History

The QAHC LGBT History Project: what is it?

OUR HISTORIES have been hidden for too long! Look out for next year’s exhibition starting during Pride 2010, to be curated by Brisbane City Council’s Museum of Brisbane in association with QAHC ‘s LGBT History Project.

The LGBT History Project aims to promote our histories through:

  • sharing stories, mapping key dates and events
  • training in recording our stories
  • helping to build the Queensland State Library LGBT collection
  • raising awareness of LGBT histories
  • developing community participation in this work

A Brisbane City Council grant of $25,000 has intially funded the History Project - employing a History Project Officer who works with community members. QAHC has initiated the project and supports with resources such as meeting space, office support, networking, printing, and graphic design.

The Museum of Brisbane exhibition in 2010 will reflect LGBT history for our own queer community and also share it with the wider community.

If you would like to contribute your story, donate your archives to the State Library, or you have memoribilia you think could be used for the Museum of Brisbane exhibition, the LGBT History Project would like to hear from you.  You can email Project Officer Carol Low at clow@qahc.org.au or ring her on 0448 154 158.  

The team welcomes volunteers - to conduct interviews (free training provided), or contribute other skills, and to grow the project.

Aim: To promote the recording and conserving of LGBT history in Brisbane towards increased awareness and accessibility

Objectives:

  1. To build and increase access to a permanent record of LGBT history in Brisbane
  2. To increase the wider community’s knowledge and understanding of LGBT history in Brisbane
  3. To increase LGBT people’s sense of community history and identity
  4. To develop links between LGBT groups, businesses and individuals
  5. To develop a sense of responsibility in LGBT communities re researching and documenting our histories.

Strategies:

  1. To consult and engage LGBT community members, groups and businesses in the processes of project development and documentation
  2. To work in partnership with the State Library of Queensland towards the establishment of an identifiable LGBT archive
  3. To work in partnership with the Museum of Brisbane for an exhibition scheduled for June 2010 on LGBT history in Brisbane
  4. To document the identified history and heritage collections and stories gathered during the project

Other upcoming activities of the History Project:

  • A fun bus tour of historic queer sites in Brisbane, on 27 June 2009
  • Playback Theatre’s Honouring our Activists performance on 12th June 2009*
  • Training for doing oral history work*

**Note: The last 2 projects are funded by the
QAHC Healthy Communities Fund

We need your memories!

Don’t mothball our histories

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Histories have for too long been closeted – now’s the time to dig deep into your organisational archives, your personal memorabilia, to gather and share our stories.

Tune into the LGBT History Project – an initiative of Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC)*. Funded by the Brisbane City Council for 12 months, the project has now been joined by the Museum of Brisbane and the State Library of Queensland as partners.

This will lead to the Museum of Brisbane having an LGBT exhibition in 2010. The State Library of Queensland is developing its LGBT collections of archives and memorabilia, and will be giving us skills to know what to do with our own collections.

LGBT History project flyer >

Time to Record Our Histories

LGBT people and organisations are being asked to create their own ‘online timelines’ as part of the LGBT History project.

A free website www.xtimelines.com is being used to collect together timelines of the history of LGBT Brisbane – recording people, places and key events.

The timelines will be used to record the LGBT history of Brisbane, and may be used as part of the LGBT History of Brisbane exhibition and collection being developed by the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC), in partnership with the Museum of Brisbane and State Library of Queensland.

“So much has changed for LGBT people over the past 50 years, but we’re not very good at recording our histories and passing them on to younger generations” said Paul Martin, QAHC General Manager.

“Through the LGBT History Project, we hope to encourage people to record their own person history, or that of LGBT organisations, places or events.  People will also be able to comment on the timelines of others, suggesting additions and corrections.”

For instructions on how to view or create a timeline, click here.

The online timelines is just one of the initiatives of the LGBT History Project, which also includes history mapping days, digital stories, oral history, heritage walks, an LGBT collection at State Library of Queensland and an LGBT History of Brisbane exhibition by the Museum of Brisbane in 2010. 

For more information on the LGBT History Project or to get involved contact Carol Low on clow@qahc.org.au

Become an Activist Archivist

STATE LIBRARY WORKSHOP NOTES

held at State Library of Queensland

12th November 2008

Our LGBT histories have been hidden for too long!  Let’s get our stories more in the public domain where they can be heard, and so that further history research can be done effectively.

Here are some pointers as to becoming an Activist Archivist :

  • Send each issue of an LGBT publication you produce to the State Library of Queensland
  • Check what gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender materials are held in their collections by going online and searching their databases – (finding the gaps will be helpful too)
  • Access the State Library for your LGBT history research – go online – also check Picture Queensland which has thousands of images of Queensland places and people
  • Donate your collections to the State Library – this can include:
  • Minutes and other organisational records
  • Photos, sound, video and dvd recordings
  • Personal papers, letters, memoirs
  • Some items such as crockery, cutlery, etc may be accepted (storage and conservation issues will be relevant here)
  • Publications, posters, flyers, brochures, t-shirts
  • Outfits – may be better conserved and collected at the Qld Museum – but talk to State Library about it for advice

  • First make a list of what you or your organisation has – then make an appointment with the State Library to discuss your donation. This will be done as a Deed of Gift – a formal procedure. You can specify some material remains private
  • Learn to become an oral historian or a digital stories maker… the State Library will lend us equipment and we will develop some training with them and others
  • Whether you are ready or not to donate your collection to the State Library, keep it in good condition by, e.g.
  • Not laminating posters or photos
  • Keeping posters flat not rolled
  • Not writing on the back of photos or putting post-its on them
  • Not using sticky-tape on items
  • Getting the right quality storage boxes, plastic sleeves, etc. – e.g from the State Library shop

For information about donating etc:

Serena Coates
Manager, Original Materials
State Library of Queensland
Ph: 3842 9063
Email: serena.coates@slq.qld.gov.au

Note: These pointers come from my notes taken at the seminar on 12th Nov 2008. With all thanks to the State Library of Queensland who are partners in the QAHC LGBT History Project.

Contact the LGBT History Project Officer:

Carol Low

(07) 3017 1722

0448 154 158

clow@qahc.org.au

 

* Formerly the Qld AIDS Council