Preserving North Lismore’s Living Memory

THE Living Memory Project is preserving the stories and history of North Lismore residents as the area undergoes significant change following the 2022 flood.

The initiative, led by The Living Lab in collaboration with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, explores themes of home, community, and resilience in a region where many properties are being bought back through the government’s flood relocation program.

Executive Director of the Reconstruction Authority’s Northern Rivers Adaptation Division, Kristie Clarke, described the project as a “people first” approach to recording the cultural and historical significance of North Lismore.

“North Lismore, like many areas of the Northern Rivers, is undergoing significant change following the 2022 floods, and this project takes a very personal approach to telling that story,” Clarke said.

The project will create a digital record of North Lismore’s people and places, incorporating residents’ stories and photographs alongside historical materials and artefacts. The collection will be shared in March next year.

Photographic artist Cherine Fahd, who consulted with residents during the project’s planning, said photography has a unique ability to connect people and commemorate moments of change.

“Photography has the power to make us visible to each other, to make us feel seen in ways that say, ‘I belong, I am here’,” Fahd said.

“The simple act of making portraits creates a thread between people, a reminder of our presence in this moment, of resilience, of being held in each other’s sight so that we know we were here in North Lismore together.”

Photographer Elise Derwin will capture portraits at free sessions next weekend, offering residents the opportunity to be photographed individually, as families, or with neighbours and friends.

Residents can also share memorabilia and stories at Galaxy Underground, 51 Bridge Street, North Lismore, and the old general store at 43 Bridge Street. Sessions will run on Thursday, November 28, from 4–6pm and Saturday, November 30, from 8:30–11am.

The project aims to preserve a snapshot of North Lismore at this pivotal moment in time, celebrating its community and cultural heritage.

For more information, visit the Living Memory Project website.