Community Partnership Helps Preserve Tales of the Sea

Hastings Jetty circa 1910

The Port of Hastings Corporation recently assisted the Hastings–Western Port Historical Society become one of 87 Victorian community groups to be awarded State Government funding for the preservation and sharing of their local stories.

The $5,000 grant will fund the development and production of ‘Oral Maritime Stories of Hastings and Western Port’, a community project that will collect and record personal memories and factual data to preserve the maritime history of Hastings and Western Port.

One of the reasons Arts Minister Lynne Kosky attributed to the success of the grant application, is that the oral history project was designed as a community partnership, involving the cooperative input and commitment of local organisations. The Hastings-Western Port Historical Society will conduct the research and interview organisation officers and local residents; while the Port of Hastings Corporation will provide additional funding of $1,000 and administrative support services to edit the book and manage the project.

"These projects tell some fantastic stories that show the diversity of Victoria and reflect our everyday life, our triumphs and our struggles," said Ms Kosky.

Hastings-Western Port Historical Society President, Mrs Shirley Davies said “The project will not only provide the community with the region’s only collective maritime history, but the subsequent sale of the book will provide much needed funding to the society to support future projects.”

Development and production of the oral history project will, for the first time, provide the region with an historical record dedicated to the marine influenced development of Hastings and Western Port communities.  Whilst information, factual data, images and stories can be found referenced in publications recording the history of the region, there is no single collective history of the strong marine influence on the area’s development.

In addition to input being sought from historical officers, librarians, local organisations and port users, long-term residents of Hastings and the Western Port region with links to the maritime history of the region will be identified and interviewed.

“Recording their memories, stories and information is necessary and, to some extent, urgent before these significant stories are lost forever,” said Mrs Davies.

“The concept of the oral history project was motivated by the late Mr Arthur Woodley, a long-time mariner and resident of Crib Point,” said Port of Hastings Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Kenyon.  “We spent a great deal of time with Mr Woodley, to develop a greater understanding of the history of the port and its influence on future expansion planning.  His knowledge, experiences and marvellous tales of a mariner’s life on Western Port are unique.”

Throughout the project period, the participation of additional community and business partners will be encouraged to ensure broad representation of the project and wide promotion of subsequent book, ‘Oral Maritime Stories of Hastings and Western Port’.

If you have an old sea tale in your family, organisation or business or wish to contribute to the community project in any way, contact Shirley Davies at shirleydavies101@gmail.com or on 9781 1141.