UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE (AUSTRALIA)
HUNTER LIVING HISTORIES
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
To be delivered at the Hunter Living Histories Showcase 2 December 2024
Who We Are & What We Do
The Hunter Living Histories is one of the University of Newcastle’s flagship community engagement organisations that connects our alumni, academics, students & professional staff with researchers and people across the communities that we serve.
Begun 21 years years ago in 2003 as the Coal River Working Party, the University’s Department of History’s response to Doug Lithgow, Chair of the Parks and Playgrounds Movement. Doug requested academic scrutiny and research into the birthplace of Newcastle as a City. It has now evolved to encompass the entire regional footprint that the University serves its communities of the Hunter and Central Coast Regions.
Every month we gather to foster and encourage collaboration and research within the University’s regional archives and primary source records, rare books and special collections (private libraries) of the Hunter & Central Coast Regions that are safeguarded (for current research & future generations) in the Auchmuty Library’s Special Collections.
It is our honour to serve this University and its communities.
Thanks to Our Volunteers
Thank you to the following GLAMx Lab Volunteers, without which some of the achievements in this annual report would not be possible. They are:
- Leigh Budden
- Terry Busch
- Mitchell Cassilles
- Melissa Cousens
- Glenn Cooke
- Kim Dempsey
- Robert Farquarson
- Angus Glasper
- Anne Kay
- Phillip Lloyd (and Adjunct Lecturer)
- Colleen Oldman
- Mark Rigby
- Michael Sheriff
- Jessica Waugh
- Sarah Xenos
They have donated a total number of 3225 volunteer hours during 2024. A value to the University of Newcastle of $215,660.27.
Thanks for all the support during this year. In addition to our inhouse volunteers, we are greatly appreciative of the career ready placement students, staff and community supporters (Barry Nancarrow, Steve Legge, Jan Welsman, Steve Bates, Mary Boddy, Andrew Mercado) who have helped make our histories come alive.
AT A GLANCE
- Living Histories Data Platform – 12.9M Views (For Year As at 21 Nov 2024)
- Special Collections Flickr Site – 76.6+ M views (Lifetime)
- Special Collections YouTube – 103K Views with 283 New Subscribers (For Year 2024), Over 733.2K Views, with over 43.6K hours watched since 2008
- Hunter Living Histories Site – 142,646 Views (For the year 2024)
- 49 Hunter Living Histories posts were researched and created and published during 2024 and shared through community social media channels, Linkedin, internally through Teams and Viva Engage.
- Hunter Living Histories hosted 39 guest presenters for the year 2024.
- UON Library 2023 Report (Released 28 October 2024)
Despite Australia Saying “No” to “The Voice” We Continue to Listen to the Voices of Aboriginal First Nations Peoples
Hunter Living Histories Posts by Aboriginal/First Nations People & Descendants
- 25th Anniversary of Yallarwah Place
More on Yallarwah Place: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/category/aboriginal-history-and-culture/yallarwah-place/
- Carol Ridgeway-Bissett, Worimi Woman spoke at the March 2024 Showcase
- Awabakal Descendant Shane Frost wrote a book on the 1841 Procter Chart
Remembering Lost Lives & Legacies: W. S. Procter and the 1841 Procter Chart
- Robert Leslie Syron, Worimi/Gringai and Biripi Man Shows Us How to Craft a Shield
- ‘The Fettler’: a biography of ‘Uncle’ Bill Smith, an Aboriginal elder and leader in the Hunter region by Dr Greg Blyton (Author) joined by Uncle Bill’s wife, Gloria, and daughter Cheryl at the October 2024 Showcase.
- Leigh Budden wrote two posts on Biraban and the lost Journal of John Fraser
- Cultural Mapping Project – Aboriginal First Nations Voices mapping places and stories that hold cultural and historical significance for Aboriginal people across Awabakal and Worimi Countries.
Empowering Aboriginal First Nations Researchers
- The Stan Masterson papers were officially donated to the University’s Archives in Special Collections by Dr Raymond Kelly in cooperation with the Masterson Family representatives: Robert Masterson, Di Barrack and Chris Masterson in 2023.
- In 2024 an accession of all surviving papers and audio visual materials was compiled with the assistance of Samantha Dagg (from Hunter Workers formerly Newcastle Trades Hall Council) and Allisa Peachman (Indigenous Cadet from Rutherford Technology High School) working with University Archivist Gionni Di Gravio.
- NSW Archaeology Forum – Murrook Culture Centre
NSW Archaeology Forum – Murrook Culture Centre – 18 October 2024
- Awabakal Family Descendants Seek Answers
What Ever Happened to Margaret and Ned’s Land at Lake Macquarie?
- What was Terra Nullius Based Upon? Let’s See What Captain Cook Actually Said.
- And not forgetting the Stories of Our Town film
Whibayganba – The Story of Nobbys
Re-Imagining our Places & Spaces
The Housing Crisis – Planning and “Public Housing”
The July 2024 Showcase focused on a discussion to understand how public/affordable housing once worked, why it went belly up, and what we need to do to get it back on track.
Our presenters were:
- Mr Joe Flood – Principal Research Scientist and leader of housing research at CSIRO 1977-1993;
- Enzhuo Gai – Enzhuo Gai, also known as Jason, is an architecture graduate from the University of Newcastle, and
- Dr John Mackenzie – Consultant, with The Institute for Regional Futures.
Hunter Living Histories – July 2024 Showcase – Public Housing & Planning
Mapping helps us to re-imagine our places and spaces.
- At our September Showcase, the focus was on mapping and new technologies, with Graeme Hill, a Director of The Spatial Lab specialising in GIS mapping for over 23 years showing us his historic map app up and running on his website (or the full screen app here ) featuring the the 1890, 1910 Newcastle chart and map, and the 1919 Pindimar City plan for the Australian Capital at Port Stephens. See also our Unrolled Exhibition – The Hunter’s Forgotten Maps
Hunter Living Histories September Showcase – Mapping The Regions
The Future of Our Past
- At our August Showcase we provided feedback to City of Newcastle Thematic History consultations helping to shape the future of our past.
Hunter Living Histories – August 2024 Showcase – Thematic History
The Relocation of the University Print Thesis Collection
- On the local front in early October 2024, taking advantage of a lull in enquiries, in ten days I single-handedly moved and consolidated our entire print thesis collection, held across two floors of the Auchmuty Library, to the denizens of the lower Stack. This post was dedicated to the memory of late Karina Sanders, the Auchmuty Librarian who catalogued the vast majority of these University Theses.
My favourite comment:
Enhancing the Experiences of Students
- Deborah Mulambya, a first-year Bachelor of Arts student and Career Ready Placement student in Special Collections. She’s an Open Foundation alumna was thrilled to have join our team during Semester 2. She was part of a team who received Academic Division Excellence Collaboration Award 2024 ‘Highly Commended’ for ‘50 Years Fifty Stories project’.
50 Years of Open Foundation: Enabling People & Pathways to University – Share Your Story
- Isabella Crebert on a Strategic Engagement Scheme scholarship at the GLAMx Lab, is a PhD Candidate in Laws at the University of Newcastle doing PhD research in Forensic Anthropology. During the internship Isabelle focused on developing 3D scanning skills of small to medium artefacts from Special Collections.
- The REWIND Hunter Region NBN Television Retrospective was researched and prepared by a Auchmuty Library Special Collections GLAMx consisting of Dr Ann Hardy, Dr Kathrine Sentas, Davina Pellatt, Rhys Burke (2024 Vera Deacon Intern), Shellie Cleaver and Danylo Motyka.
- Jan Welsman featured in the REWIND Exhibition held at Library, dedicated 45 years to NBN3. Starting in 1962 as a secretary, she worked across roles including director for the iconic children’s show “Romper Room. She was the first women to work at Channel 3 in 1962 and she worked there until 2009. FUN FACT – According to Katy this post on Twitter ‘X’ got the most impressions of all our posts.
Rewind: A Hunter Region NBN Television Retrospective Exhibition
- Bethany Mooney, a Carer Ready Placement student at the GLAMx Lab doing a BA majoring in History and Sociology/Anthropology. Bethany compiled a magnificent time line of Newcastle and the Hunter’s most significant maps and charts to complement the Unrolled Exhibition.
- Bethany also featured in a video promoting student career ready placements.
- Zhiwei Luo (Makayla) and Kimika Nakanishi, two 2024 Career Ready Placement students from China and Japan created podcasts in the GLAMx Lab.
- Makayla Luo is a Career Ready Placement Student, doing a BA majoring in Languages, she hopes to apply her academic knowledge practically while developing her communication, technical and teamwork skills.
- Interview with Kaye Duffy on 3rd September 2024. Video directed and edited by Zhiwei Luo (UON Career-Ready Student) https://youtu.be/VpWhoXi-3W0?si=wSee-RtMbRTk_d34
- Kimika Nakanishi Career-Ready Placement student she is doing a BA and interested in a career in arts and cultural management, on this placement she hopes to use her knowledge of German and French.
- Jack Lewis, a Career-ready placement student doing a Bachelor of Creative Industries. Jack is interested in documentary making and explored some historic film and assisted with the Interview with Clem Doyle about the ‘Sygna Storm’. Video directed and edited by Jack Lewis (UON Career-Ready Student)
UON60: University Student Posters 1970s-1990s – The Archaeology of Social Media
Empowering Researchers
75th Anniversary School of Education – Newcastle (Australia)
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/116617
UON60 University Student Posters
Thanks to Volunteer Kim Dempsey and GLAMx Co-ordinator Dr Ann Hardy who uploaded the digital scans of the University student posters to the Living Histories Data Platform. Posters digitised on Contex Plan Scanner by Gionni Di Gravio in August 2024.
UON60: University Student Posters 1970s-1990s – The Archaeology of Social Media
Conferring of Degrees Videos
- Thanks to these illustrious volunteers Mr Michael Sheriff and Mr Angus Glasper who volunteered over many years to digitise all our extant Graduation Videos and films and uploaded them to our YouTube Channel under the supervision of Phil Lloyd and Dr Ann Hardy in the UON GLAMx Lab in Special Collections, Auchmuty Library. In recent years another cache of Graduation Video Discs has come to light dating from 2009-2013 and during 2024 were digitised by volunteer Mr Mitchell Cassilles in the GLAMx Digitisation Lab. Thanks very much Michael, Angus and Mitchell “Mitch” Cassilles for this wonderful work.
STORIES OF OUR TOWN 2024
- Stories of Our Town 2024 give voice to the academic and community researchers of our region’s history and stories.
- The film making team of Chit Chat von Loopin Stab and Tony Whittaker have completed three new documentary films on Val Blackett, Whibayganba, the story of Nobbys and Shipwrecked Newcastle, with two more in the pipeline at the end of 2024.
- They have received accolades in Federal Parliament through Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon and it has been a pleasure and honour help them on these productions.
- They need 4000 subscribers on the Stories of Our Town YouTube Channel, so please help out and subscribe! It’s free.
- Stories of Our Town gets a forever mention in Federal Parliamentary Hansard along with other UON Creatives in the arts and sciences.
Stories of Our Town UON Creatives Shout-out In Australian Parliamentary Hansard
- The Ralph Snowball Story Of Our Town Begins
- Shipwrecked!
Shipwrecked Newcastle (2024) – Stories of Our Town Film Release
- The film on the Estremina (1816) a Spanish schooner captured by English pirates and shipwrecked in Stockton was too much for the Shipwrecked Film, so it gets a release on its own.
Do the Shipwrecks on Jeffreys’ 1816 Survey of Hunter’s River Still Exist?
- The Story of Nobbys Whibayganba – featuring UON Scholars Emeritus Professor John Maynard, Professor Ron Boyd among others.
- Val featured in the popular Fortress Newcastle film, here is her story as a teenage gunner stationed in Newcastle in WWII in greater detail.
Val Blackett: Kindness, Valour and Humour – Stories of Our Town Series 2 Launches ANZAC Day 2024
- H. Grant Lloyd Watercolours 1878-1879
Newcastle & The Hunter Captured in Watercolours by H. Grant Lloyd, 1878-1879
- Shipwrecks of the Hunter (1994)
Shipwrecks of the Hunter A comprehensive survey compiled by Norm Barney (1994)
- Chips Rafferty, Jack Jones and the Dream of a Permanent Australian Picture Industry
Chips Rafferty, Jack Jones and the Dream of a Permanent Australian Picture Industry.
- The Earliest Work of Fiction Set in the Hunter Region
Promoting Academic Research
- Eleanor Foster, PhD Student, Trinity College, Cambridge on the Material Culture of Port Stephens
- Dr Paula Jane Byrne on Collecting practices in the Rusden Family
Presents, crafts, art, and collecting in the extended Rusden family by Dr Paula Jane Byrne
- Dr Carl Caulfield – Creative in Residence creating a play on convict artist Joseph Lycett. Funded by the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund.
Announcing the 2024 University Library Creative in Residence – Dr Carl Caulfield
- The Reformation of Joseph Lycett Workshop Performance
The Reformation of Joseph Lycett by Dr Carl Caulfield: Free Workshop Performance
- Reflection by Dr Carl Caulfield on the Creative in Residence 2024
- Roland Bannister – Celebrating the Centenary of the 1924 Overseas Tour of the BHP Newcastle Steel Works Band
Celebrating the Centenary of the 1924 Overseas Tour of the BHP Newcastle Steel Works Band
Researcher Presentations to Hunter Living Histories Showcases
- Researchers who provided Hunter Living Histories presentations during 2024 included:
- Ross Edmonds on Kendall’s libellous poem ; Wilf Goold ; Lt General Ralph DarLing and the Dumaresqs
- Assoc. Prof. Garry Glazebrook on Miniature Newcastle
- Lyndall Morrow on Brickworks evolution into a community park.
- Shane Blatchford on Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot precinct.
- Hon. Patricia Forsythe AM on Doug Lithgow and the 2oth Anniversary Coal River Project into NSW Parliamentary Hansard
- Janis Winn on 200 Years of Tahlee, Carrington and the AA Co.
- Michelle Watson on Stockton Stories
- Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy AM on Old Maps: senescence or opportunity?
- Geoff Brokate International Film Maker and Researcher on Muswellbrook Research
- Shane Frost, Awabakal Descendant on the 1841 Procter Chart.
Community Presentations and Lectures
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- 6 March 2024. Coffee With Art Guest Speaker GDG on the Magical Art of the Scott Sisters – Newcastle Art Gallery Society 2024
- 11 March 2024. AH Guest Speaker for Seniors’ Week
- 11 March 2024. GDG Guest lecturer for ARBE1222
- 15 March 2024. GDG GLAMSLAM
- 28 March 2024. AH/GDG Guest Lecture for CSU ‘Records, archives and society’.
- 7 April 2024. AH Presenter at Hunter Writers Festival.
- 16 June 2024. Guest Speaker GDG at Merewether Historical Society
- 27 July 2024. Guest Speaker GDG at Mayfield Probus Club.
- 29 July 2024. Guest Lecturer GDG at ARBE2222
- 9 August 2024. Guest lecturer GDGat ARBE2203
- 23 August 2024. Film Shoot. AH Interview for “Who Do You Think You Are?”
- 3 October 2024. Guest Speaker GDG at Clergy Abuse Network (CAN)
- 22 October 2024. GDG on Panel for Final Year Architecture Masters Presentations
- 23 October 2024. GDG on Panel for Final Year Architecture Masters Presentation
- 6 November 2024. GDG on Q&A Panel Screening of Shipwrecked. Charlestown Public Library.
Local National & International Presentations and Publications
International & National Presentations & Paper by Dr Ann Hardy
- Dr Ann Hardy presented paper ‘Unlocking an audio-visual television news archive’ at The International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) conference held at the University of Valencia, a 500+ year old Spanish uni in the historic La Nau building c.1497. You can read more about the conference here https://2024.iasa-web.org/programme
- Dr Ann Hardy published an article in History of Retailing and Consumption (2024): ‘The Store Oral History Project’, a collaborative effort between the University of Newcastle Library, GLAMx Lab, Artefact Heritage Services, and DOMA, features twenty personal accounts from Newcastle residents collected in 2019. Read here https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2373518X.2024.2386791
- Studies in Oral History Issue No. 46, 2024 ‘The Store’ Oral History Project https://oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/journal/issue-no-46-2024/
- https://oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024_SOH_46_REPORTS_06_Hardy.pdf
- Guest Lecture for the students of the History and Theory in Architecture Second Year Course at the University of Newcastle (Australia) presented by Gionni Di Gravio OAM on the 9 August 2024.
What Is “Modernity” for the 50,000 Year Lived Experience of Newcastle Mulubinba (Australia)?
- Importance of Archaeology for First Nations Recognition to the NSW Aboriginal Archaeology Future Forum 2024. Murrook Culture Centre. 18 October 2024.
- Presentation to Clergy Abused Network (CAN) by Gionni Di Gravio OAM
Clergy Abused Network (CAN) Newcastle Hunter Manning – October 2024 Meeting
- “What Can Gordon Ramsay Teach Us About GLAM?”
GLAMSLAM 2024 Lightning Talk delivered by Gionni Di Gravio OAM,
Australian National Maritime Centre, Sydney.
Vale
- Maree Shilling – https://tributes.newcastleherald.com.au/obituaries/507701/maree-shilling/
- Vale Emeritus Professor Lyndall Ryan – Emeritus Professor Lyndall Ryan was a staunch advocate of Indigenous history and always supportive of our work in Special Collection, sharing her knowledge of Aboriginal Massacres Research with the wider research community via HLH VIEW HERE
- Mr Ian Sherman (The “Brick” Man)
- Professor Barry Boettcher – https://www.smh.com.au/national/main-defence-witness-in-trial-of-michael-and-lindy-chamberlain-dies-20240507-p5fpkb.html
- Douglas Charles Saxon – Tribute.
- Kevin McDonald – Biologist at the UON. Environmentalist. Teacher.
- Don Wilson – Author of the Ash Island book “Driven Out”. His son in law and UON student, Chris Leishman said via email 4 September 2024:
“I just wanted to let you know that Don Wilson passed away yesterday. It meant a lot to him to have those books available for people to read it online. He thought a lot of you both and definitely was a highlight to have been able to present his books in front of the Hunter living histories meeting. Thank you, Chris
And in Don’s words from 2019:
- Mavis Ebbott – 22/01/1928—30/11/2024 Former President, Newcastle & Hunter District Historical Society
https://www.pettigrew.com.au/ebbott-mavis
Mavis Ebbott, Vera Deacon and Robyn Single (Newcastle and Hunter District Historical Society) at the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund Event, 24 August 2017.
- Josephine “Josie” Stephanie Stevenson
- Vittorio Di Gravio (My dad)
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Dr Ann Hardy and Davina Pellat (when Ann’s away) for the organising and co-ordination of the Hybrid Hunter Living Histories Showcases, and all the wonderful volunteers, career ready placements, academic researchers, students and staff and community supporters that help make this all happen. The range and breath of the work achieved this year speaks for itself, and it’s a honour to assist in all these activities that make a difference in the lives of our people and places.
Accolades from the Vice Chancellor at Start and End the Year 2024
2024 A Year of Uncertainty
2024 has been a year of uncertainty, anxiety and distress for many people at home and across the world.
People are concerned with the erosion of the rule of law; greed, misinformation, injustice and inequality on the rise, and humanity fracturing across political, religious and economic ideological divisions. Wars are escalating on many fronts with new and more depraved AI infused weaponry to wage them.
Cost of Living Crisis
Some finding it difficult to make ends meet, in a cost of living crisis, unable to afford a home, or to rent one, facing homelessness, while others not feeling anything at all as they are financially secure and safe.
Climate Crisis?
With all that on the plate, it seems that we, as a society, appear unable to face the climate emergency of a warming planet. Some debate it is even happening. Mass extinction, and contamination and destruction of the environment for profit, we can’t seem to agree on facts.
This is a time of great potentialities, but also great nightmares.
There is always hope.
In spite of all these challenges, we do find hope through the inspirational work of the University’s scholars, students and communities.
This work is, for us, like a candle in the darkness.
Through the agency of this University and its Hunter & Central Coast regional collaborators, we are guided through the histories and ancestral voices.
They provide inspiration to creative leadership in the arts and sciences to lead the world to find new alternatives towards a better world for future generations.
Through this work, dealing with the historical records, our staff students and communities continue to accomplish things, as they follow the abiding mottoes of two of our founding institutions; the University of Newcastle & Newcastle Teachers’ College:
I Look Ahead, Towards a Better World
Best Wishes,
Gionni Di Gravio OAM
University Archivist & Chair, Hunter Living Histories
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