Lucy Bracey

Author, Historian

Lucy enjoys communicating about the past across a wide variety of formats. Her co-authored books include a history of the Children’s Protection Society and a children’s book exploring the history of Boroondara during World War I. Lucy has produced two radio documentaries for ABC Radio National and created audio documentaries using oral history interviews for a range of online history projects, including websites for ChillOut in Daylesford and the Sephardi Association of Victoria. She has curated exhibitions at the City Museum at Old Treasury, Counihan Gallery in Brunswick and State Library Victoria.

Like her Way Back When colleagues, Lucy is committed to giving back to her community. She currently serves as a councillor for the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and is on the collections committee of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute.

Where were you born?

Melbourne, Australia

What other jobs have you had?

Before I got into history, I had a range of different jobs, mostly in hospitality. My first was a Saturday morning job in a pie shop in Yarraville. It was great because I always had pies to bring home for lunch.

What themes are recurring in your work?

Community and belonging are big themes that come out in all our histories. A lot of what we do is about helping people and groups understand their place in the world.

What have been the highlights of your career?

Book and exhibition launches are always a highlight, a culmination of many months of hard work and a chance to celebrate. We’re often jumping straight into the next project, so having that time to celebrate is always nice.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about storytelling. Crafting an engaging narrative and being able to tell a good story is my favourite part of my job.

Lucy is a Way Back When historian. Read more about the Way Back When Historians and their history sessions here.