History Matters

When I first heard about the project, I knew I wanted to choose an organisation that catered to my interest in community and oral history. After going back and forth with ideas in my head I mentioned the project to a friend from uni. When I told him I wanted to work with an Indigenous history he said he thought Jarjum would be perfect. He had previously volunteered at the school as a teacher’s aide and talked about the kindness of the staff members and the welcoming environment. After researching more about the school I saw its value of community and cultural connection which is central to my project. Redfern stands on Gadigal land and has been home to a large population of Aboriginal people since the early 20th century.

What drew me further to the school was its main focus – providing education for Indigenous children who are struggling in a mainstream schooling environment. Jarjum is a primary school that through a value of community history, ensures Aboriginal children are able to access integral aspects of their culture from a young age. Jarjum also recognizes the importance of parent involvement, in that developing a child’s cultural conscience begins at home. There is a real need for more schools like Jarjum, particularly in regional areas as the education gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children remains where only 36% of Indigenous Year 5 students in remote areas are at or above national minimum reading standards[1]. A lack of adequate resources for teachers and Aboriginal role models in rural areas attributes to this, which is why Jarjum exceeds in its education of Indigenous children.

After getting in touch with Matthew Smith, the principal of Jarjum, I was sure I wanted to work with them for my project. I plan to conduct interviews within both the school and the wider local community and I believe that this will be done best through a visual medium. Oral histories are about listening and observing; therefore, I think that the style of my project is significant in ensuring that all aspects of history can be captured – the people who are producing it and are a product of it. I also hope that visual engagement allows students, parents, and members of the community to benefit from my project.

Although there are obvious ethical challenges I will face when undertaking this project, I believe that the proper acknowledgment of such sensitivities can help to avoid them. As a non-Indigenous person speaking with Indigenous people about their culture, I have to remain aware of the position of non-Indigenous people in the Indigenous historical narrative. I spoke with the principal of the college about my concerns, and he agreed that approaching the project as a listener and observer is crucial. I plan to conduct my interviews in a manner that focuses on the history of the school and the local Indigenous community, rather than trying to ‘understand’ or gain insight into individual histories, which can be seen as invasive and insensitive from an Indigenous perspective.  

[1] NAPLAN. 2019 . National Report for 2019. Achievement in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy , Sydney : ACARA.

My project seeks to illuminate the incongruity between ‘enshrined’ history and the infinite complexity that one observes when studying history. The ‘conversational’ format of a podcast, I argue, can potentially ‘fill the gaps’ that ‘enshrined’ histories leave and provide a complexity that other forms of public history, such as museum exhibitions, struggle to due to their form. Particularly in the Australian context, the careful selection of certain histories create misguided perceptions of the present that seep into various aspects of the society. This project, and podcasts in general, can be a worthwhile space in which non-historians can grapple with the infinite complexities of Australian history on the way to achieving the ultimate goal of a self-actualised national identity.  

My project is in collaboration with the Professional Historians Association ACT & NSW (PHA ACT & NSW), an organisation in which its members can continue professional development, network with other historians, and connect with potential clients for their work. The PHA also publishes articles and reviews in which historians can showcase their work, represent members in contractual and employment matters and provide potential guidance on engaging public historians for appropriate work conditions etc. The final project will involve interviews with various members in which we will discuss their historical practice, their work and a broad historical debate. The interview involves three questions that are asked to each interviewee, namely, what brought you to a career in history, have you ever experienced any obstacles when dealing with politically sensitive histories, how you do include reflexivity in your historical practice, and ends with a question about a large historical discussion relating to their area of research. For example, the interview I conducted with a historian who has worked a lot in Australian media history, particularly women’s experiences, ended with a quote from Anne Summers, ‘We have changed a lot, but we haven’t changed enough. I asked if she agreed with the quote, and what equality would look like in the Australian media landscape.

In addition to the podcast itself, I’m thinking about everything ‘around’ the project. I’ve decided on a name, ‘Chatting History’ and have created a logo (below) and will create bibliography-like document to include as the ‘shownotes’ for each episode. These will include the sources that I used to prepare and develop the questions for the interview and will explain anything in the interview that I feel is necessary, such as particular references to people who I feel some may not know.

I will also create a transcript of the interview (thankfully I’m using Soundtrap, which is editing software that generates a transcript for you) and will publish them on either the PHA NSW & ACT website or create a website entirely dedicated to the podcast, which will be linked to the PHA website. At the beginning of each episode will include an introduction to the interviewee, and the end will include instructions on where to get more information about the interviewee. This will aid in the potential of the podcasts to market the PHA ACT & NSW, and its members, to the public.

Still standing today, Yodalla is the name of the house once owned by the Hunter family of Emu Plains. Located in close proximity to the Nepean River, it was purchased by Norman Hunter in 1914 and was the site of the family’s apple orchard. Today, the house sits across Nepean Street from the Hunter sports field. The Hunter family was of dual importance to the community of Emu Plains, through their contribution to the agriculture and food production of the area, and their contributions to organised sport. Norman Hunter was the managing director of Miss Bishops Catering Company, which was, at one point, the largest catering company in Sydney, catering for the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. His family was also important in organising community events to support Australian troops during World War Two.

Penrith City Library

One of the main local history archives for Penrith and its surrounding suburbs, including Emu Plains, is Penrith City Library. They maintain an archive of census records, newspaper clippings, council and land records, and over 4,000 historic photographs. Much of this material is accessible online through the library catalogue, and they maintain a website (penrithhistory.com) which provides further information on Penrith’s history. For material which is not available online the library has a research room dedicated to local history research, which can be accessed by members of the public on certain days.

The Norman Hunter Collection

The library has created a collection of material related to Norman Hunter and his family. the collection has been used as a reference for a number of books written about the history of Penrith, for example Penrith: the Makings of a City by Lorraine Stacker. The collection is still being added to, and this is where the library has asked for my assistance. They have come into possession of some home videos recorded by the Hunter family on their property Yodalla, but they have not yet sorted them. In preparation for them to be uploaded to the library catalogue, the library has requested that I watch the films and provide brief descriptions of them.

The significance of my project

As outlined above, Penrith City Library is an important organisation for the preservation of history in Penrith and the surrounding area. I hope that my project will be able to contribute to the expansion of their archives, and thus play an important role in preserving our local history. Although the Hunter family was important to the development of Emu Plains there is relatively little accessible information about them, so I hope that my contributions to the library’s Norman Hunter collection can assist in spreading historical knowledge of the family.

The library has also expressed interest in having me write in more depth about the role of the family in regards to agriculture in Emu Plains. I believe this would be a beneficial companion piece to the films and other items in their collection, and I hope it will also achieve the goal of increasing the family’s local historical profile.

If you look at this photo, you might think this is just an old Chinese centre.

 You might not even notice that when you walk past it.

But this small building has carried the history of the Chinese community and represented the connection of the Chinese community and Dixon Street, which is the Chinatown we know nowadays.

 Why this is a meaningful building?

The 82-84 Dixon Street building is believed to be the first Chinese building and business in Dixon Street. Also, this is one of the earliest land acquisitions by the Chinese.

82-84 Dixon Street is the site of the critical firm Kwong War Chong. The Kwong War Chong trading company represents the Chinese community economic activities, which involve importing and exporting. Moreover, Kwong War Chong helped many Chinese with their daily life and work in Australia. Their business included being agents of Chinese residents in Sydney and rural areas, sent money to relatives in China, assisted with paperwork and tax payments, provided accommodation and even repatriated the remains of Chinese who died in Australia.

The business in Kwong War Chong allowed the Chinese people to feel intimacy and connection with their country even they were far from their home.

Unfortunately, this meaningful building is going to be developed by another company. As to preserve the shop, the Chinese Australian Historical Society obtained into state heritage listing. Now they will negotiate with the development company about the significance of history and culture in this building and hope to transform the ground floor and the two beds into a museum of Chinese Australian history.

The Chinese Australian Historical Society is the organisation that I am working within this unit.

About the Chinese Australian Historical Society

The Chinese Australian Historical Society was founded in 2002 by Professor Henry Chan (University of Newcastle, NSW). The Institute has been actively committed to advancing the study of Chinese history in Australia through workshops, seminars and conferences. Research areas include Chinese Australian family history; The home of early Chinese Australians in Guangdong; A family organisation in Sydney; Chinese shops in rural New South Wales; Trans-pacific China; History of Australian Chinese Women’s Association; Archives and how to use them. These activities have helped increase public awareness and understanding of the contribution of the Chinese people to Australia.

I chose this organisation because I am interested in Chinese Australian history. I want to know the history of the Chinese, why they decided to arrive in Australia, and what they met after they arrived. In addition, I feel some connection between the organisation and me because of my Chinese cultural background.

What am I doing now?

My primary work in the project will be researching the Chinese newspaper about Phillip Lee Chun, the dominating figure of the Kwong War Chong and the articles or advertisements of the business in Kwong War Chong. The research allowed the Chinese Australian Historical Society to have more evidence to negotiate with the developer about preserving the building.

My name is Caitlin Williams and I’m going to be working with the Society of Australian Genealogists to create an online exhibition highlighting the rich collection of ephemera that relates to the social life of Mr. Quong Tart, a Chinese Australian businessman who lived in Sydney in the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

The Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) supports the education and research of amateur and professional family historians. They run regular seminars and workshops on conducting research with digital and well as physical records, and also provide certificates and diplomas in genealogy. The SAG also has its own archives, which is where the Tart collection is held. I have been working closely with Dr. James Findlay, the SAG archivist to develop my project for HSTY3902.

Mr. Tart was a unique figure in 19^th century Sydney, who appears to have gained social acceptance amongst the middle class whilst remaining a strong advocate for Chinese market gardeners and other Chinese labourers in Sydney. He appears to have been a popular figure and taking on formal roles at many social events- singing Scottish ballads (his wife Margaret was Scottish), giving addresses and toasts, and even “kicking off” at a fancy dress soccer match! I plan on mounting a digital exhibition of the invitations to social events Mr. Tart attended or presided over. The scrapbook which was created by Margaret contains various invitations has been digitised and indexed by the SAG archivist and their dedicated volunteers. This gives the SAG an opportunity to promote the depth of their collection and potentially meet new audiences online. The volunteers have also created an index of the names of attendees and performers who appear on the invitations to these social events- a valuable source of information for genealogists.

The challenge that is posed by this collection is that it primarily textual, without strong visual appeal (photos, illustrations, objects, etc). I am using the exhibition platform Omeka to display the scrapbooks and physically map the location where social gatherings took place. I’m hoping that the map will be a visually appealing introduction to these scrapbooks, and perhaps encourage curiosity about the social world of Sydney in centuries past.  Omeka needs a lot of metadata to work effectively and I’ve spent quite a bit of time already getting to grips with is tagging and metadata features to ensure researchers can easily uncover the wealth of historic data that is stored in these invitations. I have work experience in libraries, and while I’ve not had full reign over designing an exhibition from the ground up, I’m enjoying the challenge so far and am confident I can produce a good outcome for the SAG.  I’ve really enjoyed brainstorming ideas for the exhibition with Dr. Findlay over zoom. With the COVID-19 restrictions easing in Sydney, I’m also allowed to go visit the archives to see the scrapbooks and some family photographs of the Tarts in person next week!

On any given Saturday in the summers of my childhood, you could be sure that the house would be empty, and the family would be camped out at some cricket ground in the area. We were not alone; for many in Mount Colah, whether watching or playing, cricket has always been an essential part of the summer months.

In service of this passion, the local group of volunteers at Mount Colah Cricket Club organises teams and games for all in the community who wish to play. Mount Colah Cricket Club is registered with the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai & Hills District Cricket Association (HK&HDCA) in both junior and senior competitions, annually entering teams in competitions with other local clubs.

The Early Stages

When I was prompted to consider valuable community organisations in my area, Mount Colah Cricket Club was my first thought. I approached club president, Paul McSweeney, in September this year with the question of whether the club had use for a history student hoping to complete a public history project. In dialogue with committee members, I have since formed a rough plan to outline a history of the club for its new website, consolidating local knowledge currently scattered across paper scorebooks, digital records, and the memories of members and players (past and present).

Working in lockdown conditions for the first weeks of this project, I was quickly discouraged by the dearth of information about the club’s history online. In search for sources, I reached out to local historian, councilman and cricket enthusiast, Nathan Tilbury, for advice. In a response which far exceeded my expectations, this conversation ended with Nathan Tilbury lending me a virtual treasure trove of hard-copy research materials.

The highlights within this collection include Alf James’ book, Summer Saturdays, which documents a history of the association until 2000, and box of HK&HDCA Annual Reports dating back to its foundation in 1926. These sources will be invaluable when used in conjunction with the club’s collection of old scorebooks, paving the way towards constructing a timeline of Mount Colah competition records and star players.

Moving Forward

In consultation with these sources, it has become clear that Mount Colah Cricket Club has a long, and largely untold, history of endurance and rebirth. The club first formed in 1933, entering one C-grade team for that season before dissolving in 1934. Many of this inaugural team’s players continued to play for Asquith and achieve great things in local competitions. Mount Colah Cricket Club would rise from the ashes after WWII to play three more seasons, entering teams into the newly developed junior competition for the first time in its history. After once more disappearing through the 1950s, the club would again pick itself back up in the 1960s, then barreling into a hugely successful period in the 1970s and 1980s. Staunchly weathering years of growth and decline in the decades since, the club has fought to give opportunities for Mount Colah locals to get outside in the summer, to strive for greatness, or to just enjoy the sport.

I intend to flesh out my picture of Mount Colah Cricket Club and its history in the weeks to come, as a history worthy of recording and publicising within the community. I hope to do this by extrapolating from the data in a backlog of scorebooks and annual reports, and (most importantly) by working in conversation with club committee members and past players.

Located in Darling Harbour, Sydney, right next to the sea, the Australian National Maritime Museum – or the Sea Museum, as it’s more colloquially known – tells the history of our nation.

For people who are unfamiliar with the Sea Museum – such as myself at the beginning of this project – they will be surprised to find out about the complexity of knowledge that is on offer at the Sea Museum. As counterintuitive as it may sound, the Sea Museum is much, much more about ships and boats. Ranging from maritime archaeology, historic vessels, to ocean science, Indigenous culture, and migration, the Sea Museum has it all.

Among these vastly diverse topics, my project, in collaboration with the Sea Museum, particularly focuses on migration. How does migration and the Sea Museum link together? You may ask. Well, as a nation that’s mostly made up of migrants, it is important for us to know how did the early migrants come to Australia, and the stories happened along the way and afterwards. And the sea of course plays an important role here. Therefore, as one of the only six museums operated by the federal government, the Sea Museum bears the responsibility of educating the public the stories about the nation and the people who made up our nation.

The stories I want to tell in my project are of Anthony Liem, and Fred Wong and Arthur Chang. Anthony is a Chinese Indonesian. Although he was barely three years old at the time, he remembers Indonesian people’s fight for independence vividly. Because of the anti-Chinese sentiment in Indonesia, he migrated to Australia and later married Helen Wong, an Australian-Chinese woman. But it wasn’t until somewhat three decades after they married, in 2005, did he discover the shared history between Helen and him.

Both Helen’s father, Fred Wong, and his friend Arthur Chang, were active members of the Chinese Youth League and the Sydney branch of the Chinese Seaman’s Union (disbanded in the late 1940s). Both organisations were made up of patriotic Chinese Australians who supported China’s fight against Japan’s colonial power, and were sympathised with, and actively supported the Indonesian independence movement.

Arthur, as a representation of Chinese seamen, spoke to a packed audience and appealed for the public’s support, which was captured in the documentary Indonesian Calling. Quoting the “national father” Dr Sun Yat-sen that China would support all oppressed nations to gain independence, Arthur chanted, “Long live the independence movement,” and in Cantonese, “Long live the national liberation movement (民族自由解放运动万岁)”.

Despite being awarded the Centenary Medal of Australia for services to the Chinese community by the Australian government, and presented with the “70th Anniversary of The Victory of The Anti-Japanese War Commemoration Medal” by the Chinese government, Arthur’s story – and Fred’s – was totally unknown to me and many others.

So, for my project, I will speak to Anthony to get to know these stories better. We will talk about his memory of the Indonesian independence movement, living in a “White Australia”, and his thoughts on Fred’s and Arthur’s activism. A research paper will be developed based on the interview and my research, the end product might be published on the Sea Museum’s quarterly magazine Signals.

When I was doing research for the project, and typed in the words “Chinese Australian” and “Indonesian independence”, I was surprised to see how few relevant results I got. Among the limited information I got, the ones that matched my interest – most of them, if not all – come from the Sea Museum. Let’s say, even if I had uncertainties about this project at the beginning – not saying that I had any – this discovery only made me more firmly believe in it. As historians, it is our responsibility to tell the stories of our predecessors.

Old soldiers may die, but they should not fade away.

The Central Coast: a safe haven with beautiful beaches and a tight-knit community. But what happens when that tight-knit community is faced with change as spaces are made for queer and marginalised communities? Who will guide them through the difficult dialogue and education?

Historically, the Central Coast hasn’t been the most welcoming of hosts to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalised groups, as it seems that the progressive streak NSW has been on begins and ends with Sydney. Like a party everyone is invited to, but only a select few know the location… and the rest are left with a party-less night, drinking wine on the couch, and wondering what they should have said or done to get an actual invite.

This is where Naughty Noodle Fun Haus comes in; a progressive charitable organisation that strives for equality, inclusivity, and the free expression of personhood. Their party has invitations extended to absolutely everyone, with the address printed in large, glittery letters and the doors thrown open to passers-by who might be interested in a fun night. Naughty Noodle entered the stage in 2018 and has been trailblazing ever since up and down the Central Coast hosting a range of events including drag, performance art, cabaret, burlesque and comedy.

This is how they called to me; beckoning me in and inviting me to their party to celebrate differences and diversify the representation of life on the Central Coast. To come in and soak in the multi arts representation and engage in meaningful discourse with community members. Of course, this is only the sense I got from their website and social media due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to work with this organisation.

Naughty Noodle really do host parties, festivals, and shows, showcasing local and national talent. They bring in tourism through their famously lively and colourful events whilst also engaging with the needs of the community and encouraging growth, transformation, and conversation.

So, the party continues, with rooms upon rooms of events and showcases. The Coastal Twist Festival, Clambake, Words on the Waves, and plenty more to come. Glitta Supernova, performer, co-founder of Coastal Twist and creative director of Naughty Noodle spoke to the Newcastle Herald and describes the organisation as “a registered charity, an arts and culture organisation meeting the need for visible world-class fringe and counterculture activations.” I couldn’t have phrased it better; this organisation appeals so much to me because it fills a gap in Central Coast culture, a gap that is missing the colour and power of queer and marginalised communities. Naughty Noodle also works with schools, creating educational workshops and clubs for curious, questioning, or artistic youth. As a preservice teacher this is exactly the kind of involvement I’d like to see in my community; adequate care and attention given to the education of young people.

Since I am new to the area, it’s reassuring to see a mostly positive reception for this organisation, and I’m delighted to have received an invitation to the party, and of course, you’ve got one too. My work with them will hopefully create an even bigger party and amplify the voices of those that have been, until now, drowned out by the sounds of others. The shape this project will take is the recording of oral histories.

Naughty Noodle has continued to open its doors to a nationwide party, and you’re invited. Let the party begin!