Do you have any collections?

THE BOWER BIRD

Metaphorically speaking, when it comes to collecting and collections, I am a bit like a bower bird. I hang onto things for a long, long time and create frustration in others when I won’t tidy up, throw out, or give away items that I have collected.

Among the collectables I have kept are the following:

All my annual diaries from 1970 onward – there is a gap here in there but they’re mostly intact.

Copies of letters that I sent to people over the years as we were working in rural and remote parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. They are a good record.

The various trip diaries I compiled when we were travelling overseas and interstate.

Albums of coins, especially those appropriately cast for commemerative reasons.

Chronicles of teaching and administrative materials that I acquired over the years, in order to assist others and also to stimulate writing on educational subjects, something I do in retirement.

Collections of slides and photographs of places that we have seen, worked in, and lived in, over the years. (These need to be converted).

In terms of collection I have given a great deal of material to the Northern Territory Archives, because as I get older it becomes of less used to me and if it’s not given a way where it may be useful for research purposes in years to come, it may well finish up at the rubbish tip when our house is cleared

out.

Copies of articles I have contributed to publications over many years. Included is the volume of 300 columns I wrote for the Northern Territory News in a weekly column “ Gray Matters” for nearly 6 years after my retirement. (I have never written for remuneration .)

I also have a great deal of material that is saved online, including photographs, written materials and so on.

I really use LinkedIn as a source where by written material is retained in a collectible manner.

I blog and have over 2000 pieces of written and .saved material.

Collectibles ultimately translate into a trove of quite wealthy information.