Amber Blake's keepsake is a much loved and very used Scrabble board in the original box from the 1970s. Her family took an annual holiday to Rottnest Island, marking the years on the board (70s to 90s) and the odd landline phone number in "graffiti". Back then, the showers were salt water from the ocean and all food was BYO. Amber fondly remembers zero-screen holidays full of family tournaments, charades, sandcastles, rides, a few dramas and Scrabble!

As part of the State Library of Western Australia’s exhibition Keepsake: Cherished Family Mementos from the Collection, we asked The Chin Wagon to create a podcast series collecting stories from members of the public about their family treasures and heirlooms. Scrabble boards, cookbooks, medals, fishing lures, trinkets and tools. Why are these items so important to the people that hold onto them?

The Chin Wagon is a mobile recording studio designed to capture WA’s stories. Run by much-loved storytelling collective Barefaced Stories, The Chin Wagon provides a fun, cosy hearth for people to share their most treasured memories, tall tales or embarrassing spills. Andrea Gibbs interviewed seven members of the public in this mini podcast series.

Keepsake exhibition runs at the State Library of Western Australia until 4 February 2025.