Minutes of the Local Studies Special Interest Group held on Thursday March 13 2014 at Public Records Office Victoria North Melbourne
Item
Minutes
1. Attendance &
Apologies
Liz Pidgeon
Anne Burrows
Kathy Smalley
Narelle Seymour
Service
Vicki Court
Glenn Greening
Katie
Lina Favrin
Ros Ryan
Kay Rowan
Kirsty Feigh
Linda Longley
Charlotte Henry
Service
Heather McKay
Action
Local and Family History Librarian
Genealogy Librarian
Family and Local History Librarian
Reference Services Coordinator
Yarra Plenty Regional Library
State Library of Victoria
Eastern Regional Libraries
Glen Eira Library & Information
Information Services Librarian
Adult Services Librarian
Whitehorse Manningham
Darebin Libraries
Darebin Libraries
Information Services Officer
Fitzroy Library – Yarra Library
Wimmera
Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Team Leader Docklands Library and Community Heritage
Melbourne Library Service
Coordinator Library Services
Maribyrnong
Library
Reader
Services,
Information Services,
and
Local
By
Studies Librarian
Melbourne Library Service
Judith Oke
Regional Manager
Bellarine / Surf Coast Geelong R.L
Cathy Milward-Bason
Kingston Libraries
Tonya Lewis
Adult / Information Services Librarian
Moreland City Libraries
Sally Lim
Community Librarian
Frankston City Libraries
Natasha Kamenov Local area collection/Community Librarian Bayside Library Services
Yvonne Stewart Hobsons Bay Libraries
APOLOGIES
Elaine Craig
Fiona Campbell
Heather Arnold
Amanda Peckham
2. Confirmation of
Minutes.
3. Talk and Tour of
PROV
Whitehorse Manningham
Melbourne Library Service
Local History Librarian
Hobsons Bay Libraries
Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation
Last Meeting was November 7 2013 at Wyndham Library.
Talk by Nicole Llewelyn. Nicole or a member of her team in Access Services is available to do
free talks in libraries. Nicole went through her general PPT presentation which is an
introduction to PROV and its website. Her contact details are
Nicole Llewellyn
Coordinator Access Services
Public Records Office Victoria
Email: Nicole.llewellyn@prov.vic.gov.au
Phone: 9348 5496
PROV will be undertaking a volunteer recruitment drive in coming months
Very good introduction video to PROV available on YouTube
15 million items held in collection – only 1 % digitised. Wills most popular records
Register as a user – includes your order history
Currently indexing Inquest records – now only accessible via the Digger index
Upcoming partnership with Ancestry – details to follow. Also Family Search who hare
returning to do some digitising of more wills.
Nicole then gave us a tour of the reading room and its facilities including the digitising spaces
Lee then took us on a tour of the archives including the temperature controlled storage area
and the cold store room for non- paper based records. Talked about and showed us
examples of land selection files and criminal trail briefs and male criminal register complete
with photographs. Lee also showed us some showcase items including the Victoria Postage &
revenue Stamps display from the 1890s, and the big map AKA the Duffy Map which has been
digitised. Duffy's Map - created to show land available for selection 1862 - see map up close
http://buff.ly/1f8tErZ
4. Reports
We were unable to
hear all library reports
due to lack of time.
These minutes include
written reports
contributed following
the meeting
Anne Burrows – State Library of Victoria
1. Family History Feast 2014
The eleventh annual Family History Feast hosted by the SLV will be held at the Library on
Monday 25 August 2014 during Australian National Family History Month.
Family History Feast is a day of free information sessions for family history researchers. It
includes the annual Victorian Association of Family History Organisations (VAFHO) Don
Grant Memorial Lecture. The event showcases how the major Victorian government agencies
for genealogy research can assist those researching family history. The event is presented by
the following organisations/institutions:
· The State Library of Victoria· The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, The
Public Record Office Victoria· The National Archives of Australia (Victorian Office)·
Immigration Discovery Centre, Immigration Museum · The Victorian Association of Family
History Organisations.
Bookings are essential and will open on Monday 14 July 2014 through Public Record Office
Victoria.
The theme for this year is 'multicultural genealogy'. Check the State Library of Victoria
website (slv.vic.gov.au) closer to the event for booking and program details.
2. Victorian Anzac Centenary Seminar
Held Tuesday 4 March 2014 at Spring Street Conference Centre, Melbourne.
Representation included Victorian government departments, local councils, RSL clubs, public
libraries, State Library of Victoria, Public Record Office Victoria, genealogy societies, services
e.g Australian Army
Victorian Anzac Centenary website : www.anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au
Themes of the seminar: Importance of going ‘local’ , emphasis on members of the public
researching their family’s involvement in WW1 so a big role for SLV, public libraries, PROV,
NAA, family history societies etc to support this, Engagement of young people e.g idea of
giving each school age child an ‘icon’? to mark the Anzac centenary, Encompassing the whole
Victorian community e.g. Indigenous, multicultural, Not just in 2015!
Liz Pidgeon – Yarra Plenty Regional Library
Mary Teviot Lecture tour in five libraries in early March
Participating in the 5000 Poppies project
Submitted Anzac Centenary Federal Grant – to two federal electorates
-
Book project for each local government area
Writing workshops
Family History Research Days
Photo survey
Craft supplies for Poppy Project
Book Project on the 500 Poppies
Currently organising Family History Month in August – always happy to hear about free
speakers
Updated FMP subscription – all now accessible via AU – although UK active until April
Planning on an event for the Whittlesea Heritage Program – we will conduct a bus tour
around the Mill Park, Sth Morang, Epping, Thomastown area
Have had a buy up off all current Unlock the Past titles. 40 + titles.
Attended the UTP Seminar day with Chris Paton and Kirsty Grey.
My scholarship report is now publically available.
Judith Oke – Geelong
The 25th Object – Gathering Geelong’s Stories - Geelong project to gather objects & stories of
past & present. Visit nwm.vic.gov.au
Yarra Libraries –Fitzroy Library - Lina
The Fitzroy Residents Association is running for the second year a “Happy Birthday House”
event that encourages local residents to research the history of their house. Many properties
in Fitzroy are 100+ years old and on Sunday 27th April 2014, those that have signed up will
display a helium balloon outside their property and whatever interesting information they’ve
discovered. Here’s a link to the flyer http://fitzroyresidents.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/HBH-A4-FLYER.pdf
Local History cataloguing- We’ve started using the Digital Collections component of the
SirsiDynix Enterprise product. This allows uploading of PDF’s and images directly to our online
catalogue. The collection is searched separately via the “Digital Collections” tab. A template
was created that allows LH/Ref staff to add records, instead of having to send them to our
cataloguer.
We’ve recently had the records for the Fitzroy Cricket Club donated to the Library. They are
from 1862-1984 and take up 17 boxes.
Whitehorse Manningham Vicki Court
Attended the Unlock the Past seminar – Chris Paton & Thomas MacEntee Downunder in
February
Whitehorse Heritage Week will be from 11 to 19 September. Theme this year is Whitehorse –
20 Years On.
I am planning a talk – Celebrating Family Stories (working title) which will look at using blogs
to share family stories online.
The library will also prepare a display relating to the last 20 years in Whitehorse.
Darebin Libraries Glenn Greening
For heritage week we are having musical guests ‘The Orbweavers’ performing at Preston
library. A number of their songs are history related with explanations about them before they
perform. On the day we will also promote our Darebin Heritage website with slideshows and
laptops set-up for people to browse the website.
Also in heritage week we will have guest speaker Paul Michel come and tell a tale of two
empires. The story of two Darebin families (Bradley and Donnett) and their business and
connections.
Running a craft session for the 5000 poppies project.
Other events coming up include:
- Impact - a photo competition for teens
- John Marsden author talk
- Emma Dean, masterchef winner
- Wills and Power of Attorney.
Our April event can be viewed:
http://darebinlibraries.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/i/3B1A1B3335553E6B/8A6A762603CD7E982
540EF23F30FEDED
- Two members of our team and one member of Children’s team visited Preston Primary
school for a talk about local history - showed a lot of photographs.
- Darebin Heritage website nominated for Best of the Best, Innovation in Collaboration,
Content and Capability - Library Stars award.
- 100 year anniversary of Northcote becoming a city in 1914 is coming up in May. We are
celebrating with a display at Northcote library.
Wyndham Library – Karen S
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We are working our way through our WW1 project for 2015. Researching and writing
Biographies for the soldiers that were KIA. Next we will be researching the Returned
Soldiers, this might take us through most of this year. We will be adding them to out
www.wyndhamhistory.net.au site.
Shire Presidents are being added as they are researched also and then we will move
on with other local History.
On 20/3/2014 we had the Great Nephew of Harry Hawker at the Library and he gave a
talk about his uncle the Pioneer Aviator. He had a short but amazing life.
Next is an ANZAC inspired talk by Dr Janet Butler about her new book” Kitty’s
War”Kitty McNaughton was a nurse in WW! And this book was written from her
diaries. If you would like to attend the talk is on 23/4/2014 at 7pm. At the Plaza
Library Community learning room, on the corner of Heaths and Derrimut Roads.
Wimmera’s Report – Ros Ryan
Continuing research & requests etc for our photo collection, and ‘Jane Duff and the
Lost in the Bush 150th anniversary. Thanks to Liz for the link to VisCopy for artist’s rights
Re Culture Victoria who are looking for new digital; stories, Wimmera uploaded 2
stories last year:
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/wimmera-stories-murtoa-stick-shed-enduring-ingenuity/
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/wimmera-stories-nhill-aeradio-station-navigating-safely/
Murtoa’s Big Weekend is Fri 3rd – Sunday 5th October the Stick Shed! will be open and
they MAY have an aCapella group singing in there one day too (prob Sat aft.)
We will only be doing a Journeys display for National Trust Heritage Week/Month this
year, though we will be working on a German Heritage Festival instead.
For the ANZAC centenary hoping to get permission to blog excerpts from WWI diary of
local serviceman who served on Western Front & WWII, in the style of:http://www.wwar1.blogspot.com.au/
Thinking about going to the “Mining Mud & Medals” sessions in Ballarat on the ANZAC
long weekend Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April
Will go to the PROV Koorie Unit session on 15th and staying for the “Researching
education records” too
Melbourne Library Service – Heather
After the successful digitisation of our rate books, the first, and main, section are online
through PROV.
The new local history room at North Melbourne is now open.
We are planning events around the theme of Journeys, based on why people came from the
CBD to our suburbs
We are still looking at the digitisation of our micrographics, as we no longer have a reader,
and will not be replacing it
Moreland Library Service – Tonya
Moreland has launched our ‘Remembering World War I’ website. It includes how to find
World War I information, resources about local soldiers, and how to research your World
War I relatives http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/moreland-libraries/services/localhistory/remembering-WWI.html
We have digitized a range of Coburg High School newsletters/year books, that are now
available on our Local History catalogue
We are hosting a How to research your World War I relatives session with a local historian
on 16 April at Coburg Library.
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/action/EVENT?svPkg_EventsG_CurrentRec=91276,svPk
g_EventsG_Container=Y
On Friday 8 August 2014, we will be launching ‘Our Anzacs, a scrapbook of Brunswick in
the Great War’, written by two local historians, that will feature World War I songs. I have
added this event to Anzac Centennary site. It will be in the Brunswick Town Hall.
http://anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au/events/launch-anzacs-scrapbook-brunswick-great-war/
We are currently adding articles from ‘For a better life we came” onto Wikinorthia. [Oral
history book compiled in the 1980s of Brunswick migrants].
5. Other Business
SLV Update on Branching out Program – Anne Burrows Was well received. Hope to run the
program again in the second half of the year.
A half PD day has been organised with the PROV Koorie Heritage to gain an overview of this
branch of PROV. Thursday May 15 9.30 am to approx. 1 pm. Please RSVP to Liz Pidgeon if you
would like to attend
lpidgeon@yprl.vic.gov.au An email will go out to remind staff about this.
Anzac Centenary Libraries are keen to contribute to this event.
Please visit Victorian Anzac Centenary website : www.anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au
And the Federal site at http://www.anzaccentenary.gov.au/
2014 Meetings
6.
Future Meeting Dates: Thursday June 12 2014 – Municipal Association of Victoria - Room 1103, level 11/60 Collins St Melbourne. Guest
Speaker: Margaret May, Manager VicHeritage & Regional Presence Projects Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages – Organiser Liz
Pidgeon
Thursday September 11, 2014 – Docklands Library and Community Heritage – Melbourne Library Service - Organiser - Linda Longley TBC
Thursday November 13, 2014 – Emerald Hill Library, Port Phillip Library – Organiser - Kay Rowan TBC