Military museum victorious at Community History Awards

BENDIGO’S Military Museum has come up trumps at the recent Victorian Community History Awards, winning the Digital Storytelling gong for its Faces of Peace Storytelling Project.

The project shined a light on the experiences of 10 veterans from Central Victoria who previously served in peacekeeping operations across the globe.

Museum curator Lena Morrison-van Velsen said she was thrilled in terms of the acknowledgement for the veterans who participated in the project, and that having their voices heard and recognised as vital parts of Victoria’s history was “incredible”.

“It’s going to mean so much to them, but also that validation that what we’re doing is at that top standard for local history, it really gives us a good standing for future projects,” she said.

“It shows that what we’re doing is working, and also shows that the stories we’re really keen to showcase are stories people want to learn about.

“We’ve got quite a few (projects) in the works at the moment, and it really helps participants feel like their stories are safe and in the best hands, which is brilliant.

“We want to change the face of what it means to be a service member or a veteran.”

The judges commented that the project exemplified “the best of local history projects”.

“This very high quality video production is an outstanding example of the use of video-based storytelling to share recent histories through lived experiences,” the judges said.

“Veteran Australian peacemakers tell their stories directly to camera, engendering audience empathy not only with the narrators, but also with those whose lives are disrupted in distant conflicts.

“The use of narrators from the local area – in this case Central Victoria – is particularly critical to the success of the project.

“Through these narrators we learn how the values and experiences gained growing up in their local community were applied to their peacekeeping roles overseas.

“Equally, the viewer sees how experiences gained in broader global events are brought back home to colour life in the local community.”

The full results of the awards are available through the Public Record Office Victoria website.