Sustaining regional, rural and remote memory

Treasury of Country Australian History Inc (TOCAH) is a recently established charity focused on developing and sustaining a generally accessible online collection of Australia’s regional, rural and remote (RRR) history. The proposed TOCAH Collection is intended to build societal knowledge of RRR people’s contributions to the development of modern Australia, and thus develop and encourage understanding of how these contributions have influenced Australian life today and how they are likely to do so in the future.

Through an expanding web of community connections, TOCAH intends to tap into the lived histories of a wide range of country Australians. These histories will provide access to information about our rural past, grow links that will allow the on-going build-up of such information, and subsequently address the gap in urban understanding of rural Australia.

The TOCAH Collection will include the following:

  • Personal and family memories and histories in a variety of formats.
  • Records associated with country Australia, such as weather, transport, education, communications, rural industries, properties (studbooks, employment records etc.) businesses, community associations, natural disasters and all aspects of country living.
  • Photographs, maps, ephemera, books (fiction and non-fiction), magazines, music and art associated with country life.
Ilfachrome Sunset
Hay Loading
Trucking sheep and cattle
Cowboys and Indians circa 1916
Lest We Forget

    Sustaining regional, rural and remote memory

    Treasury of Country Australian History Inc (TOCAH) is a recently established charity focused on developing and sustaining a generally accessible online collection of Australia’s regional, rural and remote (RRR) history. The proposed TOCAH Collection is intended to build societal knowledge of RRR people’s contributions to the development of modern Australia, and thus develop and encourage understanding of how these contributions have influenced Australian life today and how they are likely to do so in the future.

    Through an expanding web of community connections, TOCAH intends to tap into the lived histories of a wide range of country Australians. These histories will provide access to information about our rural past, grow links that will allow the on-going build-up of such information, and subsequently address the gap in urban understanding of rural Australia.

    The TOCAH Collection will include the following:

    • Personal and family memories and histories in a variety of formats.
    • Records associated with country Australia, such as weather, transport, education, communications, rural industries, properties (studbooks, employment records etc.) businesses, community associations, natural disasters and all aspects of country living.
    • Photographs, maps, ephemera, books (fiction and non-fiction), magazines, music and art associated with country life.
    Hay LoadingIlfachrome Sunset

    TOCAH Stories

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    Featured

    Gerry Bell Interview

    In this video interview excerpt, Gerry Bell describes his occupation as a Chainman and Cadet Surveyor.
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    Elaine Roberts Interview

    Memories of Hivesville School, school reserve, no electricity or telephone (local farmer had the only one); up early, feed chooks, fight white rooster on way to backyard toilet.
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    Featured

    Nita Hughes Interview

    Pre-school life in Dad-built house on stilts in Bundaberg, children playing shops under the house after school, frogs sitting around the bath.
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    Featured

    Clarrie Diefenbach Interview

    In February 1944, still at age 16, Clarrie Diefenbach was appointed as head teacher of Yaparaba State School – a school 7 miles beyond the Callide Valley rail terminus.
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      TESTIMONIALS

      My own experience with TOCAH volunteer oral historians and preservers of both interviews and artefacts reflects the uniquely valuable work they are doing to future-proof the fading history of regional, rural and remote Queenslanders.

      Gerry Bell (QLD)

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      It has been my pleasure to work with the TOCAH volunteer recorder over many hours to document my involvement in the beef industry in Queensland. The detail of information recorded was amazing and accurate. The work of recording this era will rapidly be lost as our generation is rapidly dwindling. I believe that the work done by TOCAH is very important in documenting a period of tremendous change in the beef industry in Australia which is now one of the most efficient in the world and the envy of most other beef producing countries around the world. This has been achieved by so many dedicated professionals and I am proud that my small contribution has been documented. I wish TOCAH all the best with this ambitious work.

      Rick Beasley (QLD)

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