Welcome to the March edition

In this issue: the Archives releases Keeping Family Treasures, seeks innovators for research grants, presents Women's History Month spotlighting female food production, and reveals Xavier Herbert's anthemic words to Gough Whitlam.

What do cookery writer Margaret Fulton, singer Hayley Jensen, and ABC presenter Andy Muirhead have in common? They feature in the National Archives’ latest book, Keeping Family Treasures.

The book provides simple, helpful advice for those wishing to preserve family heirlooms, as well as a peek into what some Australians treasure.

The book is available for $24.95 through our online shop, and at Archives offices in all capital cities.

Women’s History Month 2010 highlights women involved in food production. The theme broadly spans Indigenous food harvest, viticulture, agricultural research, and more.

The National Archives holds related records on the Australian Women’s Land Army. Established during World War II, the AWLA replaced male farm workers who had enlisted for service or were working in the munitions industry.

The women – all volunteers – lived in rural hostels and grew vegetables, harvested wheat, and farmed sheep. Read this Memento article (pg 3) to learn more about the wartime food production efforts of Australian women.

Banjo Paterson's 'Waltzing Matilda' has been in the news recently following debate over the 1894 shearer's strike which inspired the classic folk song.

Author Xavier Herbert praised 'Waltzing Matilda' in this colourful letter to Gough Whitlam, written in response to a national anthem competition in 1973. 

60,000 people were polled the following year on their preferred 'national song', choosing from 'Advance Australia Fair', 'Song of Australia', 'God Save the Queen' and 'Waltzing Matilda'. 

'Advance Australia Fair' was the clear winner, gaining over half the votes.

You may have noticed that our enewsletter looks a little different this month.

This reflects a refresh of the overall look and feel of the Archives' website and products. 

Let us know what you think about the changes to the website by taking part in this short survey.



 

On Tuesday 16 February, the National Archives and the Kakadu National Park signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to help preserve and protect Indigenous cultural material for future generations. Pictured at left are Jacob Nayanggul, Chair, Kakadu National Park Board of Management, and Peter Cochrane, Director of National Parks.

Materials covered under the agreement include audio and video oral history tapes relating to Aboriginal people of Kakadu National Park, some of whom were senior traditional owners. The MOU addresses transfer, storage, preservation and access, as well as consultation and advice.

Click here to view scenic photographs of Kakadu from the Archives' collection.

The National Archives is currently seeking applications for three research grants:

The Frederick Watson Fellowship, valued up to $15,000 for established scholars; the Ian Maclean Award, valued up to $15,000 for archivists and other professionals interested in archival issues; and the Margaret George Award, valued up to $10,000 for emerging historians and academics.

The grants are designed to help scholars complete an innovative research project that is significant for Australian audiences, makes use of the Archives' collection, and produces outcomes such as a book, article, website, exhibition, film or event to promote the collection.

The Archives brims with family stories, as budding researchers discovered at our popular 'Shake Your Family Tree' day last month.

Read one such family story in the latest edition of Memento (pg 16). Young Jimmy Minahan moved from a small Victorian mining town to China with his father in the late 19th century. His arrest as a prohibited immigrant on his return to Australia aged 31 remains a landmark case.

Find out more about our extensive collection relating to Chinese in Australia.

Last month’s mystery picture has proved to be just that. Some readers thought the coastal town may have been Austinmer (near Wollongong) in NSW, but the Illawarra Historical Society was unable to confirm this. The investigation continues – watch this space.

This month’s mystery picture features three smiling gents in shorts. The picture is part of our Mildenhall collection, which documents Canberra and surrounding areas in the 1920s and 1930s. If you recognise the people in the photograph, tell us.

Tip: remember to click on 'View digital item' and then enlarge the photograph.

With much of central and eastern Australia receiving heavy rain recently, a preservation tip on salvaging water-damaged materials seems timely.

Urgent action is required where water damage is concerned. Material left in a damp state can grow mould, which can be a hazard to people as well as to affected items.