UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage - “Discover, Remember and Share”

The UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated on 27th October in institutions around the world to highlight the vulnerability of audiovisual materials and the ongoing efforts in safeguarding this cultural memory.

The theme for this year is Discover, Remember and Share. Visit the official website to see how collecting institutions around the world are acknowledging this day.

State Library collects and preserves Queensland stories, and audiovisual collections are turned digital for both preservation and access purposes. By providing access to content, communities can be engaged to use and reuse the content and digital technology has allowed for easier sharing of content and resources.

To commemorate the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, SLQ is sharing digitised oral histories from the Cape York Peninsula Oral History collection on HistoryPin. Listen to the stories of Neville Mitchell and his brother Frank Sims and his experience teaching in remote areas and members of the Kowanyama Community Council, a remote township in the Gulf of Carpentaria. A number of State Library's oral history collections are based on geographical locations, which makes the map-based HistoryPin an ideal platform to share this part of Queensland's history. Queenslanders are encorauged to share their stories on HistoryPin too.

Other highlights from this year include Facta Non Verba: Deeds Not Words (accession number 29652/4), 1970s film footage of excursions arranged by Brisbane Tram and Bus Special Children’s Association Inc. from the Eric Marshall Motion Pictures collection. The footage includes trips to Fantasyland at Yatala, and Bullen’s Lion Park in Beenleigh.

https://vimeo.com/239532952

Still image from Eric Marshall Motion Pictures, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Another film of interest is the Surfers Paradise motion picture 1950’s (accession number 30501/1), featuring numerous hotels and motels in Gold Coast such as the Beachcomber and Uncle Tom’s Cabins to name a few.

https://vimeo.com/239535926

Still image from 3051 Surfers Paradise motion picture, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Lastly, Monsignor Frawley compiles footage over four decades to show the growth of St. Bernadette's Parish in Scarborough up till 1982 (Accession number 30700/1).

https://vimeo.com/239544575

Still image from 30700 Monsignor Frawley motion pictures 1940-1982. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

For information about preserving your own collections, please refer to one of our preservation guides.

SLQ Conservation Clinics are also available bimonthly, where conservation staff offer one-on-one consultations to help you look after your personal treasures including audiovisual collections. You can also make time to consult with Conservation staff by email or phone if you are not in Brisbane. Bookings: 07 3842 9069 / Enquiries: 07 3840 7779.

Swee Cheng Wong - Audiovisual Conservator and Jacinta Sutton - Project Officer, State Library of Queensland