Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

My Story is a project developed through the COVID-19 Community Art Exhibitions Recovery Arts Initiative. The Recovery Arts Initiative project My Story , focuses on creatively documenting the stories of Senior Community members and how they have been affected throughout the pandemic. Moonee Valley City Council is calling for 10 community members aged 65+ (and your care givers/support persons) who’d like to tell their story as part of the My Story Project. We want to hear YOUR stories and reflections of your time spent throughout the Lockdowns. The My Story project creates connections, heal and recover, offering opportunities of expression by utilising digital storytelling. What’s your story? To encourage further engagement with the wider Moonee Valley community, the My Story audio project will be complimented by a visual art poster project accompaniment. The Audio stories will be linked via QR code to a designed Poster. The poster project will be installed on A0 poster paste ups, ...

James “Jim” Paizis was born in 1924, the son of Greek immigrants, in West Melbourne, and grew up in Carlton, learning English when he began at school. As soon as he turned eighteen, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy, serving on corvettes. Before long he was found to have “OLQ”: officer-like qualities. He became a Sub Lieutenant. As part of the commemorative website created in honour of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, 95 year old Jim Paizis has been interviewed about his memories of WWII and the much shorter, smaller Melbourne that he grew up in. It’s a fascinating interview: https://www.wwiiathome.com.au/jp.html

Oral History Victoria ( OHV ) are offering $250 prizes to the winners of their  two annual oral history awards . Up for grabs are the OHV Community Innovation Award and the OHV Education Innovation Award. Applications close on the 1st of September, 2017.

Are you interested in Oral History? Oral History Victoria, the State branch of Oral History Australia, exists to promote oral history practice and understanding.  If you have an interest in recording oral history this website gives some resources giving tips on how to record an oral history.  The OHV group also has meetings and events. Visit their website at  http://www.oralhistoryvictoria.org.au/ This photo was taken at Dover Studios at 141 Puckle Street.  Do you know any more about this photo?  If so, please contact us:   librarian@mvcc.vic.gov.au  

As part of the upcoming Seniors' Month Festival we're hosting an event to collect stories and reminiscences about the local area. Have you lived in Moonee Valley for a long time, or do you know someone who has? Do you remember milk being delivered by horse and cart in Essendon? Or have interesting reminiscences of your primary school in Niddrie? Was your street completely different, and maybe you have some photos you could share with us? Or perhaps you want to tell us about your Mum and Dad, and what life was like for them back when you were just a kid? Whatever your story, if you think it adds to a picture of the history of Moonee Valley we would love to hear it - and perhaps even record it to be added to our collection for use by researchers of the future. Bring along your stories, reminiscences, photos or souvenirs - and and appetite for afternoon tea. Plus we'll have some interesting items from the library's Community Heritage collection to share with you too. M...

This project has been recording 300 life stories from across the nation of everyday people between the 1920s and 1980s.  This oral history-history study aims to look at the different attitudes and traits of baby boomers, gen X and gen Y.  The stories will be stored forever in the National Library's digital archive and used in an ABC Radio National history series.  If you want to share your life story register at arts.monash.edu.au/australian-generations/get-involved/survey.   Read more about this project in the Age today.