The Stories of Our Town Project is a series of documentary films that tell Newcastle’s key historic stories through Novocastrian eyes and points of view. It is funded in part through the Department of Regional NSW Newcastle Port Community Contribution (NPCC) fund, and is a great partnership between the film makers, Carnivore Films, the University of Newcastle, and Newcastle’s major Cultural Institutions and community organisations.
DEACON OAM Vera Frances 19.07.1926 – 17.05.2021 Passed away peacefully at The Mater Hospital, Newcastle. Beloved wife of the late Stanley Deacon; mother to Daria and Deborah; grandmother to Ben; sister to Audrey, Marcia, Phyllis, Margaret, Norman and Ronnie; partner to Malcolm Bailey. Passionate about Newcastle’s history and a committed social and environmental activist in … More Vale Dr Vera Deacon OAM
This work is conducted in memory and respectfully honours the First Australian People, the Aboriginal People of this land. We are delighted to announce the public release of the next episode in the Stories of Our Town series: Lycett and Wallis: Unlikely Preservers of Aboriginal Knowledge. The film concentrates on the beautiful and highly informative … More Stories of Our Town “Lycett and Wallis: Unlikely Preservers of Aboriginal Knowledge” Released
The Islanders: Chats with Vera Deacon is an 11 minute film funded by the City of Newcastle Libraries for use in its storytelling visualisations in its newly established Digital Library , and a companion to the Stories of Our Town Documentary series currently in production. It was released on 1 May 2021. It is based … More Dr Vera Deacon OAM – The Islanders Chats with Vera Deacon (2021)
You are invited to the launch of the episode in the Stories of Our Town documentary series looking at Newcastle’s Indigenous Histories and convict artist Joseph Lycett. The episode includes interviews with local Indigenous people, professional experts and academics who each share their fascinating insights into the early colony and traditional Aboriginal life documented in … More Launch of Stories of Our Town – Lycett and Wallis: Unlikely Preservers of Aboriginal Knowledge
Last week Tony and I were invited by Richard Neville (Mitchell Librarian, Director Engagement) to the vault at the Mitchell Library to film and talk about 3 extraordinary artifacts associated with Newcastle’s history. Firstly, Macquarie’s Chest, one of two commissioned by Commander Wallis in 1819 to curry favour with Govenor Macquarie, such a gorgeous and … More “Stories of Our Town” Documentary Series – Indigenous Histories & Joseph Lycett
By Glenn Dormand Visit storiesofourtown.com It was such a joy to hang out with Prof John Maynard last week to get a fascinating insight into the work of Joseph Lycett. John, a proud Worimi man wrote True Light and Shade: An Aboriginal Perspective of Joseph Lycett’s Art and I can’t recommend it enough. It is … More “Stories of Our Town” Documentary Series – Indigenous Histories
We are very proud to announce the public release of “The Scott Sisters of Ash Island”, part of the Stories of Our Town series. Back in April 2020, in the midst of the COVID lockdown, the UON’s Cultural Collections/GLAMx team (in the Auchmuty Library) and its film maker partners Glenn Dormand (aka Chit Chat von … More Stories of Our Town: Scott Sisters of Ash Island Film Released
By Glenn Dormand Visit storiesofourtown.com This week Tony and I were all over the place working on 3 films at once. We filmed drones on Ash Island, interviewed an Aboriginal Linguist in Lake Munmorah, a Heritage Architect at Toronto as well as a full afternoon at the University of Newcastle’s School of Creative Industries at … More “Stories of Our Town” Newcastle Documentary Series – Scott Sister’s of Ash Island
By Glenn Dormand Visit storiesofourtown.com Making the Stories of Our Town series constantly takes Tony Whittaker and I to cool places to meet passionate people. Thursday afternoon 4 June 2020 was one of those days, meeting some of those people. We spent the whole afternoon in the Australian Museum’s archive with Vanessa Finney, … More “Stories of Our Town” Newcastle Documentary Series – progressing well
Stories of Our Town Project Wins Grant The University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections and its film maker partners Glenn Dormand (aka Chit Chat von loopin Stab) and Tony Whitaker (Carnivore Films) express their excitement and gratitude at being among one of the five successful applicants sharing $1.2 million from the NSW Government’s Round Five … More “Stories of Our Town” Newcastle Documentary Series Gets The Green Light