The cover of this year’s 21st edition of Our Priceless Past (left) as published by The Gladstone Observer, visitors explore the 2019 exhibition of stories and memorabilia at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum (top right), and a tear sheet from the 2017 lift-out (bottom right). Photos: Courtesy The Gladstone Observer, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum and E Korotkaia.
Celebrating 21 years of life history and community history
But Central Queensland’s Gladstone Region has been taking this power to the next level with its popular Our Priceless Pastlift-out and gallery exhibition, on show until next month.
The annual community event is celebrating 21 years of students interviewing, writing and publishing the life stories of special seniors.
Gladstone Regional Council cultural projects specialist Di Paddick describes the whole experiences as “a big warm hug” that brings together two very different generations.
She has helped organise the project since 2006 and said community enthusiasm and feedback kept growing year on year.
Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Di to find out more about Our Priceless Past and hear her tips about starting a similar project with your community or family …
Mike Higgins and his memoir Trouserless Under the News Desk, Boolarong Press. Main photo thanks to the Leukaemia Foundation. Help the #31Aussies like Mike who are diagnosed every day with a blood cancer by making a donation today.
Former newsreader opens up about Trouserless Under the News Desk by Boolarong Press
Australian TV star Mike Higgins has been on the road spreading the word about his new memoir: Trouserless Under the News Desk.
Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with him to find out more following the book’s released in June by Boolarong Press.
Higgins has been a familiar face on television for over 25 years.
He was the long-time news anchor for Channel 7 in Queensland but also made award-winning documentaries to be awarded a United Nations media peace prize.
But the broadcast journalist became the news a number of times.
Namely when he went on the run from drug traffickers who he feared would kill him and for filming a story at a nudist beach in the raw.
More recently Higgins had another threat to his life.
Higgins had four years of chemotherapy, underwent a bone-marrow transplant and nearly died.
His survival stunned doctors who dubbed him the Miracle Man and said not many patients had “done it tougher”.
“I hope the book will be inspirational to people or anyone going through any sort of a challenge, whether it’s cancer or another illness or a psychological challenge,” Higgins said.
Keep reading to find out how he wrote the book, what were the project’s highlights plus Higgins’s tips for starting your own memoir, autobiography, biography or life-story project.
Hedley in the Royal Air Force (left), in later life with his wife Barbara (bottom right), and his great-niece and zookeeper Sarah (top right). Photos: Contributed by Sarah Blake
Three generations work together + new memoir in making
English zookeeper Sarah Blake helped her great uncle Hedley record his autobiography when she was a teen and was struck by how much joy the process brought him.
While Hedley and his wife Barbara started the project it was Sarah and her mother who helped them finish the book for family and friends.
Years later Sarah has been inspired to write about her own life experiences.
She is in the middle of writing a memoir about the 15 months she travelled around the world using wild animals as her guide.
Today Sarah shares more about Hedley’s autobiography to inform and inspire fellow life-story writers.
From left: Retired agricultural scientist Dr Alan Bell on his first day of school, Alan’s memoir, Alan and wife Gay. Photos: Contributed
Historian’s research helps supercharge husband’s life story
A desire not to repeat regrets spurred retired agricultural scientist Dr Alan Bell to write his memoir.
The 71-year-old recently published his book for family and friends.
“As I’ve grown older, I’ve regretted that I didn’t take the trouble to learn more about the lives of my parents and grandparents before they died,” Alan said.
“My writings are intended for my immediate family in case they feel the same way some day.”
Alan’s book is interesting for many reasons, especially because he joined forces with his wife Gay, a keen historian.
She researched and compiled a brief family history for Alan that prefaces the book.
Keep reading to find out more about how the project unfolded and tips Alan has for fellow autobiography writers.
Four generations – Elaine Crabtree, Sarah Hall (Elaine’s grandmother), Isabel Donnollan (nee Hall, Elaine’s mother) and Diana (Elaine’s daughter) about 1982.
Elaine Crabtree accidentally fell into her family writing project.
She recently published When We Were Very Rich after finding a collection of notebooks following her mother Isabel Donnollan’s death.
“I was searching through her papers for something and I came across a number of handwritten notebooks,” Elaine said.
“They were all in great detail of her early life growing up around Rockhampton (Central Queensland, Australia) during the Great Depression.
“I had known of the existence of one notebook but was delighted when I saw how much she had written.
“Having found all the notebooks, I found reading them fascinating and I decided that I would try to put them all together.”
Elaine has lived in the United Kingdom for over 50 years and said the biography of a late mother had helped connect her with her family back in Australia.
“My mother was one of 14 and I have 50 first cousins! There is a lot of family to share this story with,” she said.
“As I told my cousins: ‘My mum’s story is the family story for all your parents.’
“When my grandmother had her 100 birthday there were over 200 descendants at her party at Yeppoon (near Rockhampton).
“This was a life story that needed to be shared.”
Elaine said while her mother and maternal grandmother grew up poor they were rich in other ways.
“(Mum) named her story When We Were Very Rich,” she said.
“She felt they were rich in freedom, fresh air, nature and most of all family love and togetherness.”
Life of league legend Mark Graham focus of sport documentary Sharko
Off the back of a Father’s Day weekend, I have a wonderful father and son story to share.
I recently caught up with Scope Red filmmaker Luke Graham who produced the 2016 independent hit movie Broke.
I talked to him about making his latest film Sharko, a sport documentary on the life of his father Mark Graham.
Mark recently became the first Kiwi to be inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame and has already been named the greatest player New Zealand has produced in a century of rugby league.
Sharko is based on Mark’s personal and public life – from his childhood on the mean streets of Otahuhu to being top of the rugby league world.
