2025 Queensland Memory Awards recipients
By Queensland Memory, State Library of Queensland | 7 November 2024
Recipients of the 2025 Queensland Memory Awards.
The 2025 recipients of State Library's annual Queensland Memory Awards were announced at a special event on 6 November 2024. The ceremony featured a keynote address by award-winning Australian novelist and journalist, Matthew Condon, recipient of the 2013 John Oxley Library Award. The Queensland Memory Awards celebrate remarkable contributions that deepen our understanding of Queensland's history and heritage, through fellowships, residency programs, and awards.
Meet the 2025 Queensland Memory Fellows
Dr Zhila Gholami, 2025 John Oxley Library Fellow and Vicki McDonald AM FALIA, State Librarian and CEO.
The significant role refugees play in shaping Queensland’s society will be explored by Dr Zhila Gholami, the winner of the 2025 John Oxley Library Fellowship. Dr Zhila Gholami’s project ‘Voices of Diversity: Collecting and preserving the refugee experience in Queensland' will involve the collection of stories, photographs and oral histories from refugees who have recently settled in Queensland. The research will document the journeys, contributions, and cultural impact of refugees by collaborating with community organisations and support groups to gather diverse materials that explore the fabric of multicultural Queensland. Dr Zhila Gholami’s project will primarily focus on Kurdish (Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey), Iranian, and Afghan communities.
Dr Indigo Willing, 2025 John Oxley Library Honorary Fellow.
The 2025 John Oxley Library Honorary Fellowship recipient, Dr Indio Willing, is dedicated to exploring the often-overlooked history of skateboarding and the enthusiasts who claim urban spaces. Her project, ‘Queensland Skate of Mind: Subcultural Game Changers to Olympian ‘Roll’ Models’, aims to uncover the history and future of skateboarding by collecting stories from pioneering and emerging youth skateboarders, both amateur and professional. This exploration will not only highlight the evolution of skateboarding but also shed light on aspects of Queensland’s history that are frequently neglected, particularly the contributions of informal coalitions of enthusiasts who utilise urban “grey spaces” created by concrete infrastructure for creative play and inclusive community-building.
Bronwyn Bridgewater, 2025 Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellow.
This year, we introduced two new fellowships that have attracted numerous applications.
Mrs Brownyn Bridgewater was the successful recipient of the Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellowship. As a fourth-generation member of one of Australia’s oldest travelling show families, Bronwyn will focus on events such as drought, the Spanish Influenza, the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, COVID-19, and security issues that have impacted agricultural, urban, and show communities. Her work ‘Historic Ekka – the Relationship between Country, Town and the Travelling Show Community’ will explore how these industries have collaborated to help the EKKA evolve into the spectacular event it is today.
Dr Kate Kirby, 2025 Queensland Heritage Register Fellow and Sarah Russel, Manager, Queensland Heritage Council and Register, Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
Another new fellowship, supported by the Heritage Branch of the Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation, is the Queensland Heritage Register Fellowship.
Dr Kate Kirby received this fellowship for her project ‘Patterns of Queensland’s Sport and Recreation Heritage: Enhancing Community Access to Sport History Knowledge via the Queensland Heritage Register’. This project aims to enrich the representation of sport and recreation patterns in Queensland’s history within existing entries on the Queensland Heritage Register. Prioritising research, it will uncover sporting history and deepen the understanding of 76 sports-related heritage sites identified by Dr Kirby. The outcomes will enhance community engagement with Queensland’s sporting heritage.
Nerelle Nicol, the 2025 Monica Clare Research Fellow, with William and Louise Siganto, representing the Siganto Foundation.
The Monica Clare Research Fellowship went to Ms Nerelle Nicol for her project ‘Lugger Bort’ an ambitious social history research initiative dedicated to the working lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the pearling, beche-de-mer, and trochus industries of northern Queensland. Generations of these workers have made significant contributions to the economic, social, and cultural development of the region, despite operating within a poorly regulated system that often exploited First Nations labour. Nevertheless, these industries have left a lasting impact on the lives, identities, and cultures of families and communities, with many stories, artworks, songs, and dances proudly reflecting this era.
Dr Joanne Dolley, 2025 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Fellow with John Allpass from the John Allpass Charitable Foundation.
Dr Joanne Dolley, with her project ‘Businesswomen of Queensland: the histories and successes of Queensland businesswomen pre-1970’, was the successful applicant for the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Fellowship.
Conditions for women owning and running businesses in the early 20th century were far from equal, yet there are numerous inspiring examples of Queensland businesses that thrived under female leadership. This fellowship will spotlight the contributions of women business owners in Queensland before 1970, capturing their resilient stories and voices. These women navigated the challenges of the time, including the inability to access business loans without a male guarantor, demonstrating remarkable strength and determination.
Dr Marion Stell and Professor Celmara Pocock, 2025 Rainbow Research Fellows.
Dr Marion Stell and Professor Celmara Pocock, winners of this year’s Rainbow Research Fellowship, will explore Queering the Lens: Cross-Dressing in Family Photograph Albums.
Their project reveals overlooked cross-dressing images from twentieth-century family albums—captured at holiday camps, dances, military events, and more—aiming to catalogue these images as part of Queensland’s and Australia’s queer history.
Anna Rowe, 2025 Digital collections catalyst.
Building on the ongoing success of the Digital Collections Catalyst, this year’s recipient, Mrs Anna Rowe, brings her project ‘Wallflowers: Reimagining Historical Interiors’ to life by exploring color and pattern through digitised photographs of historical interiors from the John Oxley Library collection.
Black-and-white images of 19th-century residential interiors will be colorised using generative AI filters, while wallpaper and textile patterns will be digitally reconstructed in detail, reflecting either their original colour schemes or those typical of the era. Visitors will be able to save their selected pattern and colourway to use as their own custom computer ‘wallpaper’.
Dr Carl Anacin, 2025 Letty Katts Fellow with Sally Mellick, representing the Mellick family.
The biannual Letty Katts Fellowship was awarded to Dr Carl Anacin for his project, ‘Migration, musical practices and belonging among Filipino migrants in Queensland: festivals, music industry participation and everyday lives’.
Music, arts, and heritage are essential cultural resources that support both newly arrived and established migrants as they navigate their identities within new communities. These cultural practices not only aid in integration but also help migrants maintain ties to their homelands and connect with fellow members of the diaspora. Dr. Anacin’s project examines how Filipino migrants in Queensland have expressed their sense of belonging and identity through music, from participation in festivals and the music industry to the sounds that shape their everyday lives, capturing a history of resilience and cultural continuity across generations.
Marianne Taylor, The House Detective, 2025 John Oxley Library Award recipient.
This year’s John Oxley Library Award was presented to Marianne Taylor, affectionately known as 'The House Detective' and a respected architectural historian. Marianne is celebrated for her deep commitment to researching and uncovering the hidden histories of Queensland’s homes. She shares her fascinating discoveries about architectural heritage, the stories embedded in these houses, and their connections to the community, both through her informative social media presence and engaging community talks. With an unwavering passion for heritage, Marianne not only preserves the past but also breathes life into it, inspiring and captivating her audience with her unique ability to connect the present to the rich stories of the past.
Interior of Cairns & District Chinese Association Inc, photo courtesy of CDCAI
The Cairns and District Chinese Association Inc. Heritage Team was awarded the John Oxley Library Community History Award for their exceptional work in preserving the Lit Sung Goong collection, a significant set of religious artifacts that reflect Cairns’ early Chinese heritage. Since 2003, the team, led by Mary Low and Jacky Tam, has worked diligently to conserve, catalogue, and share this collection. Mary has driven funding and outreach efforts, while Jacky’s conservation and script interpretation have been invaluable. In 2025, following years of dedicated preservation, the collection will be fully accessible to the public with the opening of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Cairns, cementing CADCAI’s commitment to honouring Queensland’s Chinese heritage.
Meet the 2025 Queensland Memory Awards fellows and discover the research projects they’re set to undertake
“The 2025 fellows will create new knowledge on fascinating and important topics like the social and economic contribution of refugees and Queensland businesswomen to the state. I congratulate all our fellows and award winners and thank all our sponsors for their ongoing generosity and support.” said Vicki McDonald AM, State Librarian and Chief Executive Officer.
You can learn more about the Queensland Memory Awards on our website, and learn about the program's research outcomes through our blog and Research Reveals talks.
The Queensland Memory Awards are made possible by the support of donors through the Queensland Library Foundation.
Snapshots from the ceremony
Welcome to Country performed by Tribal Experiences at the 2025 Queensland Memory Awards.
Inaugural John Oxley Library Award Alumni Address by Matthew Condon OAM.
Rediscovering Memory: A Story of Truth, Family, and the Power of Writing
In this compelling talk, Matt delves into the delicate interplay between memory, storytelling, and the weight of truth. With a poignant opening warning for those with a writer in the family, this speech offers a heartfelt exploration of how memories—hidden, revealed, and questioned—shape our lives and legacies.
Through a deeply personal anecdote about a friend’s discovery of long-forgotten photographs, the speaker examines the unspoken narratives families create and the responsibility writers bear in uncovering and sharing truths, no matter how unsettling. From reflections on love and identity to the revelation of hidden family dynamics, this story illuminates the profound impact of memory work.
For past, present, and future John Oxley Library Award recipients, this is a testament to the enduring significance of their contributions.
View the video in full screen.
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