History Matters

The development and presentation of ‘Eryldene’, firstly as a home and now as a museum, may be better understood through an examination of the artistic and academic circles in which Professor Waterhouse worked and acted.
The evidence for my research was diverse both geographically and as to type. My focus was on two distinct areas of artistic endeavour, namely the Burdekin House Exhibition in 1929 and Professor Waterhouse’s role as Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. As a result, my initial enquiries sought to uncover material that was directly relevant to these two areas and searched the following:
1. The Caroline Simpson Library of Sydney Living Museums
2. The Art Gallery of New South Wales
3. The archives of the University of Sydney and the Sydney Teachers’ College
4. The Macleay Museum of the University of Sydney
5. The personal records of Janet Waterhouse, now with the State Library of New South Wales, and
6. The archives kept by the Eryldene Trust itself.
Secondary sources include monographs of a number of artists who were part of Professor Waterhouse’s circle of friends, including Lionel Lindsay, Thea Proctor, Hera Roberts, Roy de Maistre and William Dobell as well as colleagues from the University of Sydney, namely Leslie Wilkinson and Arthur Sadler.
My aim in completing this project is to arm volunteer guides with little-known information concerning an area of the life of Professor Waterhouse and thus enable a fresh approach to their expositions. Beyond this initial phase, I intend to continue my research to determine whether an exhibition might be mounted on this theme to encourage a higher level of visitations to the property. From my time spent at open weekends this semester, it appears to me that local history, an interest in gardens and interest in the aesthetic connection with China and Japan are the principal reasons for visits to ‘Eryldene’. The ‘Circle of Friends’ theme would hopefully expand this group.
My review of a number of archives and specifically my research into the Burdekin House Exhibition have had significant results. Professor Waterhouse is chiefly remembered for his work in the cultivation of the species camellia and garden design generally: in this regard his work in fostering ties with China and Japan was of continuing significance. However this work was primarily carried out in his retirement, so that his earlier endeavours in education and his connections to the Sydney art scene in the early years of the twentieth century have largely been ignored. Bringing this aspect of his work to light will provide a more rounded view of his life and achievements for visitors to ‘Eryldene’ and generally.
Secondly, the provenance of a number of objects held within the ‘Eryldene’ collection has been altered. Three paintings held in the collection had been recorded as having been purchased at the Burdekin House Exhibition due to labels on the back of their frames. My research has found that items were not sold from this exhibition; rather that individuals such as Professor Waterhouse lent furniture and objects for display. My further research has found that a number of those items were purchased by Waterhouse at an auction of property owned by William Hardy Wilson in 1922. Proper attribution of objects is critical to understanding heritage and is of particular consequence at ‘Eryldene’ due to the inclusion of furnishings within the state government ‘Statement of Significance’.
The findings which have resulted from my research are a foundation for further work to be done in relation to the early life of Professor Waterhouse. It is my intention to utilize my research as the foundation for comprehensive guides to the history and assessment of the objects and furnishings in each room at ‘Eryldene’ and to work towards the presentation of an exhibition which has as its theme the ‘Circle of Friends’ at the heart of this project.

During the research stage of my project I was confronted with a situation regarding archives which I think would be fairly typical in community history organisations.

Continue reading “An Observation on Digital Archives”

Where is the line between community history and community action? And is this distinction ultimately important, or does it create a false dichotomy between academia and community organisations?

Continue reading “White Bay Conundrum”

As I’m completing my final project, an online collection of images and objects, and looking back on my notes from the beginning of my work with my organisation, I wanted to use this chance to reflect on those initial experiences. I began working with Wesley College, one of the residential colleges at the University of Sydney, offering to do some work digitizing their archives. When suggesting this to the Director of Programs at the college, I was met with a knowing look and an enthusiastic all clear to go ahead. In retrospect, I should have known.
The “archive” I was led to comprised of a spacious and well-lit cupboard in the newly renovated part of the building. So far, so good. Looking inside however, I found it filled from floor to ceiling with boxes, piles of loose papers and photos slipping haphazardly onto the floor out of overflowing crates, with no discernable order or system. It seemed my task had evolved from the simple digitization of an existing archive to trying to establish some sort of organizational system.
This task has truly exemplified the phrase “easier said than done”. The main challenge I have faced is the sheer quantity of material. Wesley was established in 1917 and student enrollment and academic records, yearly ledgers, photographs of every shape and size, student magazines and countless other records have been (albeit sometimes sporadically) kept and now reside in this room. These often include duplicates or more multiples (up to 50 copies in some cases). Furthermore, the continual shifting of these records has led to damage of some of the oldest books, photographs and files. With my complete lack of skill and experience dealing with old objects, all I could do is try to be as gentle as possible.
Despite this, in sifting through the masses, fascinating nuggets of history have fallen into my hands. The initial appeal of being the first to look at these sources in a historical had almost faded (after ten hours) until suddenly, in sorting through a pile of photos, the face of an 18 year old Rob Carlton (who I had seen on TV playing Kerry Packer) in a debating photo, brought back the interest and excitement. So did seeing the eyes of a close friend stare back at me from the face of her grandfather in the Rugby First XV of 1947. Even reading a memo from the matron in 1965 requesting teaspoons be returned to the dining hall, in the same week as current students of Wesley received a Facebook notification asking them to search for and return missing cups taken at mealtimes had the same effect.
Indeed, the stark digitization of the current Wesley experience, and that which I had discovered in the paper trails of earlier years, was one of the significant things I’ve taken from the experience. The relative lack of photos and records since 2000, after the overload of tangible documentation from previous years, is kind of disappointing. I began to question whether I should be digitizing old sources, or ensuring recent years are physically documented in this room. I think I went archive crazy.
Looking back on the process, I couldn’t imagine trying to do my final project without doing the organizational tasks. Instead of trying to find sources for my final project, I was now simply selecting from the abundance of potential sources I had. I have in no way even approached a satisfactory completion of the task of organizing the archives, however in discussion with the college, I hope to continue this work next year.

We are all students of history because, assumingly, we each have a passion for learning about the past in order to consider how it can and will impact on the future. In our many and varied history subjects, we have gained insight into historical events and historiographical debates and continuously attempted ‘to develop original insight’ into a given topic. While I am still doubtful as to whether any of my claims regarding World War 2 were ‘original’ given the breadth of academic intrigue on this subject, my professors were always encouraging which further nurtured the passion I have for history. History: Beyond the Classroom, however, has, in the subtlest and cleverest of ways, forced ‘original insight’ because we were to complete a task that has never been completed before for a community group, many of which it seems, have had sporadic attempts at constructing historical narratives. The brilliance of HSTY3902 is that we are given the freedom to entirely develop ‘original insight’ and as such I honestly feel I am a more complete student of history as a result of the work I have completed for my community group, Cooma Little Theatre.
As I discussed with last year’s History: Beyond the Classroom student, Natalie Leung, I went into this subject in the same way I approach any research project: I wanted to find something in the history of my organisation that would lend itself to developing a interesting discussion. I wanted to “re-write the history of my organization”, exposing the features that would make it interesting to the wider community. Regrettably, what I failed to realise at the outset was that it is exactly what my community group has been dedicated to for 60 years that provides the most interesting and compelling argument I could ever hope to develop. Each production of the Cooma Little Theatre’s past 60 years tells a story and when combined together, they create a history.
I therefore chose to digitally archive the posters and programs from the theatre’s sixty thriving, theatrical years. With every hour that I’ve dedicated to finding, scanning, editing, uploading and cataloguing, I’ve increasingly become more and more aware of the many histories this seemingly simplistic task creates. By looking at these visual sources, not only can you appreciate the multitude of productions performed but one can also see how technology has advanced, how advertising has increased, how cast members have change, how productions have varied and how, at a simplistic level, Cooma Little Theatre has continually remained a central entertainment facility for Snowy audiences in spite of changes in the makeup of the town. Indeed the benefit of completing this project is for me, to give back to the place that has given my family so much enjoyment. But more than this, this project will hopefully bring together past, present and future members of the theatre as they will each be able to visually appreciate the magnitude of the theatre’s achievements. The community of the Cooma Little Theatre expands across Australia and throughout the world and so the choice to use the website to display this history is to enable every member of our far-reaching community to access the site, spark a sense of nostalgia and remember ‘the good-times’ fondly.
I admit, I went into this assignment with the wrong attitude because I was blinded by the expectation to ‘develop original insight’. Little did I realise that the original insight I was so desperately looking for could be found in the most celebrated part of the theatre’s history. History: Beyond The Classroom has led me to look at research in a different light, to focus on the task rather than the product and to concentrate on achieving something that is bigger than just a university mark.
As the semester draws to a close and we prepare to submit the final assessment of our degrees, I think it’s important to reflect on what we’ve achieved and feel proud… We’ve looked ‘beyond the classroom’ and into the real world to find local history. And as we step into that real world, we should continue to appreciate the many histories that surround us every day.
Chookas HSTY3902!

On my last post I discussed the importance of an expansive view in regards to Australian history. I will be first to admit that I have, in the past, discarded the significance of Australian history. But now that’s history! In my last post I stressed the importance of accepting every aspect of the past as history, even the most mundane and innocuous details. History should not be viewed as series of dates on a page, rather it is something that people have lived. I think that’s the biggest take away from my community work and this course.
For the past few months I have been working with the Waverley Library and Council in their local studies department. The Waverley library has quite an extensive archive, especially regarding Bondi Beach and its surrounding suburbs, so it was a great experience to work within this format. My task was to document some materials that came from the Bondi Pavilion, and make accession numbers for them. The accession numbers are there so if other people want to locate the materials I archived, they locate the number, and then they can find the appropriate box in the archive room. Filing and documenting material may sound dull, but it was actually a really interactive and fun way to work with history.
One of the biggest things for me when dealing with these materials was that I was one of the first people to view these objects as having a shred of historical significance. Many of the materials were everyday objects that had just been piling up at the Bondi pavilion. Although this was extremely interesting it also made it difficult. As I was the first person to conceptualise these objects as historical artefacts, there was no real framework on how to view them, no past papers, no outlines. I had to personally decide what they meant. This in itself was extremely fun because I could ascribe what I thought was significant about it. This process that I undertook fits into the idea of appreciating everything from the past as important history. The materials I was archiving were posters, stamps and swimsuits from the turn of the century. These objects don’t seem that old but their utility obviously was. What’s more is that as time goes by their historical significance increases. Even now you can tell how dated the swimsuits are. Will they come back into fashion? Who knows.

Above: This photo was on the tag of one of the swimsuits displaying what it looks like. photo credit Xavier May.
Since the completion of my archive work I have been consolidating the photos I took of the process, and been looking further into the archives to find more information about the contemporary history of Bondi. These archives mainly consist of newspaper clippings and council statements, but they have told me a lot about Bondi’s recent history. Recent redevelopment plans regarding the Bondi pavilion are highly controversial, but I have found this is not an isolated event. Roughly every twenty years the council has made an effort to reinvigorate the Pavilion. A lot of the newspaper clippings also debate the gentrification regarding Bondi. I have always thought that Bondi was a pretty affluent area, however I have discovered that it has a very grungy past. This has been a controversial point in the literature regarding re-development plans and expansive commercial ventures. The debate around gentrification and commercialism is still on going and so it is important to be aware of these problems. These examples show how history is not finite and how problems that were happening a few generations ago are still occurring. That is how public history can be useful, so people can be aware of what happened in their local past so they can better shape the future. I hope that my work in the archives enables others to learn more about Bondi and more importantly, their own history.

Considering that my project centers on a rugby league club, I thought I’d start off with one of the great sporting clichés. It’s almost hard to believe that in under a month our final projects will be revealed. I spent the last blog post giving a little bit of a background on why I undertook work with Wests Archives, so this one will be dedicated to the project itself. A detailed account of my trials and tribulations….
Like many of the students of Beyond the Classroom, I’ve found that my projects had meandered and molded as time has passed. Having now set my sights on producing a short film for the club, preparation work has been under way. Having actually never made a video before, I must admit that I am somewhat anxious. With shooting next Saturday, It’s going to be a really stretched to ensure that everything is organized and that the day runs as smoothly as possible. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed it becoming closer to the people involved throughout the organization. Founder of the club, Scott Morris has been so helpful in helping me organize the material for the project. Late night phone calls and rather rushed Facebook posts have meant that we have been able to gather enough support to get this video off the ground. I’ve included a few of the screenshots from the Facebook page for you guys to see below.
On the 5th of November, Scott has organized a jersey handout to coincide with the interviewing for the video. This should be really helpful in gauging some meaningful responses from members of the Fanatics. I’ll be asking questions about:
– What the club means to them as members of the Western Sydney Community. (Hopefully invoke some responses relating to class and ethnicity here)
– Why exactly it’s important to preserve the culture of the Rugby League Club.
– Why creating public history for the organization is helpful for their growth and sustainability.
I really hope to capture this kind of sentiments on camera. As the script progresses, I feel that it’s important to remember that I am writing history for other people. This is not a video about what this team means to me. But rather, why it plays such a pivotal role in the lives of those who breathe Magpies culture day in and day out. With over 3000 members, I encourage all of you to have a look at the group’s facebook page. I’ve included a link below to if any of you want to have a peek at the kinds of events and activities they get up to.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/westernsuburbsmagpiesfanatics/
I think thats about everything I have to update you guys with. So I’ll leave you all with another sporting cliché that maybe everyone can use as life gets a little more stressful as deadlines emerge.
“Keep your eye on the ball..”

Walking into the Mitchell Library I think can be very daunting. No I don’t know what a microfiche is, no I don’t know how to print, wait, what – my library card has expired! (Surely library cards don’t have expiry dates).
Initial hurdles, it turns out, were easily overcome. I didn’t really think that my research would take me into the depths of an archive. Mostly, I’ve been chatting to my family, and destroying any sort of order that mum had the photos in. But when Dad said that Schenk & Co got most of their business from a huge half page ad in the Yellow Pages, I thought that I probably would be bad historian if I didn’t follow that up.
Actually, Dad said the White Pages. Companies don’t really advertise in the white pages. I did not know this, being a child of the twenty first century. After about an hour of fiddling around and trying to make the microfiche legible, I did find my family listed, and the company, but it was no half page ad. It was only after that that I thought maybe it’s the Yellow Pages that does company adverts. Turns out the Yellow Pages didn’t exist in the 1960s and 1970s. It was called the Pink Pages. But actually, there was no ad in that either. What Dad was actually thinking of was the Western Sydney Buyers Guide.
The actual struggle of finding it I can only blame myself for. I tried smash repairs, repairs, wreckers, cars. It was actually under motor. But once I had figured that out I was set. Schenk & Co had a small ad, not really the half a page that Dad seems to remember, but still quite significant for a small family business.

I feel like my project is a little more valid now. I know that family histories are valuable, but compared to all the fabulous projects being undertaken by my peers, I feel that I really have taken an easy road. Definitely a great experience feeling like an actual historian, looking for actual sources in an actual archive.

Before I started the HSTY3902 unit, when I thought about public history I often discounted its validity because I believed museums and other historical spaces only showed the public the stories/images of the past they desired to remember or commemorate. However, one particular reading from the unit has managed to change my perspective. Thomas Cauvin’s article ‘Shared Authority’ highlights that public history has the possibility to be more than just an arena to unquestionably celebrate/commemorate victories and tragedies. In Cauvin’s article I like the idea that “…historians should strive to understand [the past] as it really was, not as what people want it to be, and by doing so should endeavour to create a space for discussion about the past”.
As many are aware, there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of the past and each need to be heard, discussed and analysed in order to create a truer picture of history. Only by allowing public audiences to see and hear multiple voices, including those which juxtapose to their own experiences or views, can there ever be a ‘shared authority’ of the past between historians and different groups and individuals of the public. If only one story is ever told from a singular point of view, it can ever only feel owned from a small fragment of society.