Bringing Albany’s library and its men to life
She might not have thought of herself as a historian but Lesley Wilson is delving into local history with a dream: to bring the history of Albany Memorial Library and its men to life.
Wilson has applied for an AMP National Scholarship to help realise a book which documents the history of the library and the 77 men remembered there from the Albany district who fought in the first and second World Wars.
As part of her research, Wilson hopes to visit the graves of 20 men buried in cemeteries throughout Europe.
‘‘It just feels really important to me to go and see them, and to honour them and say thank you,’’ she said.
The former Albany resident said when she sees visits the local cemetery and sees the names of men listed on their parents’ graves, she often wonders whether their families of origin were ever able to visit their European memorials themselves.
Her journey would take her to cemeteries in Turkey, France, Germany, Scotland and Egypt.
The AMP National Scholarship is worth $10,000, and there are 12 to give away. Scholarships can be used for any dream applicants are passionate about.
Wilson started her research in 2014, around the time she began volunteer managing the library.
She has been working with with genealogist Audrey Barney, based at Settlers Village, and embarked on a project to find photographs of all 77 men who served.
So far she has been able to track down 53 photos, which are on display at Albany Memorial Library.
Wilson said she envisages the book would contain a history of the library, some stories of men who fought in the two Great Wars, pictures of all the men and information on the Home Guard.
She wants it to be ready for the library’s jubilee celebration in 2022.
The library was built in 1922 in commemoration of the soldiers of World War I from the district. It ceased to operate as a library in 2004.
While Wilson and her collaborator often laugh about the difficulty of deciding on a name to encompass the book’s broad historical reach, she is clear about its purpose.
‘‘All that information is just out there in people’s memories, and then it’s gone. It’s so important to put it all in one place.’’
The AMP National Scholarship winners are announced on October 26.