Goonoo Goonoo Oral History Project

Contemporary history and library practice increasingly recognise the importance of conducting oral history interviews in order to address gaps and document new perspectives. Frequently, this is done with limited exposure to the sophisticated oral history scholarship that explores, among other things, the nature of memory, the relations between interviewer and interviewee, ethics, and the layers of information and insights offered through interviews. The approach adopted in this project emphasised the importance of these issues and demonstrated methods for making them integral components in a library based oral history project. The Goonoo Goonoo Oral History Project provides a research model for a library based oral history project. It incorporates in-depth research into the history of a particular site; awareness and application of key oral history methodological issues; and the integration of oral history methodology with best library practice. The Project also contributes new material and perspectives on the history and significance of the Goonoo Goonoo pastoral property. Its outcomes include Workshop Notes, a Project Report, an Oral History Manual for the library, and an ongoing and growing series of oral history interviews and other material relating to Goonoo Goonoo that are accessible through the Central Northern Regional Library online catalogue.