Elizabeth McKinnon, project intern

Photograph of Elizabeth McKinnon.

Elizabeth McKinnon. Photo © Matthew Balzer

While currently studying a Master of Museum Studies at the University of Sydney, an opportunity for an internship on the Eat Your History project came up. Gaining work experience learning about food and history is a very nice way of beginning my career in the industry. My role within this project is to conduct primary research on the 1950s and Rose Seidler House for the Eat Your History project. For this I am very privileged to be conducting research by looking through the Caroline Simpson Library’s collection of The Australian Home Beautiful magazines from 1950-1959. Through reading these magazines, a shift in Australia’s food culture is evident; from British influences, post war migration and in the later years of the 1950s, a move toward Americanization.

It has been an amazing experience, not just being able to scour through vintage magazines, but to work as a part of a team on a project. While sadly my internship will be coming to an end, I will be staying on as a volunteer and hopefully trying out some more fabulous recipes all in the name of research!