Oral history project

The ANU Oral History Project was conducted by Australian Heritage Projects in the early 1990s to support the research and writing of The making of the Australian National University 1946-1996 by S G Foster and Margaret M Varghese. The interviews cover a wide range of subjects associated with the history of ANU. The main interviewees were senior academic and administrative staff who contributed to the University's pioneer years. Some later staff were also interviewed, as were several student activists from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The records

The records of the Oral History Project include transcripts, tapes and a comprehensive index to most of the interviews. Most of the interviews were conducted between 1990 and 1995, but some earlier interviews were also incorporated in the project. There are some interviews for which no transcript exists. You can listen to some interviews online.

Access conditions

Access restrictions apply to some transcripts, but the majority are available for consultation in the Archives.

Transcripts

The transcripts have been used to supplement research based on written sources such as official files and minutes of meetings.

The University Archives holds transcripts of interviews with the following.