The Memory Tapes podcast: A gateway to Australia’s oral history
- New podcast, The Memory Tapes, showcases Australia’s most significant oral history collection, housed at the National Library of Australia.
- Written and narrated by Australian historian Dr Shirleene Robinson AM, the podcast features audio drawn from oral history interviews across 10 broad themes.
- Podcast offers listeners a unique window into the prominent and personal moments that have shaped Australia.
From the voices of early migrants and First Nations peoples to stories of resilience during natural disasters and pandemics, and reflections on life in sport, science, and the arts, The Memory Tapes offers listeners a unique window into the moments that have shaped Australia.
The National Library’s oral history and folklore collection includes recordings of prominent Australians such as May Gibbs, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Howard Florey, Nancy Bird Walton and Sidney Nolan, alongside thousands of lesser known but equally powerful personal histories. Some of these recordings come from major projects including Voices of the Bush, the Bringing Them Home project, Australian Responses to COVID-19, Australian Lesbian and Gay Life Stories, and the Badja Forest Road Fire.
This podcast shows the power of oral history to bring the past to life, through the voices of people who lived through it. I can't wait for listeners to encounter these remarkable stories, to listen to them, and to connect with them as deeply as I have.
This podcast is about bringing voices out of the archive. It’s an invitation to discover history as it was lived and remembered. We hope listeners will be inspired to explore the national oral history collection online and hear even more voices from Australia, past and present.
The Memory Tapes is available from Monday 3 August wherever you get your podcasts. The podcast was produced courtesy of support from The Opalgate Foundation and Mr Warren Fahey.
A book of the same name featuring hundreds of oral history interview excerpts is being released by NLA Publishing on Saturday 15 August.
The Library’s oral history collection can be accessed anytime online via Trove, by ordering copies through the Library catalogue, or by visiting the Library.
About Dr Shirleene Robinson AM
Dr Shirleene Robinson is an acclaimed oral historian who has interviewed in every Australian state and territory. She is also a curator and an Honorary Associate Professor and Visiting Fellow in the School of Communication at the University of Technology Sydney. She has published extensively across the areas of oral history, colonisation and Indigenous and non-Indigenous contact histories, LGBTQIA+ history and the history of childhood.
Media Kit
Dr Shirleene Robinson and Dr Barbara Lemon are available for interview. Please contact us to enquire.
About the National Library of Australia’s Oral History and Folklore collection
Images for media use are available via our Dropbox
Media enquiries
Lauren Conron | Media Liaison
0401 226 697 | media@nla.gov.au