Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson has informed Dr. Nathan Wise, Lecturer in Public and Applied History in the School of Humanities at UNE, that he has approved a grant for $15,000 under the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program to the University of New England to develop the ‘Frontline: New England – The Regional Australian Experience of War’ interactive web-site.

When fully functional, the website will utilise crowd-sourcing to invite people throughout the community to contribute and share the stories of their family and friends during the First World War. People will be able to submit items relating to the local area for consideration for publication on the site, including photographs [including photos of letters and diaries, thus enabling people to keep the originals], audio recordings and videos.

The interactive website will provide visitors with an immersive experience of the region, featuring photographic, video and audio media support that takes visitors on a journey through the region’s experiences during the First World War. Visitors to the website will hear the unique stories and sounds of the region’s history: of soldiers training at the Armidale showground, of nurses and wounded soldiers working together at the Booloominbah Convalescent Home, and of children and volunteers raising funds for the war effort throughout country towns and villages.

For this project, UNE is collaborating closely with local schools and community organisations such as Armidale Legacy, Armidale RSL, the Armidale Branch of the Australian Red Cross, the Armidale Memorial Library, Armidale Dumaresq Council, the Regional Archives and Heritage Centre, and the Armidale Family History Society. This is an exciting opportunity to draw state and national attention to the region, to promote tourism to the region, and to encourage valuable public engagement with the region’s history. This is also an opportunity to link historical knowledge across generations. Activities will include the participation of academics, public historians, local and family historians, community groups, and school children from K-12. This is an ideal opportunity to forge strong connections across these different groups.