Mildura Library is partnering with the award-winning Mallee Living Histories project to provide local residents with a series of book chats offering first-hand accounts of our region's unique history from some of our district's long-term residents and pioneers.
The Mallee Living Histories project captures the stories of more than 60 local residents whose experiences and reflections have been documented by volunteer writers in a series of Mallee Living Histories publications.
The project received a 2021 Australia Day Award for Community Event or Project of the Year.
In a bid to provide an even more intimate and personal insight into our municipality's past, the Mildura Library will host a series of monthly book chats from Friday 2 September featuring one of many Mallee Living Histories contributors.
Councillor for Arts, Culture and Heritage Helen Healy said this was a unique opportunity, particularly for those with an interest in our region's past.
"It's not very often you have the opportunity to not only hear this level of detail about key figures in our region's journey, but ask questions about those who've lived through and shaped some of our municipality's pivotal moments," Cr Healy said.
"Equally importantly, it's also a great opportunity simply to hear first-hand what 'normal life' was like during various periods of our past from those who lived it."
Mallee Living Histories project coordinator Vernon Knight encouraged the community to take advantage of this rare opportunity.
"There are important lessons to be learned from those who have shaped the communities of the Mallee," Mr Knight said.
"Their lives were creative, ingenious and amazing."
The Mallee Living Histories book chats will kick off with a feature on Merbein legend and Shire of Mildura's first female President Elizabeth Maffei.
Each session starts at 10.30am.
