This book is the celebrated outcome of an interactive oral history project, which was facilitated in 2012 by Benarrawa Community Development Association, Red Thread Stories and SalaRubio Productions, with funding provided by Brisbane City Council. The project was undertaken in the western Brisbane suburbs of Graceville and Chelmer, in collaboration with a group of local people and one international visitor, all of whom have a strong personal connection to the area. The project was coordinated by Meg Lethbridge as part of the Benarrawa Flood Recovery Project developed with funding from the Mary Mackillop Foundation, Commonwealth Bank and NAB.



Through the project, people explored their connections to this place and to each other through storytelling. Most of the participants had not met previously. The project incorporated a range of storytelling techniques and processes. They were:



-Individual oral history interviews, submitted with people’s approval to the State Library of Queensland.

-Interactive workshops in which people’s stories were gathered and listened to through a variety of theatrical and creative techniques including poetry, music and personal writing.

-Beautiful photography of people and place.

The publication of this book of rich stories and images.

-A small ‘gala event’ to celebrate the project; to launch this book and for participants to share in an interactive, Playback theatre project finale.



The remembrances contained in this small book of stories demonstrate the appreciation, shared by all who were involved in the project, of the deep value of personal recollections and the inextricable connection between our recollections and our senses of place. Something which emerged particularly strongly throughout this process is that the Graceville and Chelmer area is considered by many people to be a special place, a place where people, once they come, tend to stay.



“The Benarrawa Oral History Project has been made possible through funding provided under the Community Development and Recovery Package, which is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.”



“Although funding for this booklet has been provided by both the Australian and Queensland Governments, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of either Government.”