A little book – modestly bound, fragrant and full of... cloth.   It started as an 18th century Western curio and found its way to the Rare Books Collection at the University of Melbourne. Collected on Captain Cook's journey to the South Pacific, it's become an object of obsession among Western collectors and museum curators alike. The swatches of cloth tell their own tales, of the first trades - sometimes coerced - between cultures, of an ancient Pacific artform practised only by women, and of so much more.   In this episode of Uncurated, Clancy Balen and Qiushi Wang explore a side of Captain Cook's story that we weren't taught in primary school.

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Music on this episode was found on Freesound (https://freesound.org/), Looperman (https://www.looperman.com/) and toSound (https://www.tosound.com/). 

The outro music is based off 'The Only Instrument of It's Kind In The World' by Ben Salter (https://soundcloud.com/user-839269279/ben-salter-the-only-instrument).

A little book &ndash; modestly bound, fragrant and full of... cloth.&nbsp; &nbsp;It started as an 18th century Western curio and found its way to the Rare Books Collection at the University of Melbourne. Collected on Captain Cook's journey to the South Pacific, it's become an object of obsession among Western collectors and museum curators alike. The swatches of cloth tell their own tales, of the first trades - sometimes coerced - between cultures, of an ancient Pacific artform practised only by women, and of so much more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this episode of Uncurated, Clancy Balen and Qiushi Wang explore a side of Captain Cook's story that we weren't taught in primary school.
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Music on this episode was found on Freesound (<a href="https://freesound.org/">https://freesound.org/</a>), Looperman (<a href="https://www.looperman.com/">https://www.looperman.com/</a>) and toSound (<a href="https://www.tosound.com/">https://www.tosound.com/</a>).&nbsp;
The outro music is based off 'The Only Instrument of It's Kind In The World' by Ben Salter (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-839269279/ben-salter-the-only-instrument">https://soundcloud.com/user-839269279/ben-salter-the-only-instrument</a>).

The saying ‘truth is hidden in plain sight’ paints an appropriate picture of the University of Melbourne - hidden within the walls of its notorious buildings, and the people that gave them their names, are colonial legacies of injustice and tales of multiculturalism. 

Join students from the Centre for Advancing Journalism on a journey to discover the stories behind our iconic buildings in 8 illuminating episodes where we uncover what our University was really built on, both literally and figuratively.

Uncurated Season 3 coming October 2024.

The saying ‘truth is hidden in plain sight’ paints an appropriate picture of the University of Melbourne - hidden within the walls of its notorious buildings, and the people that gave them their names, are colonial legacies of injustice and tales of multiculturalism. 
Join students from the Centre for Advancing Journalism on a journey to discover the stories behind our iconic buildings in 8 illuminating episodes where we uncover what our University was really built on, both literally and figuratively.
Uncurated Season 3 coming October 2024.

Uncurated

An oil painting lost in a storeroom for decades, a dusty student card, a misplaced animal skull; these are some of the objects in the University of Melbourne's twelve museums. Each was forgotten in a different way. Join students from the Centre for Advancing Journalism on a journey of unforgetting as they ask why some objects - or people - are lost from history. And what that says about Australia. 

An oil painting lost in a storeroom for decades, a dusty student card, a misplaced animal skull; these are some of the objects in the University of Melbourne's twelve museums. Each was forgotten in a different way. Join students from the Centre for Advancing Journalism on a journey of unforgetting as they ask why some objects - or people - are lost from history. And what that says about Australia.

Tracking Captain Cook's Tapa Book

The University of Melbourne's involvement in the testing of atomic bombs in South Australia is not that well known.  Yet it had a massive impact on the Indigenous people living there, with health impacts that were felt for decades. 

University academics were enlisted to ensure the safety nuclear blasts at Maralinga and Emu Field. But how good of a job did they really do? 

Interviewees:
Karina Lester - Senior Aboriginal Language Worker at The University of Adelaide
Dr James Waghorne - Senior Research Fellow and University Historian at The University of Melbourne
Elizabeth Tynan - co-ordinator of the professional development program at the James Cook University Graduate Research School and researcher of the history of British atomic weapons testing in Australia 

Note:  This episode has been updated to reflect further details of Leslie Martin's role in atomic testing. 

Music

Gold Hands – Holly Sweeney

Piano Study – Joel Keith

 

Special mention to the following sources:

Yami: The Autobiography of Yami Lester

Tim Sherrat

The McClelland Royal Commission

The University of Melbourne's involvement in the testing of atomic bombs in South Australia is not that well known.&nbsp; Yet it had a massive impact on the Indigenous people living there, with health impacts that were felt for decades.&nbsp;
University academics were enlisted to ensure the safety nuclear blasts at Maralinga and Emu Field. But how good of a job did they really do?&nbsp;
Interviewees:
<ul>
<li>Karina Lester - Senior Aboriginal Language Worker at The University of Adelaide</li>
<li>Dr James Waghorne - Senior Research Fellow and University Historian at The University of Melbourne</li>
<li>Elizabeth Tynan - co-ordinator of the professional development program at the James Cook University Graduate Research School and researcher of the history of British atomic weapons testing in Australia&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Note:&nbsp; This episode has been updated to reflect further details of Leslie Martin's role in atomic testing.&nbsp;
Music
Gold Hands &ndash; Holly Sweeney
Piano Study &ndash; Joel Keith
&nbsp;
Special mention to the following sources:
Yami: The Autobiography of Yami Lester
Tim Sherrat
The&nbsp;McClelland Royal Commission

Atomic Testing

For many international students, International House is more than just a place to stay—it’s a welcoming oasis in an unfamiliar city. But did you know that the community at International House holds a rich history dating back to 1957?

Dive into the history of International House and one of its most cherished traditions: the Great Trike Race. A race that symbolises the spirit of unity at the International House.

INTERVIEWEES

Frank Larkins

Caitlin Stone

Frank Schrever

MUSIC CREDITS

Flight by Alex Garla

Monster by Rock Vishal Shah

Forest by Kabas KAS

Grainger Things by Daniel Cropley 

Focus by Ambient Vibes

Our world by Coverr

Inspiring Cinematic by StudioKolomna

Magic Inspiration by Artlss22

For many international students, International House is more than just a place to stay—it’s a welcoming oasis in an unfamiliar city. But did you know that the community at International House holds a rich history dating back to 1957?
Dive into the history of International House and one of its most cherished traditions: the Great Trike Race. A race that symbolises the spirit of unity at the International House.
INTERVIEWEES
Frank Larkins
Caitlin Stone
Frank Schrever
MUSIC CREDITS
Flight by Alex Garla
Monster by Rock Vishal Shah
Forest by Kabas KAS
Grainger Things by Daniel Cropley 
Focus by Ambient Vibes
Our world by Coverr
Inspiring Cinematic by StudioKolomna
Magic Inspiration by Artlss22

Community

John Medley was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne from 1938 to 1951. But Medley was also a member of the Eugenics Society of Victoria, a group which called for the sterilisation and institutionalisation of minority groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, prostitutes and members of the LGBTQI+ community. So why does the university have a building named after him?

Unearth the role the University played throughout the dark history of the eugenics movement and the truth behind who John Medley was. 

INTERVIEWEES

Dr Ross Jones

Professor Dennis Foley

MUSIC CREDITS

Cold and Hard by Cold Case

Dolly and Pad by Piano Mover

Hickory Interlude by Onesuch Village

Leaving Baffin Island by Baffin Island

Stepback by Dasjardins

John Medley was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne from 1938 to 1951. But Medley was also a member of the Eugenics Society of Victoria, a group which called for the sterilisation and institutionalisation of minority groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, prostitutes and members of the LGBTQI+ community. So why does the university have a building named after him?
Unearth the role the University played throughout the dark history of the eugenics movement and the truth behind who John Medley was. 
INTERVIEWEES
Dr Ross Jones
Professor Dennis Foley
MUSIC CREDITS
Cold and Hard by Cold Case
Dolly and Pad by Piano Mover
Hickory Interlude by Onesuch Village
Leaving Baffin Island by Baffin Island
Stepback by Dasjardins

Tracking Captain Cook's Tapa Book

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