Blog
Blog
Retire? This farmer and teacher refired instead and went to Mongolia to share felt-making skills
Vivienne is a felt maker, and refired (not retired) wool grower. She now lives in Orbost in East Gippsland with no sheep but lots of wool to play with. Vivienne loves the fibre and continues..
Being true to yourself and others through writing
I think it’s time my past was made public. I’ve always felt ashamed of it, I suppose, though I realize now I shouldn’t feel this way. I haven’t done anything wrong; I’ve just had an..
‘Go big, go wild, go imagination, all can be done’ attitude creates fulfilling life
Jenny was born in Melbourne but has lived rurally for much of her life. Art was an early experience, and Jenny has used it to communicate, explore, enrich and bring joy to others and herself...
How a community garden project sowed the seeds of friendship for newcomer, Hilda
I was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1951. My background is working class but in 1971, I graduated from Glasgow University with a BSc in maths and computer science. Leaving Scotland, I started work as..
Women Who Mean Business
Born in England in 1955, Sue came to Australia with her immediate family, but not her grandmother. Sue missed having a relationship with her grandmother and this gave her an understanding of internal conflict, loss..
Art project gave young mother confidence to pursue creative endeavours
Natalie Evans grew up in a creative family, moving locations and schools many times. Participation in a women’s leadership project in Orbost in 1997, gave her an amazing opportunity to grow and share skills. It..
A bollard helped this young mother blossom with a career in the arts
Jessie McLennan is a West Gippsland-based figurative sculptor, arts advocate and passionate gardener and has four children aged from five to 24. Jessie was born in 1973. She had a creative upbringing, being home-schooled on..
A country teaching position set this city girl on a fulfilling life path
After 42 years living at nearby Riverslea on a dairy farm, Trish Vardy resides in Maffra. Sadly, her husband died shortly after they had moved, but Trish keeps busy with family and community activities. She..
Enduring friendships a rich legacy of community art project
Maya Fraser has coloured her life and that of many others, with art, and her accomplishments reflect this. Maya lives in Morwell, Latrobe Valley, with her husband and four children. An only child of Frans..
How a community art project opened Jean’s eyes to the world
If you ask Jean Downs what she has done with her life, she will probably say ‘not much’, because Jean is a quiet-living woman going about her daily life. Jean, who lives in the dairy..
The story-gathering process in documenting social history
So, you want to record stories about participating in a group or moment in time; you have decided the topic and have created a database of people who are willing to share their story. What..
Documenting a group’s social history – where to start
Where do you start when you want to preserve the story of a group that has helped to shape and influence your life, and that of your community? The group may have existed for a..
Astronauts, ice-cream and eating disorders
Fifty years ago, Man landed on the Moon. As an 18-year-old exchange student studying in the United States at the time, my memory is vivid of this historic moment. My memory is not so much..