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Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible. Fred Merryweather was an active member of the C.E.M.A. Dramatic Group

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

pdf

oral history - portland c.e.m.a., portland council for encouragement of music and the arts

Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible. Olive Meissner was a foundation member of C.E.M.A. and an active member of C.E.M.A. Dramatic Group for many years. She explains the quest to find a "clubrooms" for C.E.M.A. and chats about festivals and plays that she performed in. An entertaining story about visiting Ireland and meeting up with an adjudicator of a play festival concludes the interview.

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

pdf document

community arts., oral history - portland c.e.m.a.

Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible. Collin Woolcock had been C.E.M.A. President for 17 years at the time of this interview, he was instrumental to the lobbying, fundraising and achievement of an Arts Centre for Portland. He discusses the role of Keith Stirling Anderson in assisting C.E.M.A. to find a home.

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

portland council for encouragement of music and the arts, oral history - portland c.e.m.a., portland arts centre history

Pdf transcription of Interview 1984

non-fiction

Transcription made in 1984 of an oral history recording. Eric Thorpe was a foundation member of Portland C.E.M.A., active in the Literary and Dramatic Groups and on the Executive. His memories of the early decades of the organisation were recorded by Lesley Jackson in 1984. Recording is no longer available. Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible.

oral history - portland c.e.m.a., portland council for encouragement of music and the arts

Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible. Dorothy Woolcock's recording was damaged, but the full 1983 transcript and most of the audio have survived. Dorothy was an office bearer on the CEMA executive and the Arts Council Branch and instrumental in running Arts festivals in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

community arts., oral history - portland c.e.m.a.

The "Listening to the Voices" project aims to preserve the recorded memories of Portland C.E.M.A. ( Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) early members in order to enable access to local historians, family historians and current members. Bob and Jean Stuchbery were active members in the post WW2 era and throughout the 1950s. Jean made cameo appearances into the 1980s

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

oral history - portland c.e.m.a., portland council for encouragement of music and the arts

Portland C.E.M.A. (Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts) was formed in 1945. In 2025, as part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, a series of taped interviews from the 1980s and 1990s were digitised with the assistance of Glenelg Shire Community Grants. (Arts and Culture) The variable quality of the original recordings has meant digitisation has not been possible for all interviews. Transcripts have been provided where possible.

The series of oral history interviews (1983-1990) captured the memories of some active early members of the Portland Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts. First hand memories of the formation of the organisation in 1945, early activities of its groups, fundraising and building of the CEMA Arts Centre provide a window into community life in Portland and District in the post WW2 era. Recent digitisation (2025) has preserved deteriorating cassette tape recordings.

community arts., oral history - portland c.e.m.a.