These boots were made for talking...

Telling the stories behind some of SA's most beloved artefacts

We all have treasured possessions; the things we'd grab first in an emergency, or would be shattered to lose. To have and to hold is a powerful impulse, but have you ever wondered why we fixate so strongly on objects? This is just one of the questions that South Australia's History Festival may be able to answer throughout the month of May.

Perhaps we're merely materialistic creatures, or is it that we attach our stories to objects? Our belongings are the tangible proof that we were here, that we lived, loved, and walked this earth. Franziska Lucas knows this only too well; she maps her own family history through objects like this pair of children's winter boots, originally affixed to skis but removed when the Walla family – Franziska, Marilie, Rainer and

Werner – migrated from Austria in 1955. “They came out with us – my mother was particularly protective of them as they were very expensive at the time,” says Franziska. These boots are just one of the storied objects assembled in the State History Collection, featured as a part of South Australia's History Festival.

This year’s theme is Wonder; an invitation to ask questions and be curious about the objects, spaces, places and stories that endure across years and continents. With over 500 events running across the month-long program in May, there is something to capture the most eclectic of interests. Let South Australia’s History Festival 2023 inspire you to Wonder!

South Australia’s History Festival

1 – 31 May festival.history.sa.gov.au

@historyfestival