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Growing up a kid invested in the Arts and surrounding myself with people who felt the same, I was excited to collaborate with an organisation that leant so much to their community specifically in the Theatre. As a result, it was exciting to partner with the North Shore Theatre Company (NSTC), originally known as the Chatswood Musical Society, and collaborate with them on their history as an organisation and as a feature of the community. This is a volunteer run community theatre organisation that is celebrating their 75th Anniversary and contribution to the community throughout those years. When speaking to the Committee members, they stated that they had boxes of undocumented archives that they wanted to try and arrange into a unique timeline. As a lover of Musical Theatre and someone who had personally attended four performances by them, it was exciting to step in and look behind the curtain.

When I contacted them, the Company was glad to take me in as they needed someone to investigate and document their archives as well as to possibly build a timeline from the contents. As an entirely volunteer group, it impressed me how much each member had already taken on with one already digitising all images and another interviewing their alumni. Stepping in, it was clear that I was a collaborator on a far larger project as opposed to an independent feature. My inclusion on the project by them was swift with a member delivering the contents of their archival boxes as soon as they were in the area and taking multiple trips between us to get them through the door.

We have started with organising as much as we can into excel spreadsheets which is a skill I am having to refine throughout the process. Between my own archival spreadsheets and the organisation’s, the amount of data documented continues to accumulate.

Alumni care deeply for the organisation and demonstrate it through them providing old photos, programs, and guides on where to look for more information. A member that has been especially helpful was the President of the Committee at the time of their 65^th Anniversary who created their original timeline. Their 65^th Anniversary timeline was traditional with program covers throughout the years. In their 75^th iteration, they communicated that they may be interested in doing something different with a display at the Chatswood Library and a timeline with the unique features found throughout their music scores, memos, or old programs to name a few. There is a significant amount of information spread between the NSTC website, their previous timeline work, and several library archives. Putting it together into something as coherent as their 65th is a task that I will be doing with collaboration of the entire team and the assistance of the former President.

The core challenge with this project comes down to the simple fact of time: with each member of the committee and me having limitations on what anyone of us can do, we are having to get creative with how and what information is obtained.

The benefit to the North Shore Theatre Company is that I can support their team effort to document their organisation’s history with the greatest amount of information possible and to present that history to those who have been a part of it for the last 75 years. For that alone, it is a privilege.

For my major project, I’ve chosen to work with The Dunera and Queen Mary Association. Members of this not-for-profit organisation do amazing work to preserve the memory of the Dunera Boys, and continue their legacy of education and community. 

After the outbreak of World War II, Britain declared that all “enemy aliens” of the state were to be deported aboard the HMT Dunera and sent to various internment camps in Australia. By July 1940, over 2,000 men of Austrian and German descent (that resided in Britain at the time) found themselves in rural New South Wales and Victoria. Additionally, the RMS Queen Mary sailed 295 “enemy aliens” from Singapore (a British colony at the time). The gruelling, 57-day voyage subjected passengers to inhumane conditions beneath the ship where few saw sunlight before reaching Australia, and many experienced abuse and theft at the hands of British guards. They were interned in Hay and Orange (NSW), and in Tatura (VIC). 

Many of these men would spend years of the war—years of their lives—stuck behind the barbed wire fences in drought-struck Australia, while war waged at home. These internment camps were flooded with some of Europe’s most colourful creatives and brightest academics. Dunera experts, Ken Inglis and Seumas Sparks have noted that “there is no one Dunera or Queen Mary story”. These camps became a mosaic of minds; where one could find artists, photographers, and academics of all walks of life. Composers re-wrote classic compositions from memory alongside their own original scores—to be performed for camp audiences (and sometimes guards) on a piano donated by a local church. Artists like Robert Hofmann and Erwin Fabian never stopped drawing (see above). Their works now serve as chronicles that document the many faces that passed through the camps; they capture isolation and, at times, helplessness that came with living in the internment camps. Despite the confinement, such a vibrant and lively group of men organised an active camp, with a “university”, an (aforementioned) orchestra, and even created a camp currency.

My great grandfather was a Dunera Boy himself. It altered his life completely, and he never would have met his future wife if not for the HMT Dunera. Although his dislike for this period of his life was always reflected in his reluctance to discuss it, when he did, he could always recall the smell of fresh fruit. Working in the camp’s vegetable garden and orchard as a fruit picker, he could still smell the scent of fresh oranges and peaches, straight off the tree, seventy years later.

Ironically, Mark Dunn’s talk on physical sites of public history got me thinking about how these camps don’t exist anymore (as many were demolished and/or now sit on private land). Their memory, for such a unique and specific period of Australian history, is incredibly intangible. It is their memories and their creations that now serve as public history, and breathe life into this history. Furthermore, after reading Darcy Campbell’s reflection on her HSTY3811 project, I knew I wanted to explore a topic that felt a bit more personal (and challenge my own knowledge of the Dunera). After deciding to reach out to this organisation and having a look at their current website, acting-President Michelle was very enthusiastic about producing a digitised public history of notable Dunera Boys. While the Dunera Boys are often collectively studied, their individual lives (both before and after internment) are less accessible to the public. My project would hold a space—a public platform—for the organisation to preserve individual histories on each of the Dunera Boys. It is a collaboration I am very proud of and work that I find immensely rewarding. While every Dunera Boy has passed, the association is led by children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren.

The Yiu Ming Hung Fook Tong Society is a historic Chinese Australian community organisation established by immigrants from the Gaoyao and Gaoming districts of Guangdong Province, China. The society’s presence in Sydney dates back to the 1870s, when an early temple was established in Arncliffe before the community eventually settled in Alexandria. By 1890, a significant proportion of Sydney’s Chinese population had established a community along Retreat Street, near Botany Road in Alexandria, making the area one of Australia’s oldest Chinese residential and cultural communities.

One of the society’s most significant historical and cultural assets is the Yiu Ming Temple, which is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Constructed between 1908 and 1909, the temple is a rare and well-preserved example of a traditional Chinese village temple, incorporating distinctive Federation-era brickwork and architectural details. The temple is primarily dedicated to Hung Shing, the Chinese sea deity, while also honoring Guan Di and Cai Shen. Its architectural significance and continued religious and cultural functions reflect the society’s longstanding role in preserving Chinese traditions and heritage within the Australian community.
Historically, the Yiu Ming Hung Fook Tong Society played an important role in providing social, practical, financial, and spiritual support to Chinese immigrants in Australia. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese migrants often faced significant challenges, including racial discrimination, economic hardship, language barriers, and social isolation. In response, the society served as a mutual support network, helping newly arrived migrants settle into Australian society while maintaining connections with their ancestral homeland. Beyond providing practical assistance, the society also played also assisted with funeral arrangements and the repatriation of deceased members’ remains to China, reflecting the traditional Chinese belief in maintaining connections with one’s ancestral roots.

The reason why I am interest in this society stems from Australia’s long history of immigration and the significant contributions of Chinese migrants to its multicultural society. As a relatively recent arrival in Australia, I hope that my involvement in this public history project will provide me with a deeper understanding of the experiences, challenges, and everyday lives of early Chinese immigrants and Chinese Australians during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Furthermore, in traditional Chinese culture, the concept of “roots” holds particular significance, representing an individual’s connection to their ancestral homeland, cultural heritage, and sense of identity. This connection is often regarded as something that should be preserved, even across generations and geographical boundaries. Therefore, I am particularly interested in exploring how Chinese Australians, both in the past and present, have understood and maintained their cultural roots while adapting to life in Australia. Through this project, I hope to investigate how their relationships with their ancestral homeland, cultural traditions, and Australian identity have evolved over time.

Yiu Ming Temple, Alexandria, Sydney. Photograph taken by the author, 2026.

For my major project, I have decided to work with the Granville Historical Society. The Granville Historical Society was formed in 1988 by June and Barry Bullivant. The Bullivant’s had a “passion” for the local history of the area, and successive members of the society itself have dedicated over the past 40 years to preserving the local history of Granville. The society has also dedicated a large part of its archival collection to family history and past prominent families of the area.

Everyone has a story, and I find that the study of local history is an important yet sometimes overlooked area of the greater area of historical studies. Looking at local history means understanding the lives and times of ordinary people, as well as the development of the city’s suburbs, local infostructures, urban landscape etc. In a city as big as Sydney, there is a wide range of areas to look at, but each of the histories of these suburbs is as fascinating enough within their own right and should warrant some interest to those who are interested.

I knew that from the very beginning of this project I wanted to look at the development of a suburb within Sydney. I also knew that this project would require me to be physically present with the organisation, so I quickly decided that I wanted to work with an organisation that was close to where I live. It was an obvious choice then, to work with an organisation based around the Western Sydney region.

Soon after, I contacted the Granville Historical Society, and a meeting was soon arranged to discuss my impending project. When I arrived at the organisation’s headquarters in Carlton Street, I explained to the society’s members what my major project was, and after some discussion, the members of the society and myself agreed that a video presentation explaining the history of the organisation would be a good project for myself and society to engage with. Afterwards, I was shown various archival pieces held by the society. This large archival collection, which ranged from old photographs of local rugby league groups to surviving street signages that had been saved from the tip were very interesting to see in person. Many of the pieces within this collection also date as far back as the early 20th and late 19th century! Seeing these pieces gave me a good idea on what sort of materials and collections I would be working with for my video presentation.

There are a few challenges which might occur throughout my research process and the gradual making of this video presentation. For example, since the project will be drawing from an extensive archival collection, a large portion of my research with the organisation will be deciding what sort of material I want to use in the video, and which of this material is relevant to the history of the organisation. At this stage though, these are only trivial compilations, and I am very excited to see where this project takes me over the next month!

Mateo Soriano

The project I have chosen to complete has a couple of facets that I have planned out with the Old Boys coordinator, Adam Hendry, and the alumni liaison, Jacqueline Roveto. 

First Section – HSC Assistance (HSC Ignition) 

This year, Parramatta Marist has decided to launch a program called HSC Ignition, which is an event for the class of 2027 that introduces different courses and outlines the expectations of the subject and the school. In assisting within this project, I have developed different slide decks and resources for students alongside history teachers and archival teams for devising study strategies. I will also be giving a presentation to the Year 12s on excelling in history subjects in the HSC program. While not necessarily a production of history, it utilised skills in research and creating informational panels that aim to inform pedagogical practice. 

This event is particularly useful to the school and its future year 12 graduate students, in which our work in archival research and historical faculty communication can produce grounded and understandable resources. Particularly in academic fields, the gathering of alumni has become a way to exercise my historical skills; multidisciplinary communication, creative and critical thinking, and devising a pedagogical strategy were all very much needed in this project. 

Second Section – Old Boys at War 

This is a much more history-detailed project that involves a lot of archiving. I have teamed up with the archival department to produce records on an official document of all the alumni from the school who have served in wars that involved Australia. I am also working on collecting more information on records that have not been completed or researched about enough. This includes biographical information, pictures, and connections to Parramatta Marist. 

The archival project is particularly useful to enable the school to commemorate its various alumni who have given light to the people involved in Australian-fought wars. It also forms a bond between modern students in the school and historical figures who previously attended it, developing a shared sense of respect for wartime heroes through communal connection. In this way, students are more inclined to respect the rich cultural history behind the Marist title, alongside appreciating and commemorating heroes who have served in devastating wars. 

Third Section – Year 9 History Project 

Utilising the information collated with the Old Boys at War project, alongside the newly reformed 2027 history syllabus, I want to create a project for year 9 students to work on that engages with commemorating Old Boys and their participation in war. Using notes from the excursion at the Australian Museum, I have chosen to undertake a project that involves students actually ‘doing’ history – this is particularly in the sect of constructing narratives based on limited information. Because Marist operates on a Project-Based Learning (PBL) system, students can undergo a project that involves the students putting research into the alumni themselves and produce a memorial piece that could be displayed in a museum.

This section is ultimately how I aim to produce a meaningful effect for students after working on the Old Boys at War project. Instead of curating a collection of archives for students to look through, the aim is to utilise the PBL system to directly engage with and immerse themselves in actually ‘doing’ history. In this way, ‘usefulness’ is generated in developing the historical skills of devising narratives and accurately representing the past with respect and connection. 

What the Society Does

For my major project, I will be collaborating with the Marrickville Heritage Society. The Marrickville Heritage Society is a community historical society which is dedicated to documenting the history, heritage and environment of Marrickville and its surrounding areas. The society was founded in 1963 and has a large archive of historical sources, stories and research. Since 1983 they have posted yearly newsletters, as well as 15 heritage journals which cover a wide range of stories and interesting issues from the Marrickville area, as well as surrounding suburbs such as Newtown, Camperdown, Dulwich Hill, Enmore, Petersham, Lewisham and Tempe, among others. The articles in these journals range from personal histories and childhood stories to methodical studies of local government policy and planning. The society also monitors development applications in the area and makes recommendations in line with their aims of preserving Marrickville’s heritage. In this endeavour, they have been successful in saving the old Marrickville Town Hall, Stanmore House in Enmore, St Clement’s Steeple, and the Marrickville Hospital/Library, among others.

They have an online presence in the form of a website (https://marrickvilleheritage.org.au/), where one can access historical articles and the archive of their newsletters. They also have a facebook, where members can post information or inquiries about Marrickville’s history. On the fourth Saturday of each month the society hosts a meeting or excursion to a historical site: Most recently, they hosted a visit to Nutcote, the home of children’ s author and illustrator May Gibbs.

Gilbert Doble’s Winged Victory, created for the Marrickville War Memorial

My Project

For my project, I have been asked to assist in creating an instagram account for the society where its articles, sources and stories can reach a wider audience. Drawing on the society’s archives, we aim to create and draft instagram posts, and establish an ongoing system where society resources can be translated into social media posts. Since the society has no headquarters, I plan to conduct this project mainly in my own time. So far, my work on the project has mainly consisted of creating ideas for instagram posts from the society’s archive, aiming to curate stories which are likely to be of interest to a broader local demographic.

There are some challenges with this project, primarily that many of the original sources and images are not in a shared society archive but in the personal collections of members, which can make them difficult to obtain. I feel well-equipped for this project as I am relatively proficient with digital and social media. Also, my generational knowledge of young people’s interests and social media habits may help in getting the project to appeal more to younger generations. In this, the goal of myself and the Marrickville Heritage Society is to spread awareness and spark interest in the local history of the area by branching out into social media.

Last December saw another successful launch of our 2025/2026 Social Inclusion Program. As we look forward to all of our exciting plans for 2026, we wanted to take a chance to reflect on the successful launch of our program at the end of 2025 and our plans for 2026.  

The History Department’s Social Inclusion Program aims to foster educational aspiration among disadvantaged cohorts across New South Wales high schools through workshops and peer-mentoring. The driving ethos of the program is to address the underrepresentation of students from low socioeconomic, regional, rural, and diverse backgrounds at the University of Sydney. Deliberately structured to be of service to our partner schools, program initiates and strengthens connections with schools the University has not traditionally been associated with.

Our flagship initiative for the Social Inclusion Program is the History Extension Mentoring Program. With five sessions scheduled over the next twelve months, the mentoring program pairs HSC History Extension students with University of Sydney History student mentors as they work on their history extension major project. To read more on how the program works, see our earlier post on the program here.

The 2025/2026 program is our biggest yet since its re-launch in 2023 and we are proud to announce we are working with over nine schools from all corners of New South Wales. By insisting on only working with rural, regional, or Low-SES schools, this year the program has particularly been successful in allocating our resources to those who need it the most.

Importantly, the sheer scale of the program is a testament to the generosity of our student mentors to volunteer their time to support these students. In a tertiary education environment that is becoming increasingly hostile to students interested in pursuing the arts and humanities, the program is a testament to the perseverance of our history cohorts in building community around the power of historical storytelling. In the process, the program has been able to connect with a wide-ranging student body whose projects speak to their diverse life experiences, identities, and interests.

We are also excited to announce that the department is expanding the program to Stages 4 and 5 (Years 7-10) in 2026. While the mentoring program is a vital initiative to support students in connecting with the world of tertiary education, this new initiative offers support to schools in delivering imaginative co-curricular support in earlier years.

In December, in tandem with the launch of our mentoring program, Lecturer Dr James Findlay and Social Inclusion Program Manager Mia Retallack visited Cecil Hills High School to coordinate a ‘Medieval Experience’ for their year seven students. In an object-based learning session focused on Medieval maps, in consolidating students’ recent study of the medieval periods, we encouraged them to expand their conceptions of the pejorative so-called ‘dark ages’. Throughout the session, students strengthened their familiarity with primary source analysis, encountering a history world not isolated in castles and struck down by plague but shaped by diverse religions, local politics and the transnational trade of goods, and ideas. In turn, the session sought to challenge how students imagined the world around them and how our modern experience too is shaped by broader belief systems and meta-narratives.

Looking forward to 2026, we are excited to continue these initiatives with our partner schools. As the mentoring program will continue, the department is excited to continue collaborating with Cecil Hills High School in celebrating the schools 30^th anniversary by helping record the history of the school. While these engagements provide students with touchpoints with the tertiary education environment, on a more profound level, they offer new insight into what the telling of history can mean not just on the pages of textbooks, but in their own lives.

Friday, 1 August 5-6pm 

RD Watt Building, Room 203

 Please join us for an informal conversation with Daniel Blatman, eminent scholar of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies. Like other historians of the Holocaust, Blatman argues that Israel is currently committing a genocide in Gaza. “I have been engaged in researching the Holocaust for about 40 years,” he writes. “I never imagined in my worst nightmares that the Jewish state would bomb starving children to death”. What is the role of historical research in the context of the unfolding genocide? And what does this moment ask of us, as historians and other scholars? 

Our discussion will be organised around two of Prof Blatman’s recent pieces in Haaretz: 

“There’s No Auschwitz in Gaza. But It’s Still Genocide”

“Invoking Never Again in Israel, as More Children Die”

If you would like to attend the discussion, please come having read these two short articles and bring questions for Prof Blatman. Staff and students all welcome. 

Bio: Daniel Blatman is Professor of Modern Jewish history and Holocaust Studies. He has worked on the history of the Jewish labor movement in Eastern Europe, the Holocaust in Poland, and on Nazi annihilation policy at the end of World War II. His publications include: For our Freedom and Yours, The Jewish Labor Bund in Poland 1939–1945 (2003), Reportage from the Ghetto, The Jewish Underground Press in Warsaw Ghetto (2005), and The Death Marches, The Final Phase of Nazi Genocide (2011).

 Sponsored by the Powerful Stories Network, the Sydney Staff and Students Workshops on Anthropology, Research and Methods (SSSWARM), and the Discipline of Anthropology 

Contact: Michael Edwards, Discipline of Anthropology, [email protected]