Oral History Course

Historian Jim Sullivan visited Te Awamutu this week to conduct a 4-day course in Oral History Technique. The course ran from 6th-9th March and was held in the Methodist Centre, Bank St.

Oral history has its own protocols, ethics, methods and techniques and is now recognised as a basic tool of research. Mr. Sullivan’s course offered training in the many facets that will make a quality contribution towards recording the history of Te Awamutu.

The visit of Mr Sullivan was organised by the Musuem and well supported by local Service Clubs and other interested organisations. As a result of this support the course was offered free (rather than the normal charge of $50-00 - $100-00).

16 people took part in the course, which covered such areas as recording equipment, planning, resources, interview technique, abstracting and summaries.

As a result of the course, there has been a move to establish an Oral History Group in Te Awamutu. Anyone interested should contact the Musuem.

Pictured right is Bill Neill interviewing Francis Kelly about her memories from 1925-1935. This recording is now held at the Musuem and is available for teaching purposes.

Apart from the actual course Mr Sullivan had a full programme while he was in Te Awamutu, including a number of speaking appearances and some recording for his Sunday evening National Radio Programme ‘Sounds Historical’.

Mr Sullivan is hoping to return to Te Awamutu some time in the next 18 months.

Jim Sullivan

Mr Sullivan is well known in the world of Oral History and is highly skilled in the techniques of interviewing people who have a comprehensive knowledge of the past years and their story.

He is a Dunedin Broadcaster and writer. He studied history at Otago University and has spent most of his working life in broadcasting, including time as a presenter on Morning Report, and has been Radio New Zealand’s chief archivist. His publications include books on broadcasting history and sound archival material.

As an oral historian he has worked as manager of the Oral History Centre at the Alexander Turnbull Library. He has recorded many oral history projects and taught at oral history courses. In 1996 Catholic Boys based on an oral history project , was published by Penguin.

Since 1992 he has presented a New Zealand history programme ‘Sounds Historical’ on National Radio on Sunday evenings ( 7pm – 9pm) and has recently been writing for the Cyclopedia of Otago and Southland.