The Western Australian Folklore Archive (WAFA) was established in 1985 as a repository for the state's folklore. It is the only state folklore archive in Australia and its holdings are a unique record of the rich and diverse folk traditions of Western Australia and its people.

The Archive's holdings consist of student, staff and community-collected materials, including:

The Foothills Connection Community Heritage Project The Other Western Australians: Bicentennial Multicultural Oral History Project The Chinese-Australian Folklore Exchange The Kel Watkins Collection Rare manuscripts and film/video footage

Traditional 'stickie' or 'beehive' craypot, Fremantle, 1995 (WAFA: G. Synnot coll., 1995)

Materials are held in a variety of formats, including reports, audio tape, video tape, photographs and some items of material culture.

Most genres of folklore are represented, including customs, tales, beliefs, art and craft, games, songs, children's lore, family lore, local lore, work lore, etc.

Material comes from a wide range of ethnic, community, occupational, interest and other groups.

Making the traditional 'stickie' or 'beehive' craypot, Fremantle, 1995
(WAFA: G. Synnot coll., 1995)

Most of the archive is open to the public and to researchers on a fee-for-service basis.

Aims

The Archive is developing a comprehensive record of the state's folklore resources in the form of an 'Inventory of WA Folk Traditions'. Many of the Archive's activities relate to this ongoing enterprise which is - and will increasingly be - an unparalleled resource with value for research, education, tourism and the cultural fabric of Western Australia.

Support and Cooperation

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