Heritage and the Internet - BMACHO Occasional Papers No.1; 2012

 

HERITAGE AND THE INTERNET

Barrie Reynolds

40 Hume Avenue 

Wentworth Falls NSW 2782
barrie.r@bigpond.net.au

Introduction
In May 2012, BMACHO hosted a Seminar on Heritage and the Internet at Wentworth Falls, in the Blue Mountains. The aim was to increase awareness of the potential of the Internet for locating historical sources and what is involved in the online publication of material of this nature.

The presentations of the three speakers at the Seminar are published here in slightly amended form for a wider audience. Each speaker addressed a key aspect of the subject and, as will be seen, provided a list of sources on which participants (and now readers) could draw. It is expected that readers will extend their interest well beyond these basic lists and add to them other sources that they find useful.

First presentation

DOCUMENTS TO DIGITAL - USING
THE INTERNET FOR HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Carol Liston
School of Humanities and Communication Arts
University of Western Sydney
c.liston@uws.edu.au

 

Abstract
Successful Internet searching requires some pre-planning, a basic knowledge of the tools, and record keeping of sources tried. Some search strategies are suggested and hints are given on using various features of Google, Trove, and the catalogues and eresources of the National Library and the State Library of NSW.

Second presentation

FROM NET TO KNOWLEDGE: MUSEUM OBJECTS, MATERIAL CULTURE
AND THE INTERNET
Michael Lech
Curator, Collections online
Historic Houses Trust of NSW
michl@hht.net.au

Abstract
The internet has opened up a whole range of new sources of information for those researching, documenting and cataloguing museum objects. This paper will examine how to use the internet as a tool to undertake good historical research about Australia's material culture - it will look at what information is available online and how to find and interpret that information.

Introduction 

 “Facts… are like fish swimming about in a vast ... ocean; and what the historian catches will depend, partly on chance, but mainly on what part of the ocean he chooses to fish in and what tackle he chooses to use – these two factors being, of course, determined by the kind of fish he wants to catch.” (Carr 1961, p.23)

Third presentation

THE INTERNET FROM AN EDITOR’S VIEWPOINT
Peter C. Rickwood
Editor of the Blue Mountains History Journal
Public Officer and past-President of the Blue Mountains Historical Society
& Visiting Senior Research Fellow
BEES, University of New South Wales
p.rickwood@unsw.edu.au

Abstract
Lessons learned whilst publishing a journal both online and in print form are discussed. An editor spends a great deal of time checking the references cited by authors so the means for doing that on the Internet are detailed.

Introduction
Publishing online is made less painful if the Webmaster is cooperative, competent and fast. But even so the load falls on the Editor to ensure that the manuscripts comply with the format that the publishing authority has adopted. My experience is mostly related to the Blue Mountains History Journal.


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