Celebrate Living History Student Stories

By Bev Wilkinson The curiosity to see what was on the other side of working with seniors is what made me apply to an aged care course. If you asked me a year ago if I would ever consider this course, I really don't think I would have applied.

By Elise Cook When Bob asked 16 year-old Ineke to dance at a social ball, neither of them realised that nearly fifty years later, they would still be dancing together at their children's, and their grandchildren's, parties. Bob was 24.

By Sophie Lishman At the age of four my parents packed our life into just two moving vans in hopes of starting a new chapter in the leafy suburb of Sandringham- a suburb just a walk from the sandy beaches where children played on corners until the dusk brought with it outdoor barbeques and bedtime stories.

By Chris Paduano Marie met her husband Roger in 1967 while living at the Victorian Bureau of Epilepsy (now the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria). She lived there with five other girls, all sufferers of epilepsy who had chosen to move to Melbourne from the country.

By Elise Cook At 15, Doreen had never had a boyfriend, but when her friend Diane was asked on a date, she begged Doreen to come along so she wouldn't have to go alone. Diane's date, Ray, also brought a friend, and that was how Doreen met Brian.

By Elise Cook Rai and Bimla have had a long, successful marriage, raising a family of three sons in Australia, and describe themselves as being more in love than ever. Their story of commitment, hard work, and a growing love, is inspiring.

By Elise Cook Lance was a young, handsome policeman who moved to Gladstone during wartime in Australia. Arriving with his good looks, a flashy car and a big dog by his side, he made an immediate impression on the women in Gladstone.

By Sophie Officer It is a story that has been told thousands of times, and with just as many conspiracy theories to each telling, but in lieu of the 50th anniversary, I spoke to Lilla Officer on behalf of Celebrate Living History, about her experience when President John F Kennedy was shot, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas.

By Chris Paduano Coming from a country town, 'Vin' has always been a big fan of many sports and still has a large interest in cricket and horse racing today. Including his 30 years with the Victoria Police, Vin has always felt the need to keep busy and has sought something more interesting if he has ever felt bored.

By Stephanie Dunbar Working in the aged care industry is not a job for the faint hearted. It involves lots of patience, long hours and constant focused attention. Celebrate Living History was fortunate enough to gain a glimpse into the day-to-day work of an aged care nurse, Jacqui.

By Melissa Haber My grandmother Judy Roulston has always been an inspiration to me. When I was a kid I looked up to her, admiring her creativity and artistic skills when we did craft activities together and the way she would never fail to come up with stories to tell me when I relentlessly asked her to tell me more.

Its very exciting to have interns from Swinburne University and Griffith University on board, let me present our wonderful Junior Star Reporters! Melissa Haber Hello everyone! My name is Melissa Haber and I am studying journalism at Swinburne University.

Our very talented Griffith University intern Trine Tessem Morkeset created the first Celebrate Living History intern newsletter.

By Trine Tessem Moerkeset My Grandfather, Peder Tessem was a young boy during the Second World War but recalls what it was like growing up during the German invasion. "Rationing with lack of food, clothing and other necessities was an area which gave us anxiety for the day and the future.

By Bev Wilkinson I was chatting to a senior and she told me there comes a time in your life that you become invisible. Suddenly your not there and people don't see you, maybe because the blinkers have been taken off my eyes but I asked how? But I can see you?

By Marine Pintena My friend's grandparents celebrated their 65th anniversary while we were in Australia. She was really sad not to be with them for this important date. So that day, she decided to share with me their love story. It was her way to celebrate it.

By Mischeline King As I stood back and watched the flow of people, young and old make their way to the ANZAC Day Dawn Service, it struck me the perception of this day varies across all age groups and that we all stood there on that frosty morning all with different insights on what this day means, but stood for the same reason.

By Abdul Qadir Bukhari Edited by Marine Pintena It is often a monumental task on deciding where to begin when asked to comment on a man's life who has accomplished so much. I guess a good way to begin would be to look at parts of his character that has influenced and inspired me.

By Mischeline King Pat and Malcolm Howe or 'Nanna and Pop' as I know them, originate from the old town of Gateshead in England but now call Australia home. They share their story on what it was like as a young couple with a family to move half way around the world.

By Jamie- Lee Dwyer As a child, I always thought of my Grandfather as an old man, who had never been a kid and instead had always been an old man. Now I'm an adult and not quite as naive anymore, I understand my Grandfather actually had a childhood and his very own life long before I came along.

By Helana Tulloch Norma Teys was born in County Durham, England and shares what it was like growing up in Europe during the war. "Living in London during the war as an only child, Mum and Dad would be at work so the only thing I could do after school was go by myself to the shelters and wait as the planes flew overhead.

By Jamie-Lee Dwyer AS a 12 year-old Jewish boy in Warsaw, Poland during World War II, Alex Tomkin narrowly escaped a gruesome fate and in all likelihood eventual death at one of the German extermination camps. His savior was none other than one of the Nazi officers sent to his district to gather Jewish people for the camps.

By Bev Wilkinson The simple passion for singing and making people happy is what makes this duo shine. Gold Coast retirees Marina and Bram Nicolson have many achievements to their name including being featured on Australia's Got Talent. However when they perform together as Double the Fun, their audiences at nursing homes and respite centers stand out as one of their favorites.

By Bev Wilkinson Some would say from a young age Val French was destined for a life full of excitement and fighting spirit. As a little girl, Val was raised in three different mental intuitions, inspired by her parents desire to change the world in their own way.

By Roo Frankston High School My senior is my grandmother, but I call her Gogo. She lives in Zimbabwe, Africa. When I was young, she used to help me with my alphabet homework. Gogo would sing me a song in shona (the Zimbabwean language). She would knit me a scarf.