Historical Story Hunter

The Mission
We are looking for a Historical Story Hunter. This is not a typical virtual assistant role; it is a mission to dig through the "vaults" of time and unearth the strange, the tragic, and the unexplained. We are building a massive digital library of forgotten history, and we need a hunter who can track down original newspaper clippings from the 1800s and 1900s.

You will be responsible for stocking our "Content Bucket" months in advance. Your work will provide the raw, authentic evidence that makes history come alive for our global audience.

Your Daily Hunt
Your focus is volume, discovery, and organization. Your goal is to find 5–10 high-quality stories every day to fill our comprehensive library across US, UK, and Australian archives.

You will be hunting across these genres:

The Unexplained: Strange Sightings, Ancient/Forbidden Technology, Mass Panic/Hysteria.

The Tragic: Disasters & Catastrophes, Emotional/Aviation A ---------- , Lost Expeditions.

The Mysterious: Maritime Mysteries, Unsolved Disappearances, Crimes & Scandals.

The Odd: Newspaper Oddities (strange 19th-century reports) and Australian Bushranger stories.

The Calendar: Building an "On This Day" Library that covers every day of the year.

The Hunter’s Toolkit (Daily Tasks)
Search the Archives: Use global digital vaults to find stories from a provided lead list.

Capture the Evidence:
Save the full newspaper page (high-res PDF/Image).
Capture 5 targeted screenshots (The headline, the key paragraphs, the byline, and any sketches/photos).
Document the Facts: Create a simple text file for every story including: Publication Name, Date, Full Headline, Source URL, and a 1–3 sentence factual summary (Quite often a copy paste of data already on the page).
Organize the Vault: File everything into a structured Google Drive "Bucket" categorized by decade and theme for easy retrieval months later.

The Selection Challenge: Prove You’re a Hunter
We don’t want a resume; we want proof of your hunting skills. Please complete these four short tasks (Total time: ~15 minutes). Simply provide the screenshots and answers requested in your application.

Task 1: The End of an Outlaw (Trove - Australia)
The Source: ----------
The Goal: Open this report on the execution of the bushranger Ned Kelly.
What to send: A screenshot of the article. In your reply, tell me what his very last words were according to this specific report.

Task 2: The Capture at Glenrowan (Trove - Australia)
The Source: ----------
The Goal: Find the original news of Ned Kelly’s capture (the siege at Glenrowan), not his execution.
Search Tip: Focus your search on late June or early July 1880.
What to send: A screenshot of a report from that week (June 28 – July 5, 1880) showing the newspaper name and date.

Task 3: The Mary Celeste Mystery (Chronicling America - USA)
The Source: ----------
The Goal: Find a report on the "Ghost Ship" Mary Celeste published between December 1872 and June 1873.
Search Tip: Look for a detailed report from late February or early March 1873.
What to send: A screenshot of the newspaper scan showing the mention of the ship and the date.

Task 4: Your Instincts
The Goal: Based on the genre list in the "Daily Hunt" section above, tell me which genre of historical stories interests you the most and why?

Requirements
Precision: You can find exact dates and clean clippings.
Archival Quality: Your screenshots are clear, straight, and professional.
Independence: You love the thrill of the hunt and don't need hand-holding.
Reliable Setup: Stable internet and a computer capable of handling high-res images/PDFs.

How to Apply
Reply with a summary of why you are interested in this job along with the screenshots/answers from Tasks 1–4.

All candidates will be considered, the taskings is for you to see if this is something you will enjoy doing and for me to see what kind of outputs you can produce.

No prior archive experience? No problem. If you have a sharp eye for detail, a passion for the past, and strong English skills, we will help you to become a Master Hunter. Don't be shy :)

This position is listed as 40 hours per week however it is open to part time and full time applicant. Pay reviews will be conducted every 3-6 months.

Happy Hunting!