Oral History and Sound Collections

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.

All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.

Key to library resources

Access anywhere with a library card In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents)
Available to access in the library Only in the Library
Publicly available online Publicly available

FEATURED COLLECTION

Online resources

Oral History NSW

Oral History NSW was formed in 1979 as a non-profit association.

It aims to:

  • provide a community of practice and a forum for sharing information about the techniques and application of oral history,
  • promote standards of quality among practitioners,
  • encourage preservation, and use of oral history interviews.

Oral History NSW members include public and academic historians, students, family historians, local historical societies’ members, heritage consultants, librarians, archivists, teachers, documentary makers, sound engineers, museum curators, volunteers, and institutions with archival or oral history programmes.

If you're interested in oral history and live in NSW or the ACT become a member.

Oral History Australia

The aims of Oral History Australia are to:

  • promote discussion and training on all aspects of the methodology and ethical practices of oral history as a discipline and a means of gathering and preserving social and cultural history;
  • foster preservation, access and use of oral history collections;
  • support State and Territory Oral History associations;
  • provide a national voice on all aspects of oral history; and
  • link Australian oral historians to the international oral history movement.