A new video by filmmaker Priit Laineste takes us into Sydney Estonian House and down to the Estonian Archives in Australia — with Maie Barrow as your guide (and yes, she knows exactly where the good stuff is).
In “Maie Barrow – eesti mälu hoidja” (Maie Barrow – Keeper of Estonian Memory), Priit also captures a quick slice of Sydney’s Australian-Estonian community life — including moments around Restoration of Estonian Independence commemorations in 2025 — before the camera heads downstairs, where the memory lives.
Downstairs, where the memory lives
Once we’re in the archive space, Maie becomes both guide and storyteller. She explains what the Estonian Archives in Australia holds, why it matters, and what it actually takes to keep a heritage collection alive (spoiler: it’s not magic — it’s steady, meticulous work). The archives have been collecting Australian-Estonian history since 1952, and Maie points out the kinds of “community time capsules” you hope never end up in someone’s mystery garage box: documents, photographs, books, artworks, and the paper trail of organisations and events.
We also meet Dr Terry Kass — historian and author — who is the Honorary Archivist since Maie stepped down after 29 years in the role (though Maie still volunteers and stays closely involved). And we’re introduced to Ave Nukki, President of the Estonian Society of Sydney, who pops in with a thoughtful note about language and cultural continuity in Australia.
If you’ve ever wondered where old Eesti Päevad programs go, what happens to newsletters after everyone’s finished debating them, or how a family story gets traced across decades — this is your window into the “how” behind remembering. But it’s also about something bigger: what communities choose to carry forward, and what it takes to keep those choices alive.
Maie’s story, in her own words
One of the best things about these videos is that Maie doesn’t present the archives as a museum behind glass. She talks about real people, real decisions, and the long, careful work of preserving what matters — while still making space for the complicated bits: belonging, language, identity, and the occasional question of what exactly are we called again — Estonian-Australian or Australian-Estonian? (Yes, it comes up. I’m glad — I’ve wondered about this.)
Maie also shares her own personal journey — including her family’s displacement during wartime, growing up speaking a “secret language”, the experience of visiting Estonia decades later (first time in the 1960s!), and watching Tallinn change through different eras.
And if you’re thinking, this is the kind of lifelong work that deserves recognition — you’re right. Maie’s decades of archival work have been formally acknowledged, including the Order of the White Star (5th Class) bestowed by the President of Estonia.
📺 Video links
Priit Laineste has shared two videos from the same Sydney visit — they complement each other beautifully.
FIRST VIDEO (Estonian with English subtitles, 24 min):
Maie Barrow – Eesti mälu hoidja (Keeper of Estonian Memory)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-qS_RGglC8c
SECOND VIDEO (Estonian only, 30 min):
Maie Barrow – Elu pärast (Life After)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKeieCQBmAo
Click below to watch.
Read more
Estonian Archives in Australia
Sydney Eesti Maja EW Taasiseseisvuspäev 2025 (Restoration of Independence Day 2025 at Sydney Estonian House) by Priit Laineste.
Check out more videos by Priit Laineste here — a little treasure trove of Estonian traditions, events and people.
