Estonian Archives in Australia oral history collection inscribed into the Australian Memory of the World Register.
Estonian Archives in Australia oral history collection inscribed into the Australian Memory of the World Register.
A virtual ceremony held online with over 80 participants witnessed the inscription of 10 groups of records on the Australian Memory of the World register on Friday, 26 February 2021.
The Memory of the World Register is maintained by UNESCO as a record of documents, books and other records of enduring worth for the world. It is a parallel register to the World Heritage Register of Places. The Estonian oral history collection was one group of records added at that event.
Other records added included
- the log of William Bligh’s monumental journey by rowboat after he and loyal members of his crew was set adrift by mutineers.
- Two groups of records pertaining to Aboriginal history were inscribed including the Kaurna children’s letters, a collection of unique letters written in the 1840s by young Aboriginal children whose names were also recorded, a very unusual circumstance for the time.
- Records relating to theatre and performance including the J C Williamson collection and AusStage, a live performance database were also inscribed on the register.
The Estonian Archives in Australia is delighted that its collection has been recognised as being of world heritage significance in company with the other records inscribed at that ceremony.
The new inscriptions are:
- AusStage: The Australian Live Performance Database, AusStage
- C.E.W. Bean’s ‘Gift to the Nation’, Australian War Memorial and the State Library of New South Wales
- Estonian Oral Histories 1952-2020, Estonian Archives in Australia
- J.C. Williamson Distributed Collection, Performing Arts Heritage Network
- Johnstone Gallery Archive 1948-c1992 and Arthur Davenport Photographs 1955-1992, State Library of Queensland
- Kaurna Children’s Letters, University Library, University of Adelaide
- Log of HMS Bounty (William Bligh), State Library of New South Wales
- Papers of Jessie Street, National Library of Australia
- Settlers’ Muster Book, 1800, New South Wales Parliamentary Library
- Western Desert Verbal Arts Collection, Ngaanyatjarra Council (Aboriginal Corporation) on behalf of the Ngaanyatjarra people
Terry Kass, Maie Barrow, Kristi Barrow and Karin Mätas participated in the event.
Terry Kass
