Oral History

Digitised Oral History

Digitisation of the Oral History interviews has been initiated to preserve the quality of the collection and a sample of interviews is available below. Each interview has biographical details of the participating interviewee with links to their audio recording.

● Sir Arthur George Barrett
● Lady Esther Jacobs
● Mr Peter Tillotson Griffin
● "Paula" - Anonymous
● Mr Primo Fortuanto Caon & Mr Giocondo Giliante Caon

About Oral History

An oral History is a record of people’s memories, their stories and experiences of the past, generally preserved on audio cassette.

The Council’s Oral History program has been going for more than 20 years and now comprises 110 taped interviews.

This collection is held in the City Council Archives and consists of the original tape recordings and printed transcripts of interviews which have been indexed and placed in folders along with biographical information and photographs. These include interviews with former Lord Mayors, Lady Mayoresses, former Members of Council, long serving staff of the Corporation, long term residents and business people of the City of Adelaide.

The oldest person interviewed was born in 1884, the youngest in 1942. Interviewees come from many and varied backgrounds and their recorded memories of the City span almost a century, passing through the Depression, two World Wars, Jubilees, Centenaries, Bicentenaries, bushfires, storms, floods, developments and re-developments.

A published guide to the Collection by Karen George, City Memory, A Guide and Index to the City of Adelaide Oral History Collection (Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1999) is available for sale at the City Archives.

© Adelaide City Council