As part of its annual Queensland Memory Awards, State Library of Queensland is launching an inaugural Place Making Fellowship and the 2019 theme is Queensland’s Ice Cream History.

Sekisui House Australia, which now owns the historic Peters Ice Cream Factory at West End as part of its West Village project, has partnered with State Library for the 2019 Fellowship. State Library said the Place Making Fellowship was an opportunity to discover the legends, stories and histories behind beloved Queensland sites. The Fellowship recipient will receive a stipend of $10,000 and access to the resources of the John Oxley Library and resources relating to the Peters Ice Cream Factory site.

West Village Project Director Andrew Thompson said the focus on Queensland’s ice cream history would enable the Fellowship recipient to explore the 1928 Peters Ice Cream Factory and delve into the historical artifacts and stories that West Village had complied over the past few years. “The Peters Ice Cream Factory is an iconic site in West End. The Place Making Fellowship will aim to focus on its people and products, the company’s innovations and the fascinating stories behind the development and consumption of its ice cream products,” Thompson said. “Since we bought the factory, West Village has celebrated the site’s ice-cream history with our annual Ice Cream Festival that will have its third run from 22 to 24 March. Thousands of people visit the site to indulge in a fantastic range of artisan ice creams, and that is such a great way to celebrate our ice-cream history. Now this Fellowship will enable a deeper dive into a great West End story and formally document a proud local history.”

State Librarian and Chief Executive Officer Vicki McDonald said State Library of Queensland’s fellowship program provided researchers with an opportunity to discover knowledge about the state. “The fellowships are open to people of all disciplines – whether you are an academic, artist, musician or writer, we want you to apply,” McDonald said.

Applications for the Place Making Fellowship close at 5pm Thursday 28 March.

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