Monday, July 20, 2009

Brisbane Conversations - B150 event at Brisbane Square Library

BCC has asked me to compere a 'Brisbane Conversations' session at the Brisbane Square Library community meeting room on Monday 10th August from 10:00 am to 11:30.

It will be a wonderfully eclectic mix of stories, songs, poems, raps and historical information as part of BCC Libraries Services B150 contributions. Expect subjects as diverse as Jacarandas, 'Brisbane Lovely Brisbane', Brisbane Utopian dreamers of the 1890's, maybe the Ship Inn Hotel, Newstead House, an elephant escape and much more.

It's free but you do have to book Ring 3403 4166 to reserve a place. If you would like a 5 minute spot to tell a story, sing a song or read a poem about Brisbane and the 150 celebration let me know.

You can download the PDF of the leaflet at files.me.com/austory/okfaen Please pass this link on to anyone you think may be interested.

Queensland Conservation Council 40th Birthday

The QCC shares a birthday with the moon landing! And for those of you that still think that the moon landing was just one big story, that's not so bad because I just spent this last weekend immersed in stories from conservationists and environmentalists from Queensland Conservation. There was a gala dinner at the Legends Room at the Gabba and a Telling Conservation Tales afternoon at the Queensland Museum.

I had the honour of compering the three 'on the couch' sessions with such notable Queensland environmentalists as John Sinclair from Fraser Island, Eddie Hegerl from the Save the Barrier Reef campaign, Drew Hutton and hard working Coordinators like Liz Bourne, Felicity Wishart and Imogen Zethoven. We heard about the successes and the disappointments, the unexpected outcomes, brushes with the law and the courage and dogged determination of a gallant bunch of Queenslanders determined to ensure that the environment had the best chance possible.

Telling and listen to stories like this is a wonderfully healing and sustaining community building exercise for any organisation but, for one like the QCC, which at many times has had to run major environmental campaigns on the smell of a gum leaf, it is essential.

I also had the pleasure of being employed to do 10 oral history interviews with 10 environmentalists who have contributed to QCC's history. Well done Q150 for making the money available and well done QCC for having the wisdom to realise how important it is to do so.

Next step is help get the DVD of interviews together looking forward to adding it to my collection.