AUSIT NEWS
AUSIT was officially formed in 1987 as a professional organisation for interpreters and translators working in Australia’s multicultural society, and has since served as a model for similar bodies in other countries.
As AUSIT’s rich history dates from the pre-digital era, and many of its foundation and early members are now reaching an advanced age, it’s crucial that materials relevant to our history are gathered and archived as soon as possible.
AUSIT Fellows Terry Chesher and Barbara McGilvray have started the process of establishing an archive, by cataloguing a wealth of material collected over the years. They say that ‘AUSIT has a remarkable story to tell, beginning more than three and a half decades ago, when the individual state T&I associations were brought together under one umbrella. It soon became a presence on the world stage, thanks largely to the seminal work of [another AUSIT Fellow] Adolfo Gentile behind the scenes [which you can read about in Ludmila Stern’s recent interview with Adolfo in our Winter 2023 issue (page 13)]. Despite a few hiccups along the way our Institute has flourished, and continues to grow steadily in size and influence.’
After a callout last year, Monash University’s Intercultural Lab agreed to host the AUSIT Archive. Do you have papers, photos, files or other material that document a part of AUSIT’s history? Or do you know a retired member who has? The AUSIT National Council would love to hear from you.*
And calling graduate students: the AUSIT Archive would make a great PhD topic. If you’re interested in pursuing a project to document and analyse AUSIT’s history, contact the National Council.*
* You can contact the NC here.
