Who’s involved

Marrickville Community History Group
- Historians: Mary Ann Hamilton and Megan Wynne-Jones
- Photographer: Roslyn Sharp
- Editor: Annemarie Jonson

Migration Heritage Centre
NSW State Oral History Archive

When and where

Project location: Across NSW
Project status: Completed project
Date of completion: November 2003

Project description

Getting Married presents the stories of different generations of migrant couples including the experiences of those in cross-cultural marriages. It involves people from backgrounds such as Serbian, Bangladeshi, South Indian, Lebanese, Greek, Vietnamese and Anglo-Celtic, embracing Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Catholic and Orthodox rituals and traditions.

The project documents the culturally specific experiences of courtship, marriage and married life. The stories are brought to life through a series of historical and contemporary colour images which express the values, rituals and meanings surrounding the institution of marriage in our diverse society. So come and visit Getting Married online!

You can also tell your friends about your Getting Married experience by sending them the Getting Married electronic greeting card. Select the year 2003, type in card no 8160, click “go”, then on the next page click “send”.

What has the project achieved?

A better understanding of the specific ways in which marriage and courtship practices are conducted amongst different cultural groups, based on original cross-cultural research.

A forum for different cultural groups to share ideas, beliefs, values and customs.

An online collection of stories and images.

The capture of important private documents, photographic and oral histories, which will be compiled and placed in the State Archive.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM OF SYDNEY UNTIL 15 MAY 2005.

Project contact

Mary Ann Hamilton – Public Officer
Marrickville Community History Group

Email ohmc@ihug.com.au

Website
View the online exhibition >>