2026 OHA Biennial Conference
Human voices, modern technology: Oral history & authenticity
Workshops and tours
A number of workshops and tours are being offered as part of the 2026 OHA Biennial Conference. On Thursday 3 December three workshops (one full-day and two half-day) and five tours are on offer. On Sunday 6 December, two of the five tours will be repeated. Please see tour descriptions for times and departure points.
Ticket prices are available on the conference registration page on Humanitix. Early bird pricing is available until 30 October.
Thursday 3 December:
- Workshops 1 (full day) , 2 (morning) and 3 (afternoon)
- Tours 1-5.
Sunday 6 December:
- Tours 1 and 5.
Workshops
One full-day and two half-day workshops will be held on Level 5 of the Sir George Kingston building at the City West Campus of Adelaide University. The workshops are open to all, not just conference participants, and cover a variety of popular topics.
Trams travel from the City East Campus to City West Campus down North Terrace every ten minutes. Or, alternatively, a 10-15 minute walk.
When: Thursday 3 December, 9:00am to 4:30pm (full day)
Presenter: Hamish Sewell of Soundtrails
This day-long workshop with Dr Hamish Sewell uses the Australian-based Soundtrails platform to provide participants with the skills to create an audio walk. Following a two-hour introduction, participants will either work alone or better still, and highly encouraged, work together on the same audio walk. This workshop is designed to inspire ideas for new audio walks, and you don’t have to know anything about sound editing, but attendees are encouraged to be resourceful, take risks and think practically. Some might like to use the day-long workshop to plan their own audio walk project including the where and why, the different voices that could be used and scriptwriting, while others might wish to build an audio walk on the day and test it as practice for a later professional audio walk that will take time and not be rushed. Some audio recording/digital recording devices will be available on the day to use however those attending should bring their mobile phones and/or laptops if they intend to use the Soundtrails platform.
All workshop participants will receive a six-month login to the Soundtrails platform.
When: Thursday 3 December, 9:00am to 12:30pm (half day)
Presenter: Elaine Rabbitt
Australia is home to the world’s oldest continuous culture and has evolved as a multicultural country, comprising people from over 300 different backgrounds. As a pluralist society, the recording of diverse stories and making them accessible is important to educate others. Yet, how do we go about this? What techniques and skills are required to undertake a respectful interview with someone from a different culture? This workshop will be a cultural exchange, with a focus on matters related to interviewing storytellers from varying backgrounds. Ethical considerations and protocols across diverse cultures, including but not only working with First Nations peoples, will be explored. Participants will be given interview briefs and in groups work out ethical and cultural considerations and the appropriate ways to proceed.
When: Thursday 3 December, 1:30pam to 15:00pm (half day)
Presenter: Danika Armytage of Big Stories Little Films
Film represents a powerful new chapter in the recording of life stories – not only through professionally produced documentaries, but also through simple, self-recorded video using everyday devices. Film uniquely captures tone, expression, pauses, humour and presence – elements often lost in written or audio-only formats. It allows future generations not just to know a story, but to feel it. This workshop will offer practical insights into recording life stories with confidence including simple interview frameworks and accessible tools.
Posted 7 September 2026
Tours
Thursday 3 December, 10:00 to 12:00pm and
Sunday 6 December, 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Come for a walking tour with Professional Historian Australia SA President Samuel Doering to discover the stories of remarkable German craftsmen who built North Terrace’s great landmarks, the thinkers who shaped its cultural life, and the musicians who filled its concert halls. See and hear how their lives have been remembered through oral and cultural traditions that still reflect Adelaide’s’ Deutschtum’. Along the way, you will meet extraordinary Germans whose ideas, skills, and talents define Adelaide itself. Expect a fast-paced, story-rich experience you will not forget.
Departure Point: Main Gate, Botanic Gardens, North Terrace
Thursday 3 December, 10:30 to 12:00pm.
Bookabee is an Aboriginal-owned business offering tours that weave together social history, creation stories, landscapes, and traditions. Each interaction provides an opportunity for meaningful immersion into Australia’s Aboriginal heritage. Join us on a journey of learning, reflection, and discovery, where every experience is an invitation to understand the world’s oldest living culture in a way that is personal, profound, and unforgettable. On this tour of the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery at the South Australian Museum, discover the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal antiquities and archival materials and explore thousands of artifacts, interactive displays, and historical narratives that bring Aboriginal history and traditions to life. Listen to and experience the history of the world’s oldest continuously living cultures, in an engaging, contemporary context. Your guide will share important social history and cultural information as well as personal stories.
Departure Point: Foyer, South Australian Museum, North Terrace Adelaide.
Thursday 3 December, 10:00 to 11:30am
Mark Gilbert, SLSA Curatorial and Content Lead
Join Mark for a tour of the State Library of South Australia and immerse yourself in some of the state’s magnificent history and heritage, including the Mortlock Chamber and the J.D Sommerville Oral History Collection. ‘Since its initial foundation, the J.D. Somerville Collection has become nationally recognized as one of the richest and most wide-ranging collections of oral histories in Australia. It holds over 9,000 interviews and unpublished audio documenting all aspects of South Australian life, particularly recent history through the experiences of those who lived it and whose voices are traditionally underrepresented in the public record, including First Nations people, low-income earners, people of non-English speaking background, women, LGBTQIA+, and regional, rural and remote people of Australia (Nicholas Sparks, Word of Mouth, Autumn 2025, p.5).
Departure Point: Main Entrance ground floor of the Glass Foyer, Spence Wing
Thursday 3 December, 1pm – 2pm
The principal objectives of the Library are to support the democratic process through the provision of relevant, timely, confidential and impartial research and reference services to Members of Parliament and to the staff of the Parliament and to develop and maintain relevant, responsive and accessible collections in a variety of formats. The library offers research and reference services, traditional library services including cataloguing, acquisitions, oral histories and maintenance of databases. A general overview of the library can be found here: https://www.indailysa.com.au/salife/archive/2020/06/24/beyond-the-bookshelves-sas-parliament-research-library
The library has been collecting oral history interviews with former Members of Parliament conducted by Emeritus Professor Clem Macintyre. Some of the interviews can be heard here: https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/Members/Oral-Histories
Departure Point: Main Steps, Parliament House, North Tce, Adelaide
Thursday 3 December, 3:00pm to 4:30pm and
Sunday 6 December, 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Explore Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens and discover the traditional uses of native plants for bush food, medicine, and tools. Learn about Aboriginal social history and cultural practices. Take a leisurely walk around the Adelaide Botanic Gardens to learn about Aboriginal traditional plant uses combined with social history of Aboriginal peoples.
Find out about:
- various other food gathering practices
- how implements and tools are made
- where to find bush medicines
- social history of Aboriginal peoples.
Departure Point: Adelaide Botanic Gardens – Main Gate North Tce with a volunteer to the meeting location