronicle newspaper collection saved and preserved after years-long journey

2017, November – University of Newcastle team time travels with virtual reality

2017, December – Community Collaboration & Participation at the University’s Cultural Collections

2018, March – Algernon Henry Belfield’s Weather Records 

2018, July – Our Country virtual reality experience offers rare perspective on Hunter 

2018, November – Breaking Bread: Gionni Di Gravio, University of Newcastle archivist

2019, November – GLAM to the power of “x”: The Future of Memory – Annual ‘Newcastle Lecture’ Australian Decorative & Fine Arts Societies ADFAS Lecture held on Remembrance Day, Monday 11 November 2019.

Letter from Gladys Berejiklian, MP Premier of New South Wales congratulating on Medal of the order of Australia.