News Archive

‘Aussies' and ‘Poms' who have family in both Western Australia and the UK are invited to take part in a major memories project this September that links The University of Western Australia and the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.

Full-Circle will see teams of interviewers in both WA and the South of England recording stories of those who emigrated...and those who were left behind in the UK.

"We want to hear stories of recent emigration as well as those from the more distant past," said Andrew Green from the University of Hertfordshire. "How were lives changed - by the new opportunities that opened up in Australia and the adjustments those remaining in the UK had to make?"

Full-Circle wants to find out how families stay close across thousands of kilometres. "How have they dealt with family celebrations and crises?" said ABC broadcaster Bill Bunbury. "How are ties being maintained into the next generation? Are there also stories of those who emigrated to Australia and then returned home?"

"It's so important that these memories are recorded for posterity before they disappear," said UWA's Winthrop Professor Jenny Gregory.

In Perth, David Cotgreave remembers the thrill of moving to Australia with his parents in his early teens: "We travelled out by ship on the Australis ...a terrible experience! Gastroenteritis went right through the passenger list - me included. Something like nine people died. But making the journey by boat made it possible to adjust to the big change in my life about to happen.

"Which side do I support in the Ashes? Australia of course! But I was the one who made sure we didn't lose touch with the folks back home, including making lots of trips back to the UK. Family matters, doesn't it?"

Anyone with a family story to tell is urged to contact Full-Circle (contact details below). Interviews will be recorded at UWA (Perth and Albany) and stored at the J. S. Battye Library of West Australian History and the University of Hertfordshire. One outcome of the project will be a publication and a CD featuring many of the interviews.

Full-Circle contact details :

UWA Centre for Western Australian History :

Phone: (+61 8) 6488 2116

Email: [email protected]

Media references

Winthrop Professor Jenny Gregory (UWA Centre for Western Australian History)  (+61 8) 6488 2134
David Stacey (UWA Media Manager)  (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716