The Victorian government has thrown its support behind community organisations wishing to preserve and share local history and promote distinctive local voices with a new round of the Local History Grants Program.

The minister for government services Danny Pearson announced the opening of the program’s 21st round, with $350,000 available of up to $15,000 to foster the preservation and recording of Victoria’s history.

The Greek community is a prime candidate for these grants as it charts its100 years of migration and especially the post-war migration period.

Many of the post-war migrants have either passed away or are well into their 80s, and it is essential for the community’s sustainability that local histories are recorded for providence.

Minister Pearson said that local history is an part of Victoria’s collective memory, and the government will support projects “that showcase and preserve the diverse voices that make up the state’s past.”

“Whether it is for the digitisation of records, the publication of local history stories or an upgrade to a museum, the Local History Grants Program ensures that the stories of our past are available for future generations,” Pearson said in a released statement.

The program funds community-based organisations to tell the stories of their communities, preserve significant historical collections and increase opportunities for public engagement with the past.

The most recent round of grants saw 40 projects across the state funded for a range of projects and publications, making local history more accessible.

Projects previously funded include websites, oral histories and podcasts, interpretative signage, collection cataloguing and Auslan translations.

The Local History Grants Program is managed by Public Record Office Victoria and supported by the Labor Government. Applications for grants close on Monday, 30 January 2023.

Director for the Public Record Office Justine Heazlewood said that historical societies, museums, schools, sports clubs, theatre groups and volunteer organisations “have fascinating stories of trials, triumph and community to share.”

“We look forward to receiving applications from groups with history to preserve for the benefit of all Victorians, now and into the future.”

For more information, to register for an online grants information session to be held at 6pm on Thursday, 15 December, and to apply for funding go to prov.vic.gov.au.