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Dictionary of Sydney

I’ve been sharing stories about Sydney’s past as a guest historian for the Dictionary of Sydney on 2SER Breakfast radio since 2014. Check out my latest segments.

Woodford Academy

Woodford Academy

It’s holidaying season and a good time to venture beyond Sydney. A trip to the Blue Mountains is always a great idea, and the National Trust property, Woodford Academy, is even more reason to explore one of our most picturesque regions. I spoke with Mitch on 2SER...

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Bodgies and African American culture in Sydney

Bodgies and African American culture in Sydney

Ever heard of the term bodgie? What about widgie? When we think of great social change, people often cite the 1960s as a decade of transformation. But toward the end of World War II in the 1940s, a subculture emerged among Sydney’s youth - they called themselves...

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Flashback to Sydney’s old trams

Flashback to Sydney’s old trams

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the new light rail project and the disruption being caused by the closure of George Street in Sydney. In a case of history repeating itself, Sydney’s seen it all happen before from when the first line for horse-drawn trams...

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Iris Webber: ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’

Iris Webber: ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’

When you think of Sydney’s dangerous crime queens of the 1920s-30s, the names Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh might come to mind. But there was another woman who earned a reputation as ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’. Her name was Iris Webber - a petty thief and sly...

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History Week 2015: War, Nationalism and Identity

History Week 2015: War, Nationalism and Identity

History Week has been going for 18 years and there will be many interesting events being held in Sydney and across NSW with the theme: ‘War, Nationalism and Identity’. One of the key issues being discussed is how Australians commemorate war. For instance, did you know...

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Long Bay prison

Long Bay prison

Long Bay prison was actually opened this month 106 years ago and saw some of Sydney’s most notorious underworld figures incarcerated within its walls. I spoke to Mitch on 2SER Breakfast this morning about its history as detailed in the Dictionary of Sydney. The Long...

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Sydney’s ‘pissoirs’ and public lavatories

Sydney’s ‘pissoirs’ and public lavatories

It’s a thing we all need, take for granted and is perhaps one of the more awkward topics to discuss, but when did Sydney first see public lavatories in its streets? This morning I spoke with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast about Christa Ludlow's fascinating entry in the...

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Elizabeth Kata: An Australian in Japan during World War 2

Elizabeth Kata: An Australian in Japan during World War 2

It’s 70 years since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. As the bombs fell and killed an estimated 250,000 people, Sydney-born author Elizabeth Kata was interned in the mountain resort village of Karuizawa. The Dictionary of Sydney has...

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Wonderland City: Sydney’s amusement parks

Wonderland City: Sydney’s amusement parks

It’s been 150 years since the famous author Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but did you know Sydney had its own Wonderland back in the early 1900s? I thought I’d delve into the Dictionary of Sydney and spoke to Sophie on 2SER Breakfast about...

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40 years: The Juanita Nielsen disappearance

40 years: The Juanita Nielsen disappearance

This Saturday 4 July 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of the heritage conservationist and publisher Juanita Nielsen. Even today, the mystery of her disappearance and presumed murder continues to overshadow her story, however, Nielsen is also...

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Nicole Cama

Nicole Cama

Historian

I’m a professional historian who specialises in social and public history, as well as cultural collections and heritage research and interpretation. I have worked on numerous projects for the City of Sydney, Dictionary of Sydney, IP Australia and more.

nicole@nicolecama.au

Contact me