The Oral History NSW Regional Engagement Grant aims to raise the profile of oral history in regional areas and extend its expertise and use throughout New South Wales. Awarded biennially, the grant is aimed at librarians, archivists, museum curators, artists, film-makers, independent oral historians or community groups based in regional areas in NSW who wish to develop an oral history project that illuminates some aspect of their regional area which is of significance or interest to others.
We are very pleased to announce The Bundanoon History Group (BHG) as the winner of the 2020 Oral History NSW Regional Engagement Grant.
The Bundanoon History Group (BHG) is a group of volunteers interested in preserving and promoting the history of Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Since its inception in the early 1980s, the BHG has acquired a volume of historical material in the form of print, photography, audio recordings and ephemera relating to Bundanoon.
The BHG has been recording oral histories of locals since 2010. Following the recent 2020 bushfires, it convened a special project to capture evidence and stories about the 2019/20 bushfires in Bundanoon to:
• document a significant event in Bundanoon’s history
• create an archive for future analysis
• capture lessons learned
• contribute to a more complete understanding of this unprecedented fire season.
Their project will focus on conducting oral history interviews with the many individuals impacted by the bushfires and to make the information available for academic research, formal presentation and general public interest.
Oral History NSW looks forward to hearing more about the project as it progresses and wish the Bundanoon History Group the best of luck on the forthcoming interviews.