Oral history evidence and the literature gap in researching contemporary political history

In the research of contemporary historical episodes, a researcher is often faced with the dilemma of too little supporting literature or inaccessible documentary evidence. In the study of recent state political history in Queensland, which has suffered through a dearth of academic discourse, this dilemma is acute. Fortunately, a recent surge of interview-based research projects has created some extensive oral history evidence pertaining to the contemporary political period. The Queensland Speaks (www.QueenslandSpeaks.com.au) project represents the most ambitious study among this burgeoning data collection. The interviews, accessible through the project website, provide first-hand source material upon which my PhD research relies. As a member of the project’s researching and interviewing team, I have actively participated in generating additional oral history evidence to further support my own research. Such activity brings into sharp focus just what interview data can – and sometimes cannot – provide that is not typically covered by the available literature. This paper highlights the utility of oral history evidence gained through selective subject interviews addressing the shortfall in (and sometimes outweighing) the established literature and available documentary sources of Queensland’s contemporary political era