The Library’s Oral History and Folklore Collection dates back to the 1950’s and includes a rich and diverse collection of interviews and recordings with Australians from all walks of life.
Our Oral History and Folklore collection records the voices that describe our cultural, intellectual and social life. The collection consists of over 55,000 hours of recordings, the earlier ones dating back to the 1950s when the tape recorder became available. More than 1000 hours of interviews, music and accents are added to the collection each year. Increasingly the collection is available online or may be requested from the catalogue. You can listen to:
- Folklore recordings - popular culture, traditional songs, dances, music, stories and more
- Interviews with distinguished Australians - scientists, writers, artists, politicians and sports people
- Interviews with people who have lived through significant social trends and conditions - unemployment, the impact of child removals from families, the Depression, and migration to Australia
- Environmental sound - the historical sound of the built and natural environment.
Some interviews have transcripts or summaries and our online audio delivery system helps you search the content of our collection, which can be searched through Trove.
- Interviews by Hazel de Berg - 1,290 recordings of interviews and readings dating from the 1950s of prominent Australian poets, artists, writers, composers, actors, academics, publishers, librarians, scientists, anthropologists, public servants and politicians.
- Folk music by John Meredith - over 500 recordings between 1953 and 1994 of traditional Australian folk music, songs, recitations, bush dance music, yarns and reminiscences. John Meredith was a foundation member of the Bushwhackers and helped form the Bush Music Club and the Australian Folklore Society.
- Bringing Them Home oral history project - These include over 300 interviews collected between1998 and 2002 of Indigenous people and others, such as missionaries, police and administrators, involved in or affected by the process of child removals. Listen online to a selection of interviews.
- Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants project - interviews with people who were in institutional and out of home care as children. Listen online to a selection of interviews.
- Australian Paralympic stories- interviews with key people responsible for the growth and success of Paralympic sport in Australia. Listen online to Australian Paralympic stories.
Maktaba ya Oral Historia na Folklore Collection ni ya miaka ya 1950 na inajumuisha mkusanyiko tajiri na tofauti ya mahojiano na rekodi na Waustralia kutoka maeneo yote ya maisha. Mkusanyiko wetu wa Historia ya mdomo na Folklore unaorekodi sauti ambazo zinaelezea maisha yetu ya kitamaduni, kiakili na kijamii. Mkusanyiko huo una zaidi ya masaa 55,000 ya rekodi, zile za awali zikitoka miaka ya 1950 wakati rekodi ya mkanda ilipopatikana. Zaidi ya masaa 1,000 ya mahojiano, muziki na lafudhi huongezwa kwa mkusanyiko kila mwaka. Kwa kuongezeka mkusanyiko ni inapatikana mtandaoni au inaweza kuombwa kutoka orodha. "Hii ni pamoja na: ""Folklore"" rekodi, ""Utamaduni maarufu,"" ""Muziki, nyimbo, dansi, hadithi na zaidi,"" ""Mahojiano na watu mashuhuri wa Australia"" - wanasayansi, waandishi, wasanii, wanasiasa na watu wa michezo, ""Mahojiano na watu ambao wameishi kupitia mwenendo muhimu wa kijamii na hali"" - ukosefu wa ajira, athari za kuondolewa kwa watoto kutoka familia, Mshuko wa uchumi, na uhamiaji wa Australia." Baadhi ya mahojiano yana maandishi au muhtasari na mfumo wetu wa utoaji wa sauti mtandaoni unakusaidia kutafuta yaliyomo katika mkusanyiko wetu, ambayo inaweza kutafutwa kupitia Trove. Hazel de Berg, mwandishi wa vitabu vya Australia, aliandika katika kitabu chake cha Interviews with Australian Poets, Artists, Writers, Composers, Actors, Academics, Publishers, Librarians, Scientists, Anthropologists, Public Servants and Politicians. "John Meredith, mwimbaji wa muziki wa kitamaduni wa Australia, aliandika ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Australia"" na ""Wimbo wa Australia.""" John Meredith alikuwa mwanachama wa msingi wa Bushwhackers na alisaidia kuunda Klabu ya Muziki ya Bush na Jumuiya ya Folklore ya Australia. Mradi wa 'Bringing Them Home Oral History' unajumuisha mahojiano zaidi ya 300 yaliyokusanywa kati ya 1998 na 2002 ya watu wa asili na wengine, kama vile wamishonari, polisi na wasimamizi, waliohusika katika au walioathiriwa na mchakato wa kuondolewa kwa watoto. Sikiliza mtandaoni mfululizo wa mahojiano. - Waliosahaulika Australia na zamani Watoto Wahamiaji mradi - mahojiano na watu ambao walikuwa katika taasisi na nje ya huduma ya nyumbani kama watoto. Sikiliza mtandaoni mfululizo wa mahojiano. - Australia Paralympic hadithi- mahojiano na watu muhimu wajibu kwa ajili ya ukuaji na mafanikio ya michezo ya Paralympic katika Australia. Sikiliza hadithi za Olimpiki za Paralympic za Australia mtandaoni.