This is a sneak peek into edition 25 of Traces! By Beth M. Robertson, Manager of Preservation, the State Library of South Australia A unique collection of photographic mosaics depicting South Australian colonists has been inscripted into the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register. On 16 December 1871, businessman (and former convict) Emanuel Solomon placed an … Read on
This is a sneak peek into edition 25 of Traces! By Lorraine Evans On special occasions, my extended family would gather together at Gran and Pop’s to celebrate. There was always plenty of laughter and fun, and Aunty Sally was always the loudest in the room. Before she passed away at the age of 83, Sally wrote … Read on
This is a sneak peek into edition 25 of Traces! By Mel Tasker On the chilly winter morning of Friday 17 August 1832, a merchant and a newspaper man stood facing each other on the grounds of Richmond House, Fremantle, in Western Australia. Each carried the heavy burden of societal expectation – and a duelling pistol. … Read on
This is a sneak peek into edition 24 of Traces! By Olivia Niethe For more than 140 years, the Royal Shipwreck Relief and Humane Society of New South Wales (now the Royal Humane Society of NSW) has recognised bravery in saving human life, and reminds us that heroes are the everyday people who walk among us. … Read on
This is a sneak peek into edition 24 of Traces! By Marianne van Velzen Why would a good-looking, upper-class English girl choose to spend her life working as an opal miner in one of the most barren and unforgiving places in the world? That’s exactly what London typist Alice Minnie Florence Davies-Berrington did in 1926 when … Read on
This is a sneak peek into edition 24 of Traces! Through years of research, Mandy Gwan has discovered many details about her Chinese ancestry. I’ve known since I was a little kid that I have Chinese ancestry; it was never a secret. But I have no memory of being sat down at Grandma’s kitchen table with … Read on
From an explosion of milkshakes and sodas to the emptying of iconic storefronts, the history of the classic Australian milk bar might not be what you expect. You’ll probably never see a bag of lollies as low-priced as they used to be from the milk bar around the corner. The milk bar was a staple … Read on
The confectionary market boomed following World War I, leading to the making of the iconic Freddo Frog. World War I stopped the importation and trade of metal moulds for chocolate in Australia, as well as ingredients for confectionery. Meanwhile, an incentive had begun in 1915 from the Australian War Contingent Association (AWCA) in London to … Read on
ICI House created monumental change in the architectural history of Melbourne, becoming the first skyscraper in what is now the city’s famous skyline. A stagnant series of events from the early 20th century would eventually lead to the construction of Australia’s first skyscraper in 1958. ICI House, or Orica House as we know it today, … Read on
This is a sneak peek of edition 23 of Traces! By Natasha Cantwell, Public Record Office Victoria Great leaps forward in design at Melbourne Zoo over the years were followed by tentative steps backwards, or even baffling moves in a whole new direction. These breakthroughs and missteps of the19th and early 20th century can tell us … Read on