In 2001, as the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Society approached, the Australian Garden History Society initiated a program of oral histories (the National Oral History Collection). Some branches of the Society have also conducted interviews within their own regions (Branch Interviews).
The National collection comprises twenty interviews conducted between 2002 and 2013. These record the recollections of people significant in the founding and early days of the Society. Branch interviews enhance and expand on those in the National collection, and include recollections of people who have contributed to garden history in their region. Click here to download the list of AGHS Oral Histories
Master copies of the recordings have been deposited in the State Library or Victoria (SLV), the State Library of NSW Manuscripts collection (SLNSW) and the National Library of Australia (NLA) as indicated in the table (via the download button). There are catalogue entries for the interviews on the websites of the State Library of Victoria, the State Library of NSW, or the National Library of Australia. Note that the NLA interview (audio and transcript) is fully available online.
Further information about the interviews and copies of the transcripts of interviews in the National collection may also be obtained from the AGHS National Office: info@gardenhistorysociety.org.au.
Information about, and transcripts of those conducted by the Sydney and Northern NSW Branch, may be obtained from Stuart Read: stuart1962@bigpond.com
Note: Conditions for access and use of the interviews apply. It is an imperative requirement of conditions of use – that any and all uses of the collection must appropriately acknowledge the interviewee, interviewer, date and Society’s collection.
E.g. Bill Smith, interviewed 25 December 1903, by Mary Smith for the Australian Garden History Society Oral History Collection.
Some interviewees have set special conditions beyond the general conditions that apply to all the interviews. Information about these conditions can be provided.