Charlie Briglia and Zara Boubouras joined the Royal Historical Society of Victoria as volunteers in April 2024. They applied after visiting in February with fellow students from Prof. Andy May’s University of Melbourne ‘City Visions’ summer intensive subject for an introduction to the RHSV’s library, site research resources, and manuscripts and images collections.
Their role is to help digitise the images collection. This involves scanning photographs and recording critical information, such as measurements, inscriptions and condition. The high-resolution digital images they produce serve as preservation files, lessening the need to handle the physical photographs and also serving as a digital copy in the event of the original suffering damage or loss. From these large tiff files, smaller jpeg files are made and uploaded to the RHSV’s eHive catalogue, so researchers can view the photograph described in the catalogue record. These catalogue records are in turn harvested to Trove, maximising their accessibility.
Charlie
Charlie was motivated to volunteer to gain work experience in a degree-related field and to meet new people. This is his second volunteering role, after working with the Salvation Army as a high school student.
Charlie is in his 4th year of a B.A. (studying 3 subjects per semester). He is majoring in History and has also studied Economics, Cultural Studies and Philosophy in the course of his degree.
He is looking forward to continuing his History studies and completing an Honours year, or possibly progressing straight to a Master of Arts. Beyond that, Charlie is planning on working in a role that combines his interest in History and Economics.
For his ‘City Visions’ assignment, Charlie studied the Hotel Spencer in West Melbourne. He was keen to challenge himself by focussing on a site that had not been extensively researched and documented, but that has a long history in Melbourne.
Outside of studying and volunteering, Charlie keeps busy as a swimming teacher and squad coach working at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College (P.L.C.) in Burwood.
Zara
Zara was motivated to volunteer at the RHSV to learn more about Victorian history. Studying ‘City Visions’ stimulated her interest in Melbourne’s past. She appreciates the city much more now and enjoys her newfound knowledge.
Zara is a science student, who also has a passion for history. She’s studied 5 history breadth subjects so far in her biomedical degree. Currently in her third undergraduate year, Zara is looking forward to completing her doctor of medicine in the future. Her goal is to work in a hospital setting, specialising in epidemiology.
History and medicine are two very different fields, yet Zara sees strong similarities in the broad societal insights both provide, particularly the similarities between history and the field of public health, where change is studied at a population scale and patterns can be analysed and compared.
For her City Visions assignment, Zara studied the forecourt of the State Library of Victoria. She was interested in the changes to the role of the space, from fenced off garden forecourt and place of civic commemoration, to a space of political protest and public leisure.
When not studying and volunteering, Zara enjoys reading, playing music, making collages and practising synchronised swimming.
