… Francesca Beddie visits Trier The bicentenary of Karl Marx’s birth is being celebrated with gusto in the town where he was born on 5 May 1818. Trier is festooned with his portrait, the one taken in 1875 of the white haired, woolly bearded man we have come to know as the father of … Read more
… by Marc Rerceretnam Social sports have always brought life to public spaces and our cities. For many people, sport is a crucial way to develop and maintain a sense of belonging. Sporting activities have also helped socialise communities. In a similar way, sporting clubs have traditionally been a positive force for social cohesion within … Read more
… by Francesca Beddie ‘War commemoration is now a modern industry tied to family, nation and the emotional life, and Villers-Bretonneux is a measure of its cosmopolitanism. Small parts of the world belong to Australia by dint of commemorative grant, by blood, by graveyards.’ So writes The Australian’s editor-at-large Paul Kelly ahead of the centenary of … Read more
Martina Muller recently set up her own business, Storialines. Storialines provides historical research and interpretation services to the heritage sector, local councils and other clients in Greater Sydney and New South Wales. Martina also works as a historian at a heritage consultancy firm in Sydney. What made you decide to pursue a career in history? I never … Read more
Nicole Cama talks about the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. (The following is an edited article, which first appeared on The Dictionary of Sydney website. It accompanies a podcast of Nicole talking to Nic Healy from 2SER Breakfast.) The first Mardi Gras parade in Sydney was held on 24 June … Read more
… Naomi Malone is a consulting historian, currently interested in Australian history and in doing oral history. She is also undertaking communications and events work for the PHA (NSW & ACT). What made you decide to pursue a career in history? I love history! The challenge of delving into the past to tell informed stories … Read more
… by Lisa Murray, Continuing Professional Development officer at the PHA NSW & ACT Want to get more out of the State Library of NSW’s single search catalogue? Our members certainly do! Seventeen PHA members attended a two-hour workshop convened especially for professional historians on Thursday 22 February at the State Library of New … Read more
… by Francesca Beddie and Minna Muhlen-Schulte, Public History Prize officer, who can be contacted at <prizeofficer.phanswact@gmail.com>. Last year ABC Radio National did a program about art prizes. Are they worth the effort? As the introduction to the discussion answered: They might prove welcome cash to impoverished artists but they dash the hopes of … Read more
… by Peter Hobbins One of the great joys in writing history lies in making myself perennially uncomfortable. Nowhere is this more true than when employing that vexed verb ‘imagine’. I was trained as an empiricist. I have an honours degree in science, earned by killing multitudes of small creatures. It explains why I … Read more
… Before we talk about the best date for our national day, let’s get a better understanding of its history and what it means to all our citizens and what we want to commemorate. Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director of the Australia Institute, observed when launching the institute’s December 2017 poll on Australia Day: The national … Read more