Local students go virtual for 2021 Our Priceless Past interviews

Students from Toolooa State High School have been hard at work this week honing their inquisitive interviewing skills with some of the region’s seniors for the Our Priceless Past initiative.

Our Priceless Past, initiated in 1999 in conjunction with the Year of the Older Person, brings together two very different generations to celebrate the unique character of the Gladstone Region to help build material for the community’s social history collection.

It involves local students interviewing seniors aged 70 years or over who have lived in the area for 30 or more years.

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said the Our Priceless Past initiative remains one of the most anticipated cultural projects each year.

“This year local seniors are working with Year 8 students of Toolooa State High School with the use of modern technology to take a glimpse into the past, sharing stories of these longer-term residents of the region,” Councillor Burnett said.

“Stories of those who have helped shaped the place in which we live are written by the interviewing students.

“As friendships are forged between seniors and students, the community has watched Our Priceless Past with a great sense of shared achievement – from nomination to presentation, participants and audiences contribute significantly to the vitality of the region’s archive.”

Cr Burnett said after consolidating their notes, the students will work with their teachers, as well as history researcher and published author, Paulette Flint, who will offer a writing masterclass for the school.

The student’s stories will be accompanied by portrait images by Mike Richards of MGR Photography.

The exhibition of stories and images will be shared with the wider community at Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum (GRAGM) in celebration of Queensland’s October Seniors Month, continuing until 27 November.

GRAGM is a community cultural initiative of Gladstone Regional Council, open 10am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturday, located on the corner of Goondoon & Bramston Streets, Gladstone and admission is free.

Please note that GRAGM will be closed for the installation of The 46th Rio Tinto & QAL Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards from 2pm on Saturday 2 October, reopening at 10am on Saturday 16 October. Visit www.gragm.qld.gov.au for more information.