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All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified.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

Migration and migrant communities

Mother and father Isaac Kisimba and Justine Nydal pose for a photo with their daughter Nadine Muyambo and the official Sweet 16th official friends party, Doonside, N.S.W., 2 May 2015 from Culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Sydney, 2014-2015 / photographed by Louise Whelan

Log or Transcript?

Some of our Oral History items are accompanied by a ‘transcript’ while others have what is called an ‘interview log’.

transcript is a full, verbatim recording of the interview, word by word.

log is a summary of topics covered in the interview usually listed by the time they appear in the interview. For example “1:56 Discusses early family life” tells you that at just under 2 minutes into the interview the interviewee discusses their home life when a child.

Copyright and our Collections

Various copying and publishing conditions apply to content in the Library's collections, depending on material type, age and whether a donor rights agreement is in place.

Material in the Manuscripts, oral history and pictures catalogue that is not in copyright may be used freely and for any purpose such as a school project or thesis, in a presentation to your local history society, on blogs, or for commercial purposes. Please acknowledge that the material is from the collections of the State Library of NSW.

For the copyright status of individual items, please refer to the catalogue record. It's your responsibility to check the copyright status of material and if the material is in copyright you will need to seek permission from the copyright owner.

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