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It is an unfortunate fact that people often overlook the great efforts of women during war times. During the Second World War, women served in many crucial roles, including overseas roles, such as in New Guinea and Singapore, as nurses, anti-aircraft gunners, mechanics, and radio operators. Not only this, but as in the case of Audrey Martin, in the Signals Corps. Ms Martin, born in the early 1920s in Berrigan, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, was the youngest of seven children. She is now the only one left. Her life has been a very long one, she says, and she has a little trouble picking out particular memories of it, though years that still loom large in her mind are the years in which she served. She is fondest of her Army years, and she entered into them with remarkably little fuss.

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Connecting young people and seniors to celebrate stories for future generations

www.celebratelivinghistory.com

Celebrate Living History Newsletter

Semester 1 2015

Inside

Audrey, A Woman in the War By Jake Watson

Swinburne University Intern

Meet Our Student Interns

The Importance of Sharing Stories

Walkley Storytelling Workshop

Locals of Frankston exhibition

Our first How to Woo a Senior and get a great story workshop

Swinburne University journalism interns Semester 1 2015

Celebrate Living History PO BOX 11253 Frankston 3199 www.celebratelivinghistory.com 2

Swinburne University interns Semester 1 2015

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Meet Our Student Interns

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What do you hope to get out of the Celebrate Living History internship

program this semester? My internship will involve me meeting, photographing and writing profiles on two ‘characters’ from the Mornington Peninsula for Celebrate Living Histories. This great initiative is based within my own community and I hope to gain opportunities through this network to meet and write for more people who, in many cases, feel they no longer have a voice. Jan Farrell Swinburne University

I hope to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the elderly by hearing their wonderful stories. I feel that I can learn a lot from them and I will gain a lot of satisfaction knowing that I’ve shared

someone’s story, a story that may have been completely forgotten after they passed away. I believe everyone deserves to have their story told and that this program is a wonderful one. It gives back meaning to the people who may no longer be able to find it themselves. Caitlin Matticoli Swinburne University

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The Importance of Sharing Stories By Melissa Haber

In 2012 I was fortunate enough to have been given

the opportunity to complete an internship.

From the list of worthwhile candidates to choose

from, one organisation in particular stood out from

the rest and not signing up was NOT an option.

Celebrate Living History is a organisation that aims

to connect socially isolated and vulnerable senior

citizens to younger generations, to share life stories

and build communication skills between two age

groups that would not normally mix.

This was something I thought would be a really

wonderful thing to be part of. Nothing breaks my

heart more than seeing elderly people be pushed

aside and ignored by society. They should be treated

as valued and respected members of our community,

and they have many things to teach us. They have

lived through a lot and have seen the world grow,

develop and change into what it is today. One way

to show our respect is to listen and learn, as well as

document their life stories so they can be read and

treasured for many years to come.

We were lucky to be one of the top 20 finalists long listed for the Walkley Grants for Innovation in Journalism. Part of our team Bev, Melissa, Rhiann and Emma attended the workshop in Melbourne.

Walkley Storytelling Workshop

Melissa with founder of Celebrate Living History Bev Wilkinson

Celebrate Living History PO BOX 11253 Frankston 3199 www.celebratelivinghistory.com 4

Continued from page 1

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“The war came,” she says. “And I decided I was going to be in it. So, I joined the Army.”

So she joined the Signals Corps, doing work she found interesting and which she enjoyed. During her five years in the military, she rose to the rank of Lieutenant, and was married, though they did not have kids. They were careful during the war days, such uncertain times, not to enter into such a contract. Not to mention some stern advice from her mother. “You’d better not start having a family,” Audrey was told. “It’d be a bit difficult.” The events of such a long life have become a little jumbled for her, and some specific years and dates have avoided her recollection, though at some point after the war she left the Signals Corps and went into the Department of Army, which since the outbreak of World War II had controlled the administration and finances the Australian Army. In this department she did various jobs, such as being a typist and a stenographer. She was in this department for about four years, before traveling abroad, to Europe. “I did the touring around that most of us did in those days,” Ms Martin says. “I’m not sure if they still do it.” When informed that people most certainly do still do it, she smiles and nods happily, saying, “Yes, yes. I’m quite sure.” She was overseas for four or five years, during which time her marriage got her into “a bit of strife”, as she puts it. They divorced, and Audrey Martin returned to Australia. She is not sure where her ex-husband ended up. Ms Martin never remarried, though this does not worry her. “I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing now,” she says. “And there were several other romantic interests, anyway.” When Audrey Martin speaks of the men she’s known, she speaks with the cheekiness of a teenager who is curious about them, and the strong dignity of a woman who has never needed one. (Indeed, at the end of the discussion, she winks and says, “There you go; now you can go tell the fellas that you’ve spent the morning with an older lady in her room.”) While Ms Martin’s military years are undoubtedly her favourite, she has many other fond memories. She was a great

14 May to 27 June, 2015

Frankston Arts Centre Curved Wall Gallery Davey St, Frankston Entry Free

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-2pm

Our Founder Bev Wilkinson is one of the local characters featured in the Locals of Frankston exhibition.

Richard Simpkin documented sixty locals- from residents to former Mayors-through their stories and photographic portraits to present a true snapshot of the diverse range of people that make Frankston such a unique bayside city.

Locals of Frankston Exhibition: Richard Simpkin

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sportswoman, and played several different sports, though cricket seems her preference. She was a fast bowler for the Victorian Women’s state team, and remembers days spent in the company of men such as Bill Woodfull and Sir Donald Bradman. Woodfull was her favourite, and she says the men were always happy and willing to help the women with their cricket. Speaking to Audrey Martin, you cannot help but have the sense that she is a woman who has lived such a long and vivid life that particular dates, durations and details have become inconsequential to her, and that even though some of it may now be lost to her, has brought and continues to bring her a great deal of joy. Her goal now, she says, is to make it to 100; a worthy goal, you would think, for a cricketer.

(Continued)

Celebrate Living History PO BOX 11253 Frankston 3199 www.celebratelivinghistory.com 6

We are very excited to embark on our first series of workshops! Meet Bev Wilkinson who is the founder of Celebrate Living History. She has a wealth of unique experiences and communication skills that she would love to share with those who hang with seniors on a regular basis. She is eager to conduct a series of Celebrate Living History workshops for journalism students, health professionals and those who work with the elderly. A little about Bev: A passion for documenting elder’s stories started when Bev created an exhibition showcasing the local seniors in the area of Frankston Victoria in 2012. It was during an interview with a senior that she realised if she was not there to share their stories; eventually without documentation these personal tales would be lost. So she flew to Griffith University on the Gold Coast where she studied journalism. She met with Professor Stephen Stockwell, which sparked the first internship program focused on not only documenting stories but also connecting generations. Since then she has partnered with Swinburne University to work with their talented students. Bev also has a background in aged care and is a qualified personal care attendant. It is through working within a nursing home that she realised what she excelled at was communication with the elderly. But as a PCA she did not have the time to really get to know the seniors in her care, every day was rushed and there was no opportunity to really get to know the residents beyond their every day activities. In her heart she knew she could help, but not as a PCA. It is her goal to share her knowledge and most of all offer tips on how to document stories and communicate with seniors on a human level. Interested in attending a workshop with Bev? Register your interest and topic you would like to learn about to celebratelivinghistory@gmail.com for your chance to win a $50 JB-HI Fi voucher.

Upcoming Workshops

Thanks to our partners

Sponsors

Doris with Jeanette