Last weekend I attended the National Oral History Conference in Melbourne. The theme was “Communities of Memory”. I went there with my friend, Lena, who was also attending the Conference and we both enjoyed it very much. 
It was good to catch up with interstate colleagues/friends and meet new ones.
On the first morning we attended a Recording Techniques workshop at the ABC which was run by Michelle Rayner. 
There was a large group and we all talked about our projects and the audio recorders we used. We then went in to a recording studio to see how the radio people edit their work. In the afternoon we 
went to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in 
Federation Square where we had some practical advice on video recording from Catherine Gough-Brady inside a lecture theatre then we were went outside to practise. Later in the afternoon Al Thomson, Kevin Bradley and Michelle Rayner presented an update on the Australian 
Generations Project and the expected outcomes.
Day One of the Conference itself began with Keynote Speaker Steven High from Canada whose paper was entitled “Communities of Memory in Practice: A Reflection on the Montreal Life Stories Project”. He spoke about communities experiencing the aftermath of catastrophic change citing the example of a mill which was the lifeblood of a town being closed down. He also spoke about the Montreal Tutsi refugees and the way they are remembering the 1994 genocide. It was a very powerful presentation. The rest of the day we had a number of excellent presentations on a variety of topics including digital storytelling, culture and lifestyle, and artistic approaches to documenting oral history. At the end of the day we had a 
Welcome Reception to enjoy catching up with old friends and meeting new ones over a glass of wine.
On Day Two we had our second Keynote Speaker Nathalie Nguyen with her paper “Memory and Diaspora: The Vietnamese Refugee Experience”. She said South Vietnamese soldiers were not acknowledged in the now united Vietnam – their cemeteries have been razed. She interviewed three former female South Vietnamese soldiers now living in Australia. Their role has not been acknowledged though they made a large contribution to the Vietnam War but they could only reveal their army life once they had arrived in Australia. Each had a different reason for joining the Army, mainly for adventure and to break free from the “normal” female role in their society. 
Once again this was the first of a number of great papers presented during the day including one from our own OHAA Qld branch members, Helen Klaebe and Ariella Van Luyn about the workshops we held earlier in the year.
On Day Three more terrific papers culminated in the final paper and third Keynote Speaker Peter Read with his “The Limits of Oral History”. He spoke about the horrors of the Pinochet coup in Chile in 1973 and the following years. He told us about the “disappeared”, the fate of many of whom is still uncertain today. One particular “house of horror” was in the centre of Santiago and is now a memorial place where relatives of the “disappeared” gather in silence, pasting photos of their lost loved ones on the walls. The government seems uncertain about what to do about this building as it tries to hide the past. Oral histories of the survivors are vital in ensuring those terrible times are not forgotten, but then how far do we go with our remembering. Read also talked about Aboriginal Reconciliation and drew similarities with the Chilean experience – horrific past and how we should remember it. Read said he was “turned on by place” and we must hear the voice of the subject – value the voice! Every generation will tell the story in a 
different way. He finished with a quote (translated) written by a young woman on a cigarette paper to her friend (also imprisoned), that was secreted out of her Santiago prison, knowing she would soon be killed. “I remember when I met you in the house of terror. In those moments in which a light was a dream. Or a miracle, however, you were light in the mist. We were one in one reverse. Today thousands of reverses. Later I see you as you were before, as I know you are today, in some other place, always looking to windward. We will meet across the fog that we will dissolve. Do not forget me.” When Read stopped speaking the audience sat silently stunned. It was the most powerful oral history presentation I had yet experienced.
That night Lena and I had dinner in Greek restaurant, Tsindos, which we very much enjoyed. The food and atmosphere was delightful. There were two Greek guitar players entertaining us during our meal. It was a wonderful way to finish off our days at the Conference.
