Oral History Collection

Oral History is the oldest form of sharing knowledge and culture. Aboriginal people of Australia have been sharing their stories orally for 60,000 years or more. Sadly, if these stories are not shared they will be lost, as the prehistory to this country is not written.

The Koorie Heritage Trust Oral History program began in 1987 with the intention of preserving culture and knowledge for the Koorie community. Many of these audio and visual recordings share significant stories and links to family members.

The Oral History Collection encompasses an audio and visual collection of some 1400 recordings, which are predominantly interviews with Koorie people from all over Victoria. Among the many recordings special to our collection are:

  • Recordings of cultural activities such as basket weaving and making canoes
  • Recordings of historical events
  • Personal testimonies from community members and Elders
  • Recordings from members of the Stolen Generation
  • Recordings on the topic of Victorian missions

To view some of the recordings from the Trust’s Collection visit the following links:

Uncle Sandy Atkinson, Bangerang elder, shares a story of the Old Murray Cod from his years living on Cummeragunja station.
To hear this story, go to the Culture Victoria website. Click Explore > Indigenous Stories > The Koorie Heritage Trust Collections and History > Uncle Sandy Atkinson talks of the Old Murray Cod (second smaller image of elder man).

Mission Voices is a collaborative online project between the Koorie Heritage Trust, State Library of Victoria and the ABC. This website shares the many stories and voices of Koorie people from Aboriginal mission stations and reserves in Victoria.

Developing this Collection helps us to keep the oral histories of south-eastern Australia alive. Passing on knowledge orally ensures that cultural knowledge is preserved for future generations.

Information about making recordings can be provided by contacting Oral History Manager Rita Morrison via phone (03) 8622 2600 or email rita@koorieheritagetrust.com.