Gwen Kemmis oral history interview by Betty Marshall

MLOH 156

fonds

13 May-10 June 1993

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

411972

Digitised

8 audiocassettes (8 hr., 2 min.) - 10 × 7 cm, 4 mm tape

Gwen Kemmis was born in 1916 at Tamworth, New South Wales. She went to school locally and finished her education at Abbotsleigh School, Sydney. She was attracted to the study of social work with the idea of being able to travel, and enrolled at the University of Sydney for their new course in 1941. On completion of the course which was not a degree course at that time, she worked at Sydney Hospital for 18 months. Gwen Kemmis received an invitation from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (U.N.R.R.A.) to work with displaced persons in Germany. She worked in various camps and then in a Bavarian tuberculosis sanatorium. She went also to England where she worked as a locum. On her return to Australia she was employed at Sydney Eye Hospital and was interested in rehabilitation for the blind. This oral history interview was conducted by Betty Marshall.

Gwen Kemmis talks about growing up in Tamworth, her schooling there and in Sydney and describes the course and her studies in social work at the University of Sydney. She gives a detailed account of her studies. Later she gives a full account of her experiences with the United Nations in German displaced persons camps and also in the tuberculosis sanatorium.

MLOH 156/1 Side A (32 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/1 Side B (32 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/2 Side A (31 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/2 Side B (32 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/3 Side A (32 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/3 Side B (31 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/4 Side A (32 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/4 Side B (31 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/5 Side A (30 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/5 Side B (31 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/6 Side A (30 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/6 Side B (31 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/7 Side A (30 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/7 Side B (30 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/8 Side A (30 min.):
No summary available.

MLOH 156/8 Side B (18 min.):
No summary available."

In copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder.

The description of this material has been supplied from the Oral History Digitisation Program, undertaken 2014 to 2017, of the Library's oral history collections.

A log of these tapes is available
Copy available at CYMLOH 156/1-8
MLOH 156/1 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 13 May 1993
MLOH 156/1 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 13 May 1993
MLOH 156/2 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 13 May 1993
MLOH 156/2 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 13 May 1993
MLOH 156/3 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 27 May 1993
MLOH 156/3 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 27 May 1993
MLOH 156/4 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 27 May 1993
MLOH 156/4 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 27 May 1993
MLOH 156/5 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 4 June 1993
MLOH 156/5 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 4 June 1993
MLOH 156/6 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 4 June 1993
MLOH 156/6 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 4 June 1993
MLOH 156/7 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 10 June 1993
MLOH 156/7 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 10 June 1993
MLOH 156/8 Side A: Recorded in Mosman on 10 June 1993
MLOH 156/8 Side B: Recorded in Mosman on 10 June 1993
MLOH 156/1 Side A: Loud, reverberating noise before recording. Constant static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Marshall's voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:20.

MLOH 156/1 Side B: Recording begins partway through comment. Constant static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Marshall's voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:17.

MLOH 156/2 Side A: Static only until 00:29, which remains prominently audible throughout, and occasional background noise. Marshall's voice is stronger in the left speaker and her breathing is sometimes audible. Recording ends abruptly at 30:30.

MLOH 156/2 Side B: Recording resumes from end of side A. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Marshall's voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:40.

MLOH 156/3 Side A: Recording begins with an introduction. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:12.

MLOH 156/3 Side B: Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:08.

MLOH 156/4 Side A: Recording begins with an introduction. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise; Marshall's breathing is sometimes audible. Recording ends abruptly at 30:19.

MLOH 156/4 Side B: Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Recording ends abruptly at 30:32.

MLOH 156/5 Side A: Recording begins at 00:56 with an introduction. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the right speaker and louder than previous tapes. Recording ends abruptly at 30:05.

MLOH 156/5 Side B: Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Recording ends abruptly at 30:03.

MLOH 156/6 Side A: Recording begins with an introduction; Marshall's voice seems stronger in the left speaker. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Recording ends abruptly at 30:19.

MLOH 156/6 Side B: Recording resumes from end of side A. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Recording ends abruptly at 30:19.

MLOH 156/7 Side A: Recording begins with an introduction. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Recording ends abruptly at 30:01.

MLOH 156/7 Side B: Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:00.

MLOH 156/8 Side A: Recording begins at 03:03 with an introduction. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the left speaker. Recording ends abruptly at 30:22.

MLOH 156/8 Side B: Recording resumes from end of side A. Prominent static audible throughout and occasional background noise. Kemmis' voice is stronger in the left speaker. Cuts at 10:33 and 10:34. Recording ends at 16:57.

Interviewer: Marshall, Betty
Interviewee: Kemmis, Gwen