THE city of Sydney is seeking former and current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women to share their stories of war and peace for a special oral history project.
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Aboriginal artist and curator Fabri Blacklock will select up to 20 stories to take pride of place on the city's new oral history website sydneyoralhistories.com.au with audio recordings, transcripts and photographs.
Ms Blacklock is a descendant of the Ngarabal and Biripi peoples of NSW. She said there was very little record of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service history, so she looked forward to documenting the stories of service men and women with a connection to Sydney.
"Many of the older fellas went to fight in wars in Vietnam and were treated as equals on the war fields, but when they came back to Australia, it was back to segregation and many weren't allowed in pubs or clubs, so those stories are interesting to document," Ms Blacklock said.
"Everybody's stories are important, so we're also interested in hearing from current serving members, especially women and others who assisted in the war effort."
The city's new oral history website features a growing collection of more than 60 audio recordings and transcripts capturing aspects of Sydney life not normally found in historical records, including interviews with shopkeepers, residents and everyday people.
