Petronila's keepsake is a hand-carved mother of pearl fishing lure (Pa Hi Atu) made by Papa Fofo Poasa, her father-in-law.

Papa Fofo Poasa hand-carved this traditional fishing lure with his son, Himona Poasa, the week before Himona suddenly passed away in February 2023. They carved the Pa Hi Atu in their home in Mandurah, Western Australia, using mother-of-pearl shells from Broome.

Pa Hi Atu translates to fishing lure to catch the bonito (type of fish). Papa Fofo Poasa is one of the few Tokelauan traditional carvers in the world. Tokelau is a small, dependent territory of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean consisting of three atolls.

Petronila's husband, Himona, regularly caught fish in the Mandurah Estuary and distributed them to his community's elders and families according to the Tokelau traditions. The fishing lure is a special heirloom because it was made with love and represents the relationship between father and son.

As part of the State Library of Western Australia’s exhibition Keepsake: Cherished Family Mementos from the Collection, we asked The Chin Wagon to create a podcast series collecting stories from members of the public about their family treasures and heirlooms. Scrabble boards, cookbooks, medals, fishing lures, trinkets and tools. Why are these items so important to the people that hold onto them?

The Chin Wagon is a mobile recording studio designed to capture WA’s stories. Run by much-loved storytelling collective Barefaced Stories , The Chin Wagon provides a fun, cosy hearth for people to share their most treasured memories, tall tales or embarrassing spills. Andrea Gibbs interviewed seven members of the public in this mini podcast series. Each fascinating story is only 3 to 4 minutes long.

Keepsake exhibition runs at the State Library of Western Australia until 4 February 2025.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amber's keepsake is a much loved and very used 1970s Scrabble board game in the original box. Her family took an annual holiday to Rottnest Island, marking the years on the board (70s to 90s) and added the odd landline phone number in "graffiti". Back then, the Rottnest Island showers were salt water from the ocean and all food was BYO. Amber fondly remembers zero-screen holidays full of family tournaments, charades, sandcastles, rides, a few dramas and the game of Scrabble!

As part of the State Library of Western Australia’s exhibition Keepsake: Cherished Family Mementos from the Collection, we asked The Chin Wagon to create a podcast series collecting stories from members of the public about their family treasures and heirlooms. Scrabble boards, cookbooks, medals, fishing lures, trinkets and tools. Why are these items so important to the people that hold onto them?

The Chin Wagon is a mobile recording studio designed to capture WA’s stories. Run by much-loved storytelling collective Barefaced Stories , The Chin Wagon provides a fun, cosy hearth for people to share their most treasured memories, tall tales or embarrassing spills. Andrea Gibbs interviewed seven members of the public in this mini podcast series. Each fascinating story is only 3 to 4 minutes long.

Keepsake exhibition runs at the State Library of Western Australia until 4 February 2025. Amber appears in the video below.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzanne Franklin's keepsake is a picture of her great-great-grandmother, Alice Franklin, the Lady Mayoress of Perth and an unused leather-bound railway ticket to the official opening of Parliament House in 1927.

Alice's husband, James Thomas Franklin, was the last Mayor of Perth and the first Lord Mayor of Perth. In 1927, James and Alice were invited to the grand opening of Parliament House and given first-class railway tickets with sleeping berths from Sydney to Canberra and then Canberra to Perth. Many events and newspaper articles were written about them leaving for this historic event.

The tickets went unused. A few days before departure, their eldest son George, 48, was run down on Bulwer Street while on his way to work. Alice and James stayed by his side in the hospital. George passed away two days later. On the day they were meant to be leaving, they buried their son.

A week later, they went to the opening of Parliament House to represent Western Australia and meet the Duke and Duchess of York, who they would soon be hosting in Perth.

On the State Library website are pictures of James and Alice Franklin and the royal visit to Perth.

As part of the State Library of Western Australia’s exhibition Keepsake: Cherished Family Mementos from the Collection, we asked The Chin Wagon to create a podcast series collecting stories from members of the public about their family treasures and heirlooms. Scrabble boards, cookbooks, medals, fishing lures, trinkets and tools. Why are these items so important to the people that hold onto them?

The Chin Wagon is a mobile recording studio designed to capture WA’s stories. Run by much-loved storytelling collective Barefaced Stories , The Chin Wagon provides a fun, cosy hearth for people to share their most treasured memories, tall tales or embarrassing spills. Andrea Gibbs interviewed seven members of the public in this mini podcast series. Each fascinating story is only 3 to 4 minutes long.

Keepsake exhibition runs at the State Library of Western Australia until 4 February 2025.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.