Page 15 - Tropic Magazine Issue 37
P. 15
TROPIC • UP FRONT
Dr Sandi Robb
Cairns Historical Society A DAY IN THE LIFE
& Museum
Collections Manager Tropic delves into the daily routines and habits of a local identity.
With decades of experience 6:30am Centre or make an enquiry about
as a history and heritage Wake up to the dulcet sounds of north donating items. The Cairns Historical
consultant, Dr Sandi Robb Queensland’s morning birds in the Society and Museum has nearly
is a valued member of the forest outside my window. This is a 100,000 items in its collection and
very special time of the day for me, a
growing every day.
Cairns Historical Society & time to myself, a time to relax before
Museum team. As Collections the day gets underway, and a time to 3:00pm
Manager she looks after the have an indulgent cup of coffee in bed! With a wave and a ‘thank you’ I say
organisation’s 100,000-odd goodbye to the wonderful volunteers
items and assists academics, 8:00am who head out the door for the day.
journalists and the community Starting to get my brain ready for the While we usually work in silence,
day ahead over a bowl of Cornflakes.
sometimes there is a terrific buzz of
alike with their research needs. copiers, pages turning, clicks on the
Sandi also has a PhD with 9:00am computer and laughter as strange and
James Cook University on the Arrive at the Cairns Historical Society engaging things are read out to amuse
region’s rich Chinese history ready for a big day. A year ago, I never us all. When they leave, the room
and is a founding member and imagined that I would be identifying falls silent.
former president of Chinese lime spatulas for betel nut, 5:00pm
ceremonial marriage axes, or mourning
Heritage in Northern Australia accoutrements associated with Papua I’m usually at my desk and ‘in the
Inc. (CHINA Inc.) New Guinea widows. groove’: my thoughts are clear and
Yet as I unwrap each item I am focused. Half an hour and it’s home
enthralled by Joan Winter, Baboa time although some days I stay longer.
Gallery owner and curator of the
Sihot’e Nioge: When Skirts Become 6:00pm
Artworks exhibition. She patiently With no TV to distract me, I like to work
teaches me about Papua New Guinea, on my book on Chinese family history
Melanesian and Polynesian artefacts, of the 19th and early 20th centuries in
and I listen intently. north Queensland, which is scheduled
to be published mid-next year. It does
12:00pm sounds like work, but I find it relaxing.
After 12pm I usually try to grab a bite to It’s also guaranteed to get me sleepy!
eat. Like the John Paul Young song it is
‘Yesterday’s Hero’ but I still wolf 10:00pm
it down! Time to call it a night and settle down
to text with my family. While we live
12:15pm all over Australia now, we still keep in
One of the delights of managing touch nearly every night. So easy to
a community collection is the virtually be together in so many ways.
opportunity I get to talk to locals
about their families, Cairns history and
diverse communities, as members and
people come in to use the Research MORE: cairnsmuseum.org.au
15 • tropicnow.com.au
