MOREE Plains Shire Council and Big Sky Libraries has published the first edition of Stories of Our Town, a Moree local studies journal.
Stories of Our Town, a Moree Community Library publication edited by local studies and digitisation officer Adam Mitchell, is available in print or online in PDF format, and features snippets of history from Moree and district.
The first issue features images from an historic photo album, which was produced by Petschler Studios in Moree and presented to the Governor of NSW, Lieutenant General Sir Eric Winslow Woodward, in 1957.
The journal also features an extensive, one-on-one oral history interview with Mrs Merri Gill, who first came to Moree as a teenager in about 1956.
“It was just such a glamorous place, Moree, at that era,” she tells editor, Adam Mitchell.
“It was quite amazing, the beautiful dress shops, and parties.”
Mr Mitchell moved to Moree 12 months ago to work at Moree Community Library, where he preserves, collects and displays local history material.
He has also started the digitisation process of important local items.
“This enables the library to have multiple copies, which can be made available to the public via the library website,” Mr Mitchell said.
Mr Mitchell grew in Newcastle and studied a Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of Newcastle, before moving to Queanbeyan to study a Master of History at the Australian National University in Canberra.
“I am passionate about history, believing in the potential for historical and social study to help us better understand ourselves and the society we live in, as well as feeling part of something bigger than ourselves,” Mr Mitchell said.
The new journal, containing interviews, articles and photographs, will be published quarterly.
Printed editions are free at Moree Community Library and they are also available free in PDF format by emailing Mr Mitchell at adam.mitchell@mpsc.nsw.gov.au.
“The birth of this journal is very exciting for the community as well as myself,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Since moving to Moree, I have found an ever-increasing number of artefacts, material and photographs of the region with significant historical value.
“Like many libraries, much of this content remains in archived collections housed in locked rooms, which patrons may feel excluded from accessing.
“I have a deep passion for sharing discoveries and making historical inquiries accessible to everyone, and the creation of this journal is an opportunity for the Library to showcase what our archives have to offer,” Mr Mitchell said.
