Record holds COVID memories

Collie residents are being given the opportunity to have their images and stories added to a book reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the Spanish Flu before it, COVID-19 has had major social and economic impacts and may create long-lasting changes to some aspects of human behaviour. Collie shire community development officer Tamsin Emmett said it was important as restrictions continued to ease and physical evidence of the effect of the pandemic were removed, the experience was recorded for future generations. “We thought about a time capsule, but I think for the community a general collection of memories would be more relevant,” she said. “Some people have sent in photos and some of those have little anecdotes to go with those photos. “I have contacted the schools and asked their kids to write something down or draw a picture, we just want their memories of the time. “We also want pictures of things that changed during this time, like queuing at the post office or the parking bays at the doctors that were marked off. “These are all very visual things, but they will be gone quick quickly.” The memories will be incorporated in a book which will then go to the Collie Library and also be kept in the Collie Shire Council records. During the height of the pandemic, sport was cancelled and shops and restaurants were forced to either close, or change their business models in order to survive. “The businesses noticed a difference and had to evolve and adapt to the times which a lot of them did amazingly well,” Mrs Emmett said. “They limited the number of people in their shops and made sure there was appropriate sanitisation at all times. “A lot of our food businesses did take away food and although our pubs all had to shut down, they offered alternate services like deliveries. “Collie has always managed to step up and help each other and I just think it is really important we document what is hopefully a short time in our history.” Residents with photos, anecdotes, written stories or even local flyers or newspaper articles from the time are encouraged to donate them to the council offices or the Collie Public Library to have them included in the Collie COVID-19 Memory Collection Project.