When Dimity Brassil lost her father and sister in quick succession she was overwhelmed with the knowledge that she would never hear their voices again.
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She asked her 89-year-old mother if she could record a podcast with her, and while she was hesitant in the beginning, that very first podcast became a catalyst for documenting the lives of hundreds of people.
"Interviewing my mum was the hardest story I've ever done, perhaps you're a little bit scared to ask them questions because you know it might hurt them," Ms Brassil said.
That experience gave rise to a unique storytelling podcast recording the lives of Australia's oldest generation and their observations on life through the years.
Ms Brassil said the main goal of A Lasting Tale is to record history.
"I think people like my mum in Wagga hold so much knowledge and we don't really hear it."
While recording the life stories of loved ones, A Lasting Tale also captured the societal and industrial shifts in Australia throughout the subjects' lives.
"You're also capturing the story of Australian farming and what it's been through from the 1940s through to today."
The arrival of electricity in homes is another story A Lasting Tale recorded and Ms Brassil discovered a lady called Gladys from Barrumbuttock, NSW who had electricity connected to her home in 1961 which was the latest year she ever documented.
"She got electricity connected to the house in 1961 which was after she was married, and I challenge your readers to see if there was anyone later than 1961," Ms Brassil said.
For those who think their grandparents are exaggerating when they say they rode horses to school; Ms Brassil said she often hears things like that and they're not exaggerating.
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Those who want a permanent record of their loved ones are reaching out to A Lasting Tale from places like Tamworth, the Upper Hunter, and Braidwood, and are discovering information about their family they would have never heard of before.
The only regret Ms Brassil hears from people is them wishing they had captured their family history before their loved ones lost their memory.
She said anyone could record their family history and you don't have to be an expert to do it.
"Even if you can't do it now at least take a look at recording something with a few questions or just taking some video," she said.
