Q ANZAC 100 workshops in Emerald

First World War White Gloves experience at the Emerald Art Gallery

The final regional visit for 2015 by the Q ANZAC 100 team delivering the regional Q ANZAC 100 workshops was to Emerald in Central Queensland and revealed Emerald’s Anzac connections. A new series of visits will continue during 2016.

Our first day in Emerald began and concluded with a First World War White Gloves Experience. I always enjoy being able to share these treasures with communities who are unable to otherwise see these items and to hear about their First World War connections.

We really appreciated the use of the Emerald Art Gallery for the Tuesday events. It is a great space with colourful art works of the wall and our thanks go to the Emerald Art Gallery Committee and the Central Highlands Regional Council for providing the venue.

 Caring for Your First World War treasures talk

Between these two White Gloves Experiences was a Caring for Your First World War treasures talk and conservation clinic. At this event, Rachel Spano (SLQ conservator) freely shared conservation knowledge with community members who had their own treasures such as  an early ‘autograph book’ from a soldier and letters from a First World War prisoner of war.

Providing advice the during the Caring for Your First World War conservation clinic

These letters and other documents relating to the prisoner of war have subsequently been donated to the State Library for digitisation and sharing online. Further information on caring for your collections is available from the Q ANZAC 100 website.

Lights out at the Emerald Art Gallery for the showing of the video presentation depicting First World War images from the State Library collection 

A group also gathered at the Emerald Library on Wednesday for a Promote and Share workshop to explore the use of social media platforms to share the First Word War story of the Central Highlands region.

Before leaving Emerald, Troy Keith and I had the pleasure of visiting the Emerald Pioneer Cottages located behind the visitor information centre.

This is a portion of the extensive list of service personnel from the district who fought at Gallipoli.

The result of a partnership between the RSL, council and community, this impressive and expertly researched exhibition includes familiar names such as Reverend Canon Garland who spent time in Emerald and Mrs Annie Wheeler who provided invaluable support to soldiers and their families from the region during the war years.

Further information on caring for your collections is available from the Q ANZAC 100 website. Examples of the information available includes:

• Caring for your collections - paper-based collections
• Caring for your collections - Photographs
• Caring for your collections - Books and bound material.

Niles Elvery  | Regional Coordinator, Q ANZAC 100,  State Library of Queensland