Council to write COVID-19 stories into regional history

Published: 19 Jun 2020

This year will go down in history and council is determined to capture local stories as part of that history.

One of the ways in which council records local history for posterity is through the Mackay Regional Council Libraries’ Heritage Collection.

With the aim of capturing history as it’s happening and while it’s fresh in peoples’ minds, library staff are reaching out to residents to ensure their side of COVID-19 history is recorded in the collection.

Community and Client Services director Angela Hays said council was inviting everyone in the community to share their personal experiences of how COVID-19 has affected them.

“The aim is to create a present-time narrative to preserve this chapter in our lives, allowing future generations to reflect on what we did – or couldn't do – and how we felt during this pandemic,” Ms Hays said.

“Obviously the Heritage Collection keeps records of media and official documentation, but it’s the personal accounts, stories and letters from everyday people that make the most compelling reading when you research history,” she said.

“Contributions can be simple – how did you beat boredom, what new daily activities or hobbies did you pick up?

“Or they can be more emotive – did restrictions seriously impact your employment, your mental health, maybe they impacted on a life event like a wedding or funeral?

“We want to hear your stories and we want to make them part of our region’s lasting history.

“Submissions can be simple images with brief text descriptions – Deanne Woods’ Driveway Project featuring families at home during lockdown with their interests is a great example.

“Or they can be oral histories up to 600 words in length in the form of letters, stories or even collections of social media posts.  Videos are also welcome, but for ease of access we ask they be shared via a YouTube link.”

Residents can contribute to the project by uploading their image, text or YouTube link at Connecting Mackay