The Past in the Present: Australian Lesbian and Gay Life Stories, a joint study by Macquarie University and the National Library of Australia, will record the life stories of 60 lesbian and gay people in various parts of Australia. The taped interviews will be lodged with the National Library.
Chief investigator, Dr Shirleene Robinson, of Macquarie University, says the interviews are critically important in documenting a neglected area of Australian history. ‘We want both young and older lesbians in particular so that their unique experiences are included in this national project. Young women and those born before the mid-1950s have not been coming forward and we want to encourage them to take part.’

The interviews will be conducted by historians from Macquarie University, the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne.

Interested individuals can view the project in detail and fill in an expression of interest form on its website at: australianlesbianandgaylifestories.org.au. For more information they can phone (02) 9850 9678 and leave their contact details. (Extracted from an article by Georgie Krokus, LOTL)