Title
Midland Railway Workshop website
Document Type
Creative Work
RIS ID
11965
COinS
Midland Railway Workshop website
Creative Work
11965
Publication Details
Bunt, B. S. (2005). Midland Railway Workshop [website], Midland Railway Workshop Interpretive Centre, Western Australia.
Website url: http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/midland/.
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RESEARCH IMPACT STATEMENT
Research Background
This website was the product of an interdisciplinary ARC Linkage research project examining the cultural history of the Midland Railway Workshops in Perth, WA. Professional labour historians at Curtin University worked alongside media and multimedia producers at Murdoch University to produce a site that documents aspects of the history, physical space and culture of the workshops. Documenting the experiences of former workers was a particular focus. The major research question, from a multimedia perspective, was how to facilitate access to a wealth of archival and documentary material in a clear and engaging non-linear fashion. The site continues to be available on the web (http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/midland/) and has been available in kiosk form at the Midland Railway Workshops Interpretive Centre.
Research Contribution
The site is novel, chiefly in its interdisciplinary aspect, in the way that it links together oral-historical research and sophisticated multimedia. The major creative innovation lies in linking historical story-telling to spatial exploration. At the technical level, the site represents the transition from CD-ROM based multimedia to web-based, rich media platforms.
Research Significance
The project was mainly significant in the local Perth context. As one of a number of outcomes from the broader ARC Linkage project (which had a range of conventional academic and media outcomes), the website played an important role in securing State funds to establish the Midland Railway Workshops Interpretive Centre on the site of the former workshops.