Presented at Local Studies Librarians’ Meeting Albury LibraryMuseum 8 November 2019 9.15 - 4pm

1. Interpreting heritage across
borders
Bonegilla Migrant Experience – Wodonga, Victoria
Bonegilla Collection – Albury LibraryMuseum, New South Wales

2. Bonegilla Collection – Albury LibraryMuseum
• Memory pieces
• Photographs
• Documents
• Objects
• Other memorabilia
Donated by former staff and residents of the Bonegilla Reception and
Training Centre
Over 2,000 objects and photographs in the Bonegilla Collection

3. Three vantage points of interpretation
“The collection adds significantly to the extensive and much-prized
immigration records held at the National Archives of Australia in that it
views the arrival and early settlement processes from the vantage
points of reception centre residents. The collection adds voices that
help with the interpretation of the national heritage listed Block 19,
Bonegilla site. Together, the immigration records held at the National
Australian Archives, the Block 19 site and the Bonegilla Collection
form a triptych that reveals the post-war migrant and refugee
experience from differing angles.”
Bruce Pennay, 2008.

4. Three vantage points
• Bonegilla Collection – Albury LibraryMuseum
• Bonegilla Migrant Experience – Block 19 Site
• Immigration records – National Archives of Australia

5. Personal example: how the Bonegilla Site in
Wodonga, the Albury LibraryMuseum Bonegilla
Collection and the National Archives all combine
to tell the story of Post World War 2 migration in
Australia
Hut 17 keys. Albury City Collection ARM 10.923

6. Search the collection
Provide Access to the Bonegilla
Collection through our online
federated search engine
• Research
• Family history

7. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
Loaning objects
• Small number of objects and props on display at the Bonegilla
Migrant Experience provided by Albury LibraryMuseum
Providing images

8. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
Life Stations at Bonegilla
• Images provided for Life Stations at
Bonegilla.
• Static displays that focus on the story
of a person who passed though
Bonegilla.
Galina & Irena Vasins. AlburyCity
Collection ARM 02.205

9. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
Enquiries and information
• Having these images around the Bonegilla site allows more people to
see them and identify people they know.
• Staff direct visitors with information to the Albury LibraryMuseum.
• Visitors seeking information and copies

10. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
New Object Receipt Form
• Visitors to Bonegilla sometimes offer to donate items to the site
• Albury LibraryMuseum – facilities to store and care for material
• Museum team and Bonegilla team collaborating to develop a new Object
Receipt Form tailored specifically for the Bonegilla site
• Unique circumstance where we take material into our collection via a 3rd
party

11. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
New Object Receipt Form
Combines:
• Object Receipt Form,
• Gift Certificate,
• Object Information Sheet
oObjects / documents collected have a connection to Bonegilla.
oGather information about the history and background of the objects.
oQuestions act as a guide for the volunteers who work at Bonegilla.

12. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga
Bonegilla 3D Virtual Tour
• Bonegilla Migrant Experience Heritage Site Virtual Reality Tour was
launched in Wodonga on Monday.
• Two year collaborative project between Charles Sturt University,
Wodonga City Council, Albury City Council, the Albury LibraryMuseum
and the Bonegilla Migrant Experience Centre.
• Albury LibraryMuseum’s Learning and Outreach team collaborated
with the developers - provided perspectives and feedback for its
development to address to concepts and skills outlined in the
Australian History Curriculum.

13. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant Experience in Wodonga:
Future Opportunities
• Training – 2 way
• Cross promotion

14. How we work with Bonegilla Migrant
Experience in Wodonga
• Loaning objects, providing images
• Life Stations at Bonegilla
• Enquiries and information
• Object Receipt Form
• Bonegilla 3D Virtual Tour

15. Galina and Irena Vasins in the washroom.
AlburyCity Collection ARM 02.208

16. Black and white photograph of Bonegilla sign, railway lamp post and sign at Bonegilla Railway Siding.
AlburyCity Collection ARM 02.064

17. Members of the Bonegilla Basketball Team in the basketball
hall at Bonegilla Migtant Reception Centre.
AlburyCity Collection ARM 98.068
Basketball boots.
AlburyCity Collection ARM 03.122

18. Colour slide of a large group of school children at Bonegilla migrant centre.
AlburyCity Collection ARM 97.900.12

19. Bonegilla accommodation hut rooms. AlburyCity collection ARM 17.931

20. A black and white photograph of some boys kicking a ball at Bonegilla
migrant centre, a row of accommodation huts behind them. AlburyCity
Collection ARM 13.943

21. Photograph of several people, adults and children sitting at a long wooden
table eating a meal. AlburyCity Council ARM 02.063

22. Ablution block at Bonegilla migrant centre. AlburyCity Collection ARM 97.900.07

23. Black and white photograph of migrants gathering together their luggage after their
arrival by train - 17 November 1948. AlburyCity Collection ARM 96.1302

24. Colour slide of four men looking through a pile of suitcases at Bonegilla
migrant centre. AlburyCity Collection ARM 97.901.04

25. Dark Grey Blanket. AlburyCity Collection ARM 09.956
This blanket was
standard issue at the
Bonegilla Migrant
Reception Centre; it was
included in a Military
pack.
This blanket was also
used at the Turk's Head
Museum in Albury as a
part of a display.
Bonegilla had two types
of blankets. The dark
grey for first arrivals and
light grey for staff.

26. National Archives of Australia
Albury City Collection ARM 10.923