The Foley Collection

Brief description

The Foley Collection is a selection of digital works from a major historic archive collected over the past 45 years by Aboriginal activist/academic Gary Foley. It is a large scale collection of print, audio visual and digital material currently housed at the Victoria University Moondani Balluk Academic Unit.

The complete Foley Archive includes a broad range of primary source materials in a variety of formats to cover the history of the aboriginal self-determination and land rights movements, the development of aboriginal community survival programs plus an extensive range of unique materials produced and collected by Gary Foley. It is a large scale collection of print, audio visual and digital material currently housed at the Victoria University Moondani Balluk Academic Unit. Some particular strengths of the overall collection include:

• Rare collection of early Koori radio programs from 1973 from including the first ever Koori radio programs on community radio as well as rare tapes of Sydney’s Radio Redfern,Radio Skid Row and unique copies of the Koori Survival Show with the Cosmic Avenger (1991-95)
• Extensive collection of newspaper clippings of key events related to aboriginal affairs back to 1930s. The collection contains extensive thematic files for media coverage of Freedom Rides, 1967 Referendum, Denis Walker’s Black Panther Party of 1971 and the 1972 tent Embassy.
• Complete collection of known published material on the successful two and half year battle to re-open the Northland Secondary College (1992-1995). Collection includes campaign documents, press coverage, memorabilia and associated artefacts.
• Major video and film collection charting Gary’s Foley’s contribution as a performer and producer covering recordings of films featuring Gary Foley as well as recordings of numerous television appearances and public meetings and educational events.

In 2014 Victoria University Library received support from the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) to make a proportion of the collection open access as part of an Open Data Project. A selection of significant documents from the collection have been made available open access through the Victoria University Research Repository. Among the strengths of the online open access collection are:

• A selection of Gary Foley’s personal papers including essays, speeches (public and conferences) and papers written by Gary Foley – from 2006 onwards.
• A selection of correspondence covering Gary Foley’s engagement with major issues in the history of the aboriginal self-determination movement.
• Papers and administrative documents of committees and organizations chaired by Gary Foley who have significance for the history of Koori activism, health services, art programs and education.