Health heritage records revealed

HISTORY buffs have a rare opportunity to delve into a small portion of the huge Bendigo Health records collection recently given to the Bendigo Regional Archive Centre.

The event is set for Wednesday 14 August from 2pm to 3pm at Kangaroo Flat Library, and will be hosted by BRAC archives officer Desiree Pettit-Keating.

“A lot of the records contain really unique information,” Ms Pettit-Keating said. “It’s things that you wouldn’t find in any other sets, and they often will lead you on to other records.

“It also gives you a broad history of Bendigo.

“We’ve got a lot of the annual reports and they in themselves are really fascinating. They talk about what diseases are prevalent in the community over time in Bendigo, what sort of accidents people are having and how they’re being treated.”

The event will explore different records that could help people find out about a place or a person, and give some examples of what they might find in them.

“It’s a great way to get an overview of what’s in the collection. It can be pretty intimidating because there is a lot,” Ms Pettit-Keating said.

Register for the Handle With Care: Exploring the Bendigo Health Archives event via Eventbrite.

BRAC advises that some of the topics discussed are sensitive and guests should exercise caution if they attend.