‘The Missing’ Makes 2021 Premier’s History Award Shortlist

We are delighted to announce that our film and exhibition project ‘Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances: The Missing’ has made the Victorian Premier’s History Award 2021 shortlist as part of the Victorian Community History Awards.

We congratulate all the other nominees. Looking at the field you see strong evidence that storytelling in history is flourishing and growing stronger each year.

Final award winners will be announced online in October as part of History Month.

A big thank you to Public Record Office Victoria and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria for managing the Victorian Community History Awards for the benefit of everyone in the community.

We would also like to thank everyone we collaborated with on this project.

Unfortunately in the online gallery there was literally not enough space to include all the people we wanted to thank. So we would like to thank them, in full, here.

First, the unflappable Fred Cahir was a crucial presence behind the camera. His personal research into his grandfather’s tragic WW1 journey inspired the project.

Fred managed the funding and, together with his able colleague at Federation University Sara Weuffen provided the backbone of historical research for both the gallery and documentary.

Moira Drew and Gillian Anderson of the Australian Red Cross Archives and their team of volunteer helpers said ‘yes’ to our project, came on board as partners, and cheered us on with good humour throughout. The wonderful folk at the Ballarat RSL, Alan Douglass, Maurie Keating, Alex Tascas and Lynne Redman happily endorsed our project and helped open doors. Linda North, our incredibly competent Red Cross volunteer archivist put hours in above and beyond and found many nuggets of crucial historical information.

Brains Trust experts Carole Woods, Dr Bart Ziino, Professor Melanie Oppenheimer and Associate Professor Fred Cahir with interviewer/producer Lucinda Horrocks at the film launch, 2019. Photo by Kathie Mayer.

Our brains trust experts and onscreen talent Melanie Oppenheimer, Bart Ziino and Carole Woods promptly answered our many calls for clarification and never once complained. Katrina Nicolson helped us through at important moments with archival materials and research leads.

Richard Chew, wise genius, gave us access to his beautiful recorded compositions providing us with a core emotional framework to the film.

Thank you to all of you.

Jary Nemo and Lucinda Horrocks, Producers, Wind & Sky Productions.

Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances: ‘The Missing’: Full Project Credits

Project production and development took place on the lands of the Wathaurung, Boon Wurrung, Wurundjeri and Kaurna peoples. We would like to acknowledge these Traditional Owners and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future.

Federation University Research Project Chief Investigator: Fred Cahir

Creative Producers: Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo

Produced in collaboration with: Federation University Australia, Australian Red Cross Society and RSL Ballarat

Created with the support of: the Victorian Government

Research Advisors: Fred Cahir, Moira Drew, Katrina Nicolson, Linda North, Melanie Oppenheimer, Sara Weuffen, Carole Woods and Bart Ziino

With Thanks to: Gillian Anderson, John Cahir, Sandy Cahir, Julie Cotter, Joanna Day, Alan Douglass, David Fitzroy, Leigh Gilburt, Sam Henson, Andrew Hope, Heather Horrocks, Maurie Keating, John MacDonald, Georgia Melville, Kristine Morgan, Brendan Nelson, Paula Nicholson, Fred Pratt, Lynne Redman, Matt Smith, Alex Tascas, Kristen Thornton, Sharon Turley, Creative Victoria, Deakin University, Flinders University, the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance and Royal Historical Society Victoria.

Film Credits

Composer Richard Chew performs at the film launch at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance, 2019. Photo by Kathie Mayer.

Featuring: Bart Ziino and Melanie Oppenheimer

Film Directed by: Jary Nemo

Film Written and Produced by: Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo

Executive Producer on behalf of Federation University: Fred Cahir

Music by: Richard Chew

Archival photographs and footage courtesy of: Anzac House RSL Victoria, Australian Red Cross Society, Australian War Memorial, Central Highlands Libraries, Deakin University Library, Family of Stanley Addison, Museums Victoria, State Library of New South Wales, State Library of South Australia, State Library of Victoria, University of Melbourne Archives and US National Archives

Music: Sun Rim: Music by Richard Chew and Ian Dixon. The Windhover: Music by Richard Chew. Solo Violin; Stephen Morris. A View of the Sky: Composer Richard Chew. Produced by Richard Chew and Tom Robinson.

Licensing: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International.

Production Company: Wind & Sky Productions

Digital Gallery Credits

The project featured rare archival images including this one of Australian War Graves Workers, France, circa 1919. Image courtesy of Anzac House.

Curator: Lucinda Horrocks

Commissioning Editor on behalf of Federation University: Fred Cahir

Victorian Collections Project Officers: Ash Robertson, Georgia Melville and Lynda Bernard

Essay Authors: Fred Cahir, Jo Caminiti, Lucinda Horrocks, Linda North, Kate Spinks, Sara Weuffen, and Carole Woods.

Digital Essay Photographs and Items Courtesy of: Anzac House RSL Victoria, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Australian Red Cross Society, Australian War Memorial, Ballaarat Mechanics Institute, Central Highlands Libraries, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Deakin University Library, Imperial War Museum, Tracey Hind (Flickr), Larry Koester (Flickr), Melbourne University Archives, Museums Victoria, National Archives of Australia, National Library of Australia, Private collection of the Cahir family, Private collection of the Harrison and McBeath families, Private Collection of the Family of Stanley Addison, Private Collection of the White Family, State Library of New South Wales, State Library of South Australia, Shrine of Remembrance, State Library of Victoria, University of Melbourne Archives, National Library of Australia, Wernervc (Wikimedia Commons)