"Ship to Shore" Workshop Sessions for School Groups

Over the last couple of weeks the Heritage Collections Unit have been delivering workshop sessions for upper primary school groups on the topic of immigration and shipboard travel to Queensland. The John Oxley Library contains wonderful collection items such as original diaries, letters, films, photographs, books, and newspapers which are displayed for students in the Fox Family White Gloves Room. Participants are able to don white gloves and handle materials that transport them back in time to a bygone age.

This year students from St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School, Calvary Christian College, and Holy Spirit New Farm took part in these workshops that complemented their school studies on immigration and the refugee experience in Australia.

Comments from students regarding what they liked about the sessions included:

*That we were allowed to pick up real photos and diaries * We got to meet an actual Russian person and the diaries were cool as * I enjoyed the session. I liked the question and answer * All the diaries and interesting facts * It really told me about my family and it really stuck in my memory * being able to touch and look at some of the stuff.

Comments from teachers:

* I really enjoyed the interaction between the school group and you both as presenters during the question and answer time. Excellent program. * Fabulous session

Special thanks to our wonderful guest presenter Nataliya Samokhina who has been working with us in the Heritage Collections Unit translating Russian language materials in the John Oxley Library,  including the shipboard diary of 14 year old Paula Gubar who came to live in Brisbane in 1924. This diary and Paula's experiences featured in our workshop sessions in 2010.

Nataliya worked for many years as the Head of Department at Ryazan Regional Children's Library in the Russian Federation. Her insights, and the experiences she related as an immigrant herself, were greatly appreciated by our visiting students who had the opportunity of asking her questions about life as a new Queenslander.

Simon Farley

Manager, Client Services - Heritage Collections

State Library of Queensland