The Research Centre for Deep History was very pleased to host the third Indigenous Family History Research Residency from 28 January to 7 February 2025. We welcomed 10 Indigenous family historians who spent 8 days in Canberra. The program for this residency followed those of the earlier programs, with participants visiting archival institutions, with support from the AIATSIS Family History Unit, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Engagement team at the National Archives Australia, and the Indigenous Engagement Team at the National Library Australia, and the team at ANU Archives. Many of the participants in this group also visited the Australian War Memorial and were well supported by the Indigenous research team there. We were also pleased to welcome Professor Bruce Scates who delivered a fantastic session on using war records for family history.
As with the previous programs, the highlight for this group were the sessions delivered by the amazing cast of Indigenous historians who have been involved in and supported this project. The generosity of Professor Jackie Huggins, Dr Shauna Bostock, Dr Kath Travis and Adj. Prof Aunty Judi Wicks in sharing their time, expertise and support with the group has enriched the program beyond measure. We would also like to express our gratitude to Aunty Matilda House for her support of the program and engagement with the participants.
We worked hard to incorporate into this program the suggestions generously provided participants in the Oct-Nov 2024 program, including the need for everyone to fit into one bus! The schedule also included more self-directed research time, with participants spending lots of time on site at the NLA, NAA, AIATSIS, and the AWM, undertaking their family history research. Thanks to additional support from the Gender Institute, this program also featured two key components (both suggested by previous participants), to support the participants’ social and emotional wellbeing.
The first was the materials for a weaving circle, that provided an opportunity for the group to connect informally, and to engage in a shared activity that continued beyond the scheduled session into shared weaving sessions in the accommodation. The second component was the provision of counselling support from Glennis Church of The Connected Purpose. The need for counselling support was noted by participants in the 2024 program, and further feedback from the 2025 group has made clear that this is a crucial component for programs like this. We would like to thank Glennis, and Justin Church—founder of The Connected Purpose— for their support of everyone involved in the program.
This program also featured a public panel, ‘Taking back our stories’: Talking about Indigenous Women’s Family History Research, featuring Aunty Judi Wicks, Kath Travis, Chick Ewards, Sharlene Allsopp, Natasha Majid, Kat Ellinghaus and Beth Marsden. Interest in the Indigenous Family History Research Residencies in 2024 and 2025 has been overwhelmingly positive: from participants, applicants, facilitators and the national institutions involved. We approached this event with this positive reception in mind and with the intention to showcase the importance of the residential program to Indigenous family historians. We also aimed to contribute to academic and public understandings about Indigenous family history; to disseminate ideas and practical advice about how to develop similar programs, and to illustrate the value of creating space and time for connecting and networking. The forum also sought to generate further interest in the residential program, and to attract future funding opportunities. The forum event was well-attended in person and online: a recording is available for viewing below.
