PHOTOGRAPHS can be a powerful way to remember life’s moments, and participants in StoryWISE spent Thursday compiling images from their life, as part of their mission to record local Indigenous history.
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In the last session of the program for the year, the 20 Aboriginal elders brought in images that marked a significant life event.
“Today’s session was about learning to put all the memories that we have collected into some books in a more creative way,” HealthWISE’s Anne Larsen said.
“We have had a professional photographer from Sydney called Raphaela Rosella who has taught the participants how to do scrapbooking and then while that has been going she has been taking portraits of the people as well.”
This part of the project gave participants a chance to focus on their achievements and positive moments from their life, Ms Larsen said.
“We have just been inviting them to bring in their own stories and look after their past, and build their early childhood memories,” she said.
“Most importantly it’s been about their achievements and positive memories instead of focusing on the negative things that have happened.” StoryWISE, an initiative of HealthWISE New England North West, will continue next year, and delve deeper into family trees.
“Next year we are going to get together again and visit the archives at UNE to do a little bit more research on the family history,” Ms Larsen said. “We will also be going over to people’s homes and doing some interviews.”
